1956 Italian Grand Prix
The Italian Grand Prix 1956 was held on September 1, 1956 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza near Monza place and was the eighth race of the Formula 1 season 1956. The Grand Prix also had the FIA honorary title of European Grand Prix.
- 3.1 Start -up
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
Reports
Background
The season finale of the Formula 1 season 1956 took place on the high- speed Monza circuit and decided the Drivers' World Championship 1956 between the defending champion Juan Manuel Fangio, Peter Collins and Jean Behra. Due to a failure Fangio in this race have both Ferrari driver Collins and Maserati pilot Behra had the chance to the drivers' title. For this purpose, however, a victory and the fastest lap of the race would have been necessary, for there was a point in 1956.
The race was won in the previous three years each of Fangio, which he was the only former winner of the race in the driver's field. Ferrari had previously been three times at the Grand Prix of Italy successfully, Maserati once.
Ferrari began six cars for the last race of the season. In addition to the four regular drivers Fangio, Collins, Eugenio Castellotti and Alfonso de Portago, two other Ferrari D50 for Luigi Musso and Wolfgang Graf Berghe von Trips were used. Von Trips drove his first Formula 1 race and was a few years later the first German Grand Prix winner in Formula 1 A similar approach for the driver choice was also observed for Maserati, which also six cars, mainly for the regular driver, began. After Cesare Perdisa was still injured, Umberto Maglioli got the cockpit and launched next Behra, Stirling Moss, Luigi Villoresi and Paco Godia. In addition, at Maserati debuted the Swede Jo Bonnier. This was the first participation of Sweden in a Formula 1 race and he later became the first Swedish winner of the Formula 1 history. For Villoresi, however, it was his last Formula 1 race.
After a pause Vanwall race again took part in a Grand Prix with the pilots Piero Taruffi, Harry Schell and Maurice Trintignant. Taruffi retired after the race in Formula 1 and ended 1957 at the age of 51 years his motorsport career. In addition, the British Vanwall team Connaught went to the race. Three vehicles were asked the drivers Les Leston, Ron Flockhart and Jack Fairman available Leston drove in Formula 1 for the first time
The French team Gordini began three cars, two Gordini Type 32 for Robert Manzon and Hernando da Silva Ramos and an outdated Gordini Type 16 for André Simon. Gordini was propagated in the season 1956 in the back field and they lacked competitiveness. This fact and the financial difficulties of the team led a retreat from Gordini from Formula 1 at the end of the season. The team was of the Formula 1 season 1950 here, though did not win a race, but often outdated world championship points. With the withdrawal of Gordini remained only Ferrari and Maserati of those teams that were from the beginning of the formula 1 on it. For Silva Ramos and Manzon this meant the End of career, they found from 1957 no new teams. Toulo de Graffenried also drove his final Grand Prix, he was one of five starters with private Maserati 250F.
Training
The training for the Italian Grand Prix in 1956 was typical for the 1956 Formula 1 season, dominated by Ferrari who occupied the front row again. Fangio outclassed the competition and went with eight tenths of a second ahead of second-placed Castellotti on the pole position. He succeeded in this season for the sixth time in eight races, the Indianapolis 500 and Fangio did not participate in the Grand Prix of Great Britain 1956 he achieved the same time as Moss, who started the race from pole position from. Musso completed with three position training success of the Scuderia Ferrari.
Behind the Ferrari Taruffi be positioned in the Vanwall, only five came on position title as the best candidate Behra Maserati driver. Moss, who still had the ambition of the Vice drivers' title, qualified in sixth place, ahead of Collins. The top 10 were completed by Villoresi, Portago and Schell.
Connaught and Gordini were in training not competitive, Fairman scored as the best Connaught driver position 15, Silva - Ramos in the best Gordini only 20th place Von Trips was injured in his first Grand Prix in a training accident and therefore took no part in the race, Bonnier however, lacked in training, however, came at the race on his debut.
Race
As in several previous races, Fangio did not, to the advantage of his pole position at the start and lost two positions. Castel Lotti went along with Musso past Fangio and the two drivers fought then a duel in which Castellotti but claimed the lead for four laps. Fangio was overtaken by Moss, the lead of the race took over in round four, since both Castel Lotti and Musso appealed for an early pit stop. Through the duel, both destroyed the tire and needed after a few rounds of new ones. Several riders are eliminated already made in the early stages of the race, Silva Ramos suffered in his last race in round two engine damage, Portago retired on lap five due to an accident after a tire failure and for Leston the race was stopped on the same lap due to a suspension failure. Bonnier, who took over the car from Villoresi after four rounds, retired on lap six also made with an engine failure.
Moss fought against Fangio, Collins and Schell, however, was to compete in the situation until round 10 against the counterparty. Collins had as before to get Castellotti and Musso to the pits to get new tires. This makes it much back several positions. Fangio remained in third place behind Moss and Schell, because it would have been enough of these points placement for the drivers' title. Harry Schell went in round 11 in the lead, but lost that already one lap later to Moss, the number one followed up to the Round 45 held. Schell was at that time the only remaining Vanwall driver in the race. His two teammates Trintignant and Taruffi eliminated in quick succession with suspension damage.
Shortly before half- time of the race there were important preliminaries for the drivers' world championship. On lap 22 Behra was eliminated in third place lying with defective ignition and thus had no chance to overtake Fangio in the drivers' world championship. He took over again on lap 31 the car of his teammates Maglioli, retired ten laps later, but again, this time with a broken steering. Fangio came to a repair pit stop because his handlebar was broken. Was allowed to get off him and repair the car, but then did not give the car Fangio back, but Castellotti was allowed to continue. For Fangio Ferrari planned, however, to let him take the car from Musso. Musso was ordered to the pits, but he opposed the team orders and drove his own race on. This was the reaction Musso's that he twice before his car Fangio had already left in the season. Fangio was thus there without a car and his teammate Collins enough to be world champion one win and the fastest lap of the race. Musso was at this time in second place, after the clamp was refueling in the pits. Musso lost the second place a few laps later to Schell, but was second again after Schell retired on lap 31 with technical defects.
Meanwhile Musso to the leader Moss zoom fought came Collins to the box around the tire to have it checked. In this pit stop, he then decided his car to Fangio to give as great sporting gesture. Collins was with this action, the only Formula 1 driver in history to voluntarily renounced the world title in favor of his teammates. Collins justified this decision by saying that he was still young and still have many chances to become world champion. However, this was a mistake, Collins was almost in the next two years no longer on his successes in 1956 and died two years later by an accident at the Grand Prix of Germany 1958. Fangio was thus drivers champion in Formula 1 season 1956. It was his fourth overall title and placed first in the 1993 formula 1 season Alain Prost this record one. In addition, the title Fangio marked third World Cup in a row, what Michael Schumacher has again succeeded only in the 2002 Formula 1 season.
Five laps led Moss and Fangio Musso ago when the petrol was running at Moss. He did not make it back in time to the box and lay there on the track without fuel. Luigi Piotti, who drove a private Maserati supported his fellow drivers by driving him into the back and Moss pushed up to the box. Also, this action was unique in Formula 1 history. Moss stopped in front of Fangio and Musso took over for two rounds for the first time in his career the lead when with him the handlebar broke and he resigned at the height of the start and finish of the race. Moss took the lead again and so won the race with six seconds ahead of Fangio, the points with Collins shared. For Moss, this victory meant the World Championship, he pulled in the final race past Behra and Collins.
The podium was completed by Flockhart, who reached his only podium finish. In addition, it was the only podium finish of his team Connaught in Formula 1 More points scored Fairman in fifth place for the team, Godia reached number four.
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.