1956 Formula One season

Season 1957 >

The Formula 1 season 1956 was the seventh FIA Formula 1 World Championship. She was discharged through eight races in the period of 22 January 1956 to 2 September 1956. Juan Manuel Fangio won for the fourth time in the Drivers' World Championship.

The FIA honorary title of European Grand Prix was awarded in 1956 to the Italian Grand Prix.

The season was dominated by the withdrawal of Mercedes -Benz of the Italian team Ferrari and Maserati. Ferrari launched with modified Lancia, which they had taken over after their withdrawal in 1955 and had also committed to the best drivers of the era with Juan Manuel Fangio. But the combination Ferrari, Fangio was prone to conflict, especially since the team from Maranello with Peter Collins, Luigi Musso, Alfonso de Portago and a number of young talents grew. At the end of Fangio was able to get the world title only by a generous gesture of his teammates Collins at the Grand Prix of Italy. The British team B.R.M. Vanwall and it was only enough for occasional scoring ranks.

The World Championship races

GP Argentina - Buenos Aires (22 January 1956)

In the first half of the race, surprisingly led the local hero Carlos Menditéguy before his drive shaft broke. Then Moss took over the lead on Maserati, but was soon plagued by misfires and had Fangio, who had taken Musso's car, can happen. After a spin Fangio marshals pushed this back on track, actually a cause for disqualification. But in the home of the World Champion of protest Maseratis was shot down and declared the winner Fangio.

GP Monaco - Monte Carlo (May 13, 1956)

Moss celebrated a start - to-finish victory. Fangio drove like mad to catch up, but it smashed his car as well as by Schell and Musso. In Peter Collins ' car of the Argentine was at least able rank two.

500 miles from Indianapolis (30 May 1956)

In Indianapolis Pat Flaherty won on a Watson and managed to break through the years of dominance of the Kurtis cars. European drivers were not at the start.

Belgian GP - Spa -Francorchamps (3 June 1956)

In rainy Belgium, first introduced Moss before he lost a wheel and had to take Perdisas car. For a long time was Fangio at the top, but a gearbox failure put him out of action. The young Brit Peter Collins and guest driver Paul Frère Ferrari succeeded yet another double victory. Surprise of the race was Vanwall, a new British team that made ​​a huge splash with great top speed and with the fourth Harry Schell reached the first points.

GP France - Reims (July 1, 1956)

Bugatti, the big brand of the 1920s and 1930s attempted a comeback. Maurice Trintignant retired after a modest third- last place after 18 laps and the team tradition buried his motorsport ambitions. In the race was dominated by Ferrari's young stars Collins and Castel Lotti, Fangio only reached fourth place and began to cherish a great distrust of team manager Enzo Ferrari.

British GP - Silverstone (July 14, 1956)

The British brand B.R.M. provides a strong comeback: The driver Mike Hawthorn and Tony Brooks are in the early stages of the race in the lead, however, differ from both. Moss in the Maserati inherits the lead, but he also brings his car did not finish, so Fangio at the end is on the landing at the top.

GP Germany - Nurburgring (August 5, 1956)

Since the last so strong British team were not at the start and Moss was handicapped by gearbox problems, Fangio celebrated an unchallenged, dominant win.

GP Italy / European GP - Monza (2 September 1956)

In the World Cup Fangio is eight points ahead of Collins, when the Argentinian remains without points and Briton wins is the world champion. In fact, Fangio retired due to a steering defect and Collins was on promising third place, when he came to changing a tire on the box. In a generous gesture, the Briton gave its title rivals his car and Fangio satisfies a second place to win the title. Collins said later that he was still so young and have plenty of time, a tragic mistake, as it turned out later. The victory went to Stirling Moss, also thanks to the help of a teammate: as lie remained his Maserati out of fuel, this was pushing him with his car to the pits, where he refuel and continue.

Drivers' championship

• The first five of each race were 8, 6, 4, 3 and 2 points, one more point there was for the fastest race lap.
• There were only the five best results in the standings.
• It was allowed to change drivers. If this was done, each driver got half the score of the achieved with the vehicle space, regardless of how great was his share of the total distance. The marking is FW.