Presentation of 1954 season

After two seasons spent under the Formula-2 technical regulations, in 1954 the Formula-1 technical regulations came into effect again, allowing the use of cars with 2.5-liter naturally aspirated engines. The transition to the new regulation allowed such well-known manufacturers as Daimler Benz and Lancia to be attracted to the World Championship, while the British teams HWM, Connaught and Cooper, on the contrary, did not develop new cars and left the competition. The scoring system remained unchanged: 8-6-4-3-2, however, the results of the five best Grand Prix now counted, while the drivers of the same team, as before, had the right to change cars during the race, dividing the points between themselves. The championship calendar included the Grand Prix of Argentina, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain.

Teams

Scuderia Ferrari

The last two seasons, the Maranello team with their Formula-2 car Ferrari 500 has been unrivaled, winning every Grand Prix of the 1952-53 World Championships except for the last one. However, with the new technical regulations going into effect and new formidable rivals entering into the arena of the championship, Ferrari was set to seriously fight in the coming season, having prepared two new models 553 and 625. The Ferrari 625 was based on the proven Ferrari 500 chassis, on which a new 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine was installed with power of 250 hp, while the Ferrari 553 was an evolution of the championship car with a new engine, on which the fuel tanks were located not behind the driver, but on each side of him, which improved the balance and significantly changed the look of the car. The drivers line-up also underwent major changes: world champion Alberto Ascari left the team, moving to Lancia and taking Luigi Villoresi with him, and the new Ferrari drivers were Jose-Froilan Gonzalez and Maurice Trintignant, who became teammates with Nino Farina and Mike Hawthorn.

Ferrari 625

Ferrari 553

47-year-old Italian driver, nicknamed "Nino", the first world champion of Formula 1. Farina had his ups and downs last season, but the Italian had a very strong end of the championship, winning the German Grand Prix and finishing second in the last two races, which allowed him to end up third in the overall standings. This season, after the departure of Alberto Ascari, Nino could well become the new leader of Ferrari and had every chance to take part in the fight for the championship crown again.

Giuseppe Farina

25-year-old Englishman who took 4th place in the 1953 championship. Last year, Mike spent his first season with Scuderia Ferrari, and although he was generally inferior to his teammates Ascari and Farina, in France the Englishman managed to get ahead of all his rivals on the track and win his first Grand Prix with brilliance. This season, Mike will have to fight with his teammates for leadership in Ferrari, which may well turn into a fight for the title.

Mike Hawthorn

31-year-old Argentine, nicknamed the “Pampas Bull” for his obesity, who took third place in the 1951 championship. José-Froilan spent the past season in Maserati, but despite rather strong performances, the Argentine was unlucky, and he took only 6th place in the overall standings. This season, Gonzalez, after a two-year timeout, will again drive for Ferrari, which gives him a great opportunity to compete for the highest places in the championship.

Jose-Froilan Gonzalez

36-year-old Frenchman who took 10th place in the 1953 championship. Maurice excelled last season, managing to finish twice in the points behind the wheel of Gordini and becoming the undisputed leader of the French team. At the same time, the strong performances of the Frenchman impressed Enzo Ferrari himself, so Maurice will spend this season driving a scarlet car, which will probably allow the Frenchman to show everything he is capable of.

Maurice Trintignant

Officine Alfieri Maserati

Last season, Maserati was the only worthy rival to Ferrari, and thanks to Juan Manuel Fangio, the team in Italy managed to get their first victory, which allowed the Argentinean to become vice-champion. In the coming season, new technical regulations would come into effect, and the chief designer of the team, Gioacchino Colombo, managed to build a truly successful car with excellent balance, which was called 250F and became very popular among private racers. The car was equipped with a new 2.5-liter 6-cylinder in-line engine, which reached a power of 240 hp. At the same time, the line-up of the drivers also underwent major changes, but not for the better: Maserati left Juan Manuel Fangio and José Froilan Gonzalez, and Onofre Marimon now became the new leader of the team, who, despite his speed, still lacked experience. The Argentine teammates were World Championship debutants Sergio Mantovani and Luigi Musso.

Maserati 250F

30-year-old Argentine who took 9th place in the 1953 World Championship. Last year, Onofre, thanks to his mentor Fangio, got a place in Maserati and made a great debut with a podium finish in his first race. Unfortunately, in subsequent races, the Argentinean was regularly let down by his car, but despite this, Onofre showed good speed, and in the last race in Italy he even fought for victory. With Fangio and Gonzalez leaving Maserati, Onofre has found himself unexpectedly in the role of team leader, and the Argentine will have to prove himself worthy of this role this season.

Onofre Marimon

25-year-old Italian businessman, World Championship debutant. Having started his racing career in 1952, Sergio was noticed in Maserati, and in 1953 the Italian became the team's driver, managing to finish third with Fangio in the Targa Florio sports car race. At the end of the season, Mantovani made his World Championship debut in the Italian team at the Italian Grand Prix and, despite the car stalled at the start, managed to break through to 11th place, after which he handed it over to another rookie Luigi Musso. This year Sergio will spend his first full season in the World Championship, having at his disposal one of the best cars of the championship.

Sergio Mantovani

29-year-old Italian, World Championship debutant. In 1953, Luigi won the Italian 2-litre sports car championship and came to the attention of Maserati, which gave him the opportunity to make his World Championship debut at the Italian Grand Prix. In this race, in addition to Luigi, Sergio Mantovani made his debut, who led the first half of the race, and then handed over the car to Luigi. Musso didn't disappoint the team and ran the race quite confidently, managing to bring his car to the finish line in 7th place. This year, Musso will hold his first full-fledged World Championship as part of the Italian team .

Luigi Musso

Daimler Benz AG

The famous German team that shone in the European championships of 1935-39 returned to the world of Grand Prix this year with their new "silver arrows", and even Ferrari, which dominated the world championships for the last two seasons, was waiting and afraid of this return. The head of the racing team was the same Alfred Neubauer, to whom Daimler Benz owed its success in the pre-war period, and the chief designer was Hans Scherrenberg, who built a truly unique car, called Mercedes W196. The car was equipped with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter 8-cylinder in-line engine, consisting of two 4-cylinder blocks with direct fuel injection and developing a power of about 260 hp. At the same time, the engine was located behind the front axle at an angle of 37 degrees, which made it possible to lower the front of the body, improving the balance of the car. The body itself was made of magnesium alloy to lighten the weight and had two modifications with open and closed wheels, called 196 and 196R Streamliner respectively, while the second modification had improved aerodynamic characteristics and was designed for high-speed circuits. The team leader became Juan Manuel Fangio, and two German drivers Karl Kling and Hans Herrmann became the Argentinean's teammamtes.

Mercedes W196

Mercedes W196R Streamliner

43-year-old Argentine driver, the world champion in 1951. Juan-Manuel spent the last season driving for Maserati, and although he could not compete with Ascari for the championship title, the Argentine became vice champion and in Italy brought the Italian team its first victory in World Championship Grand Prix. However, when an invitation came from Neubauer to drive for Daimler Benz, the Argentine did not hesitate for a second and joined the German team, always dreaming of getting behind the wheel of one of the silver arrows. This season, Fangio will certainly become one of the main contenders for the title, but Juan Manuel will spend the beginning of the season driving for Maserati and waiting for the preparation of the German team's new car.

Juan-Manuel Fangio

43-year-old German, World Championship debutant, one of the strongest German racers of the 50s. Having started his career as a race car driver before the war, Kling achieved his first successes in the post-war period, becoming in 1948-49 German 2-litre sports car champion. In 1950 Carl drove his Veritas in Formula 2 and won races at Grenzlandring, Solitude and Nürburgring, after which he received an invitation to join the Daimler-Benz racing team. In 1952, Kling, driving a Mercedes, managed to win the Berne round of the sports car championship and the Carrera Panamericana, as well as finishing second in the Mille Miglia. In 1953, the German moved to Alfa Romeo, but did not achieve great success, and this season Karl will again drive for the German team, making his debut in the Formula 1 World Championship.

Karl Kling

26-year-old German, World Championship debutant. Hans made his World Championship debut last season in the German Grand Prix in his own Veritas and raced quite confidently, managing to finish 9th and become the best German driver to compete in the Grand Prix. With this performance Hans caught the attention of Alfred Neubauer and this year the young German will spend his first full season in Formula One driving the famous Silver Arrows.

