1959 German Grand Prix
The fifth round of the 1959 Formula 1 World Championship was held on August 2 in Germany and, for the first time in the history of the sport, took place on the AVUS circuit in West Berlin, which replaced the traditional Nürburgring for this season. The track was essentially a flat-out out-and-back autobahn, where cars reached a dizzying 280 km/h, linked by just two corners: the spectacular, almost 43-degree cobbled Nordschleife banking and the wide, flat Sudschleife hairpin. The length of this truly unique circuit was 8.3 kilometres, while drivers faced the challenge of completing 60 laps.
Following their enforced absence from the British Grand Prix, which concluded with a commanding triumph for Jack Brabham and the Cooper team, the Scuderia Ferrari arrived in Germany in a fighting mood, clearly intent on reasserting themselves and applying maximum pressure to their rivals. Fielding four Ferrari 246s for the Grand Prix, the scarlet squad was once again the most numerous team on the grid, but not without a reshuffle in their ranks: with Jean Behra dismissed, his seat went to American Dan Gurney, who lined up alongside Tony Brooks and Phil Hill, leaving Cliff Allison to accept yet another weekend as a reserve driver.
Meanwhile, championship-leading Cooper team were equally well prepared for the German round, fielding three T51s for Brabham and his regular teammates, Masten Gregory and Bruce McLaren.
Alongside the works entry, Rob Walker’s private team also brought to AVUS two identical T51 cars, entrusted to Maurice Trintignant and Stirling Moss — the latter having chosen to return at the wheel of a Cooper after two outings with BRM machinery.
Moss’s departure opened the door at British Racing Partnership team for Hans Herrmann, a choice that made perfect sense for the German event. Meanwhile, Alfred Owen’s works team appeared on the grid with just two drivers this time: Jo Bonnier and Harry Schell, both behind the wheel of trusty BRM P25s.
Likewise, Colin Chapman’s squad was represented by only two men — Graham Hill and the returning Innes Ireland, both driving Lotus 16s. The final works stable in the pit-lane was the team of Dr. Ing. F. Porsche from Stuttgart, fielding their 1.5-litre Porsche 718 for the Grand Prix, with Wolfgang von Trips back in the cockpit as he had been in Monaco. As for the private entrants, there were only two of them present: Ian Burgess competed in a Cooper T51-Maserati, entered by the private Scuderia Centro Sud team, while Jean Behra, following his dismissal from Ferrari, appeared at the wheel of his own Porsche RSK.
Qualification
Qualifying for the German Grand Prix was held over three days, from Thursday to Saturday, and, combined with practice sessions and a sports car race, was marked by a fair degree of disorder. Even so, the Scuderia drivers, determined to make up for the previous round, imposed themselves from the opening laps on this blisteringly fast circuit, leaving the Cooper drivers chasing the pace. At the same time, in a surprise twist, Ferrari’s fastest man here proved to be none other than reserve driver Cliff Allison, who, taking advantage of a slipstream from another car, stormed around the track at an average speed of 237.5 km/h, while the scarlet leader Tony Brooks was marginally slower on his best lap, finishing just 0.1 seconds adrift of his teammate.
However, despite setting the fastest time, Allison was unable to claim his first pole position: his status as a reserve driver meant that the qualifying victory was officially awarded to his teammate, while Cliff himself remained uncertain until the very last moment whether he would even line up on the grid. As for Scuderia’s other two drivers, they also looked convincing: Dan Gurney, contesting only the second qualifying session of his career, posted the fourth-fastest time, while his fellow American Phil Hill ended the session in seventh place.
Meanwhile, the Cooper cars, down on power compared to Ferraris, were clearly at a disadvantage on this circuit, and in the end, the best Stirling Moss could achieve with the new power unit was third fastest, one second adrift of Allison. The works Cooper drivers fared even worse: Jack Brabham set the 5th time, Masten Gregory 6th, while Bruce McLaren could do no better than 10th at all, beaten not just by his teammates but also by two BRM drivers. Team Lotus, too, found themselves out of sorts: Graham Hill managed only 11th, while his teammate Innes Ireland was relegated to 14th. However, by Saturday, all of these issues affecting the British teams faded into insignificance in the wake of the tragedy involving Jean Behra in the sports car race: having lost control of his Porsche on the rain-slicked banking, the Frenchman crashed into a concrete barrier at the edge of the circuit and, having been thrown from the cockpit, he suffered fatal head injuries after striking a flagpole.
Deeply affected by the loss of the popular French driver, Porsche’s management chose to withdraw their only entry from the Grand Prix, a decision that ultimately allowed Allison to take part in the race, albeit from the back of the grid.
Race
In the aftermath of Jean Behra’s fatal crash, and amid mounting fears that Dunlop tyres would not last the full distance under banking stresses, the organisers made the extraordinary decision to split the Grand Prix into two 30-lap heats. The overall classification was to be established by addition of the drivers’ performances in the two Heats, those finishing Heat 1 being allowed to start in Heat 2.
Heat 1.
Start. At the drop of the national flag the field surges off the line, and it is Brooks who makes the best getaway from the front row, grabbing the lead into the first corner, with Moss, Gregory and Brabham in hot pursuit!
Meanwhile, the biggest loser at the start is Gurney: hesitating slightly, the American allowed several rivals to slip past and completed the opening lap in only 6th!
Position after Lap 1: Brooks, Moss, Gregory, Brabham, