1956 German Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of Germany 1956, on 5 August 1956 performed at the Nürburgring in Nürburg, and was the seventh race of the Formula 1 season 1956.
- 3.1 Start -up
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
Reports
Background
The Grand Prix of Germany 1956 was the penultimate race of the Formula 1 season 1956. Drivers World Championship at that time was still open and eleven drivers had to be theoretical chances world champion. In the Drivers' Championship with Peter Collins led one point ahead of Juan Manuel Fangio and four points ahead of Jean Behra. All three had good chances for the World Cup, during which Stirling Moss had hoped to failures of its competitors in order to preserve his chances of winning the drivers' title yet.
The race took place again after a year, 1955, the planned Grand Prix of Germany 1955 was canceled after the accident at the 24 - hour race at Le Mans in 1955. Ferrari won three of the previous four Formula 1 race on the Nürburgring, 1954 won Fangio on Mercedes. Fangio was the only participating driver of the Grand Prix of Germany in 1956, who previously won the race before.
The British team Vanwall and B.R.M. absent in this Grand Prix, so the Italian team Ferrari and Maserati were the only potential winners. Although Gordini also took part in the race, but the cars were not competitive and more than two minutes per lap slower than the competition.
Due to the absence of the UK's top teams more cars were used to fill the field of riders from Ferrari and Maserati. For Ferrari walked side by Collins and Fangio still Eugenio Castellotti, Luigi Musso and Alfonso de Portago at the start. Maserati stand beside Behra and Moss still car for Cesare Perdisa and Paco Godia available. Gordini brought two cars at the start, in addition to the regular driver Robert Manzon drove André Pilette for the team.
The team Scuderia Centro Sud presented for Harry Schell and Giorgio Scarlatti two cars available, a Maserati 250F and a Ferrari 500 Furthermore, six riders took part in the race with private cars, among them Louis Rosier, of his final Formula 1 Grand Prix denied.
Training
The training for the Grand Prix of Germany was, as so often dominates in the Formula 1 season 1956 by Ferrari. Fangio secured in a time of 9:51,2 pole position ahead of his team mate Collins and Castel Lotti. Ferrari took once again the entire first row. The two world championship contender Fangio and Collins parted only three-tenths of one another, while Castel Lotti was three seconds slower. With a further ten seconds behind the Ferrari Maserati drivers Moss qualified in fourth position in front of Musso, who also for Ferrari but started half a second slower than Fangio was.
Cesare Perdisa injured in an accident with his Maserati and was still not able to participate in the training. Umberto Maglioli replaced him and placed himself in seventh. Behra, who was third in each of the last two races and still had a good chance of the drivers' title, qualified in eighth place, ahead of Roy Salvadori and Portago. Thus Salvadori was again the best training among drivers with private cars. Rosier landed in his last race at 14th place, Milhoux in his only race on the last place. Gordini qualified its three cars in the rear box, best grid position was position 15 of Manzon.
Pilette injured in an accident and then also did not take part in the race, Andre Milhoux replaced him and was allowed in spite of which he no time has gone, start at the Grand Prix. For the Belgians Milhoux this was the only Grand Prix participation.
Race
Even before the first turn succeeded Collins to overtake his team-mate and world championship counterparty Fangio and to take the lead. Behind Moss broke the Ferrari trio at the top by he overtook Castellotti. Most positions at the start made Behra and Salvadori good, the outdated a number of counterparties and were after the first lap behind Castel Lotti and dueled for fifth place.
Fangio already outdated even in the first lap of the race Collins and gave the recovered lead until the end of the race not starting. Behind Fangio Moss dueled in the next laps with Collins. Behind it lay Behra, Salvadori and Portago during which Scarlatti and Manzon were eliminated in the first round. This Aufallsserie sat down in the subsequent rounds continue, in round two presented Salvadori from his car, he was at this time in the points, fifth place. Even Gould and Maglioli left shortly afterwards with technical defects. Castel Lotti, who dueled with Moss afforded a mistake and spun off the track. He then went back to the box yet, but different also from.
At the top of the distance between Fangio and Collins had grown to several seconds and both broke alternately to 17 years old course record. Fangio improved that record to 9:41,6. This time was almost ten seconds faster than his best time in training. In Collins Ferrari few laps later broke a fuel line and vapor came out of the cockpit, which Collins perception was impaired. He continuously lost to time and came into the pits to get some time to recover from the effect of the vapors. Ferrari sent meanwhile Musso in the car from Castel Lotti back on track, but he had an accident on lap 11, so the race was over for him. Then took Ferrari Portago in the box and let Collins take his car. Collins struggled before in fourth position and after a repair pit stop Behra was Collins back to position three.
On lap 13 of the Maserati of Schell and Villoresi overheated suffered an engine failure. Thus, there were only nine cars in the race. Collins, who was trying to catch up on Moss and Fangio, itself made a mistake and crashed and had to abandon the race, which Fangio had the chance to take the lead in the drivers' standings.
On lap 15 Milhoux retired in his only Formula 1 race and only seven riders finished the race. Fangio won competently with a 45 -second lead over Moss, Behra before crossing the finish line a few seconds. Therefore Fangio took pole position, victory and fastest lap and led every lap of the race after. This was so for him a Grand Slam. In the drivers' standings Fangio took the lead again and went with a lead of eight points in the season finale. Moss second place finish was not enough to preserve his world championship chances, while Behra with three third places equaling in a row with Collins and still had a mathematical chance to the drivers' title. For this purpose, Fangio, however, would have to resign in the last race of the season and Behra or Collins should have won, and set the fastest lap of the race.
Fourth place Paco Godia scored the first points of his career, Rosier scored fifth place again in his last Formula 1 race. Bruce Halford was disqualified because he was pushed after a spin of marshals and subsequently ignored black flags, Ottorino Volonterio however, was not considered because he had six laps behind the winner Fangio.
Fangio won the second race of three in a row at the Nürburgring, for Ferrari it was the fourth success in the fifth race at this track.
Message list
Comments
Classifications
Line-up
Race
Standings after the race
The first five of the race were 8, 6, 4, 3, 2 points. The driver with the fastest lap of the race also received 1 point. It included only the five best results from the eight races.