Hans Herrmann

Scuderia Lancia

Founded in 1952 by a renowned Italian manufacturer, the team had immediately made great strides in sports car racing and was now preparing to break new ground with their debut in the Formula One World Championship. The work on the creation of the first Formula 1 car for the team was led by the famous Italian designer Vittorio Jano, who created the famous Alfa Romeo P2 and P3, which shone in the Grand Prix races of the 1920s and 30s. Unlike the designers of the other teams, Yano used the concept of a V-shaped engine in the new car, which turned out to be very compact and was placed between the front wheels, becoming the supporting element of the chassis. At the same time, the engine was not inferior in power to its competitors and, having a working volume of 2.5 liters, it developed a power of about 260 hp. In addition, for better weight distribution, Yano placed the gearbox behind the driver, and moved the fuel tanks to the areas between the front and rear wheels, which also significantly improved the aerodynamic characteristics of the car. The new car was called Lancia D50 and, thanks to the decisions made, was distinguished by excellent balance, handling and cornering stability. The team's drivers were world champion Alberto Ascari and his friend Luigi Villoresi, whom Gianni Lancia managed to lure away from Ferrari.

Lancia D50

35-year-old Italian driver, world champion in 1952 and 1953, son of the famous racer of the 1920s Antonio Ascari, who tragically died in a Grand Prix race in 1925. Last season, Alberto at the wheel of Ferrari became the best driver of the championship again and, having won five victories, easily won his second championship title. However, Enzo Ferrari was in no hurry to renew the Italian's contract and threatened to leave Formula 1, so when Gianni Lancia made a generous offer to join his team, Ascari agreed. Unfortunately, Lancia's new car was still under development at the beginning of the season, so Alberto would have to miss the first half of the championship, making it unlikely that he would be able to defend his title this year.

Alberto Ascari

45-year-old Italian, nicknamed "Gi-Gi", friend and mentor of Alberto Ascari, who took 5th place in the championships in 1951 and 1953. Luigi spent the past season driving for Ferrari, and thanks to two second places in Argentina and Belgium, the Italian managed to take 5th place in the championship, repeating his best result two years ago. At the end of the season, Gi-Gi, following his friend Ascari, left Ferrari to drive with him for the Turin team.

Luigi Villoresi

Equipe Gordini

The French team of "Sorcerer" Gordini last season became the third team in the world championship after Ferrari and Maserati, managing to score points twice in Belgium and Italy, thanks to Maurice Trintignant. At the same time, having a very limited budget, Amadeus Gordini did not develop a new Formula 1 car for the coming season, but limited himself to upgrading the engine, increasing the working volume to 2.5 liters. Meanwhile the line-up of the drivers has undergone major changes: Maurice Trintignant and Harry Schell left the team, and only Jean Behra remained in Gordini, who became the new team leader, and the Frenchman Elie Bayol became his teammate.

Gordini T16

33-year-old Frenchman, who took 9th place in the 1952 World championship. The last season Jean frankly failed, failing to earn a single point and noticeably inferior to his teammate Maurice Trintignant. Despite this, Amadeus Gordini continued to believe in the Frenchman's talent, and after Trintignant's move to Ferrari, Jean became the new team leader, which is likely to give him confidence and allow him to have a more successful season.

Jean Behra

40-year-old Frenchman who had a reputation for being a very fast racer. In 1952 and 1953, Elie took part in several Grands Prix of World Championships in his OSCA, and although in none of the races he managed to reach the finish line due to technical problems, Bayol showed good speed in qualifying, which attracted Amadeus Gordini's attention. After Maurice Trintignant left Gordini, Amadeus offered his place to Elie, so now the Frenchman has a great opportunity to demonstrate all his abilities behind the wheel of a factory car.

Elie Bayol

Vandervell Products Ltd

The British team, founded by industrialist Tony Vandervell, will be the sole factory representative of the British Crown this season, after the withdrawal of HWM, Connaught and Cooper from the World Championship. It should be noted that in 1951, Vandervell had already fielded his team in several World Championship Grands Prix, having acquired their latest 375 model from Ferrari, and in France Reg Parnell managed to succeed in it, finishing 4th. However, Tony was not very happy with the cooperation with Ferrari, and therefore, in 1952, he began to create his own car, called the Vanwall Special. The development of the car was led by the team's chief designer, Owen Maddock, and the assembly was carried out at the Cooper production facility. The main distinguishing part of the Vanwall Special was a narrow nose, which was rounded and did not have an air inlet, while the radiator was located horizontally in the upper part of the nose, open to oncoming air flow and covered by a streamlined casing from above. Another innovation of the car was disc brakes, developed by Goodyear and manufactured in Vandervell's own facility, which proved to be very effective. To improve weight distribution, the fuel tanks were divided into three parts and placed on the sides of the driver and behind his back. The Vanwall engine was a joint development between Norton and Rolls-Royce and had a 4-cylinder in-line configuration. It was originally planned that the new car would participate in the 1953 World Championship, in which the technical regulations of Formula 2 were in force, so the engine working volume was limited to 2.0 liters. However, due to the long development of the Vanwall Special, it was not released until the beginning of 1954, so the engine capacity was increased to 2.3 liters, coming in line with the new Formula 1 technical regulations. The team's sole driver was Peter Collins, who previously competed in HWM.

Vanwall Special

22-year-old Englishman who drove for HWM in the 1952-53 World championships. Last season, Peter, in a frankly weak car, could not score a single point, and the Englishman's best finish was 8th in the Dutch Grand Prix. At the end of the season, HWM left the World Championship, but Peter found a new place in the Vandervell team, and will now spend the season driving the only British Formula 1 car.

Peter Collins

Owen Racing Organisation

The team of Alfred Owen, owner of the famous British engineering company Rubery Owen, was founded in 1953 on the basis of the BRM team, which Alfred bought out a year earlier. The BRM team was originally created as a national British racing project, but the development of their own car absorbed too much time and money, as a result of which BRM managed to take part in only two Grand Prix in 1951, after which it faced serious financial difficulties. In 1952, the team was taken over by Owen, but Alfred decided to skip the 1953 season, focusing on preparing for the next season, in which the Formula One technical regulations came into effect. At the same time, Alfred did not develop his own car, but bought from Maserati one of its latest 250F cars, which has already managed to establish itself as a very fast car with excellent handling. The only driver of the team was the Englishman Ken Wharton.

38-year-old Englishman who took 10th place in the 1952 World Championship. Last season, Ken drove his own Cooper, but the British cars did not have a single chance in the fight against Ferrari and Maserati, so the Englishman did not manage to score a single point . However, this season, thanks to the moving to Owen's team, Ken has at his disposal one of the best cars of the championship, behind the wheel of which he will be able to demonstrate all his abilities.

Ken Wharton

Private drivers

24-year-old Englishman, a rising star in British motorsport. Last season, Stirling drove for the Cooper factory team, but even his talent was not enough to measure his strength with the Italian teams and earn points. But in other racing series, Stirling looked much better, and driving a Jaguar, the Englishman managed to take 2nd place in the prestigious "24 Hours of Le Mans" race. At the end of the season, Cooper left the World Championship and Stirling began to look for other options. After negotiations with Mercedes failed, Moss decided to drive as a private driver, acquiring the latest Maserati 250F for this purpose. Given the speed of the car, this season will surely give Stirling a chance to show off his talent and finally earn his first points in Formula 1.

Stirling Moss

33-year-old American, a participant in the 1950-53 World Championships. Last season, Harry spent in the Gordini team and showed a good speed, but due to constant technical problems, the American did not manage to score a single point. After leaving the French team at the end of the season, Harry bought last year's Maserati A6GCM, in which he will try to show better results this year.

Harry Schell

29-year-old Argentinean, participant in the 1953 World Championship. Last season, Roberto made his debut in the World Championship, having spent three races for the Gordini team, and his best result was 6th place in the Italian Grand Prix. Mieres will be driving his own Maserati A6GCM this season, hoping to earn his first points in Formula-1.

Roberto Mieres

39-year-old grandson of the King of Thailand, who took 6th place in the 1950 World Championship. The prince drove for the Connaught team last season, but the car was not competitive, and Bira's best finish was 7th at the British Grand Prix. For the new season, the prince has purchased one of the newest Maserati 250F, at the wheel of which he will certainly be able to achieve greater success.

Prince Bira

48-year-old Frenchman, who took 4th place in the 1950 World Championship. Last season, Louis, like a year earlier, spent driving his own Ferrari 500, however, he again failed to score a single point. Nevertheless, the Frenchman did not give up, and this season will be his third attempt to succeed behind the wheel of the same car.

Louis Rosier

37-year-old Frenchman, who took 6th place in the 1952 championship. Robert started last season in the Gordini team, but in the very first Grand Prix in Argentina, a wheel flew off on his car, and the Frenchman left the team, considering the car too dangerous. This season, Robert will drive for the private team of Louis Rosier, who has put at his disposal one of the latest Ferrari 625 cars.

Robert Manzon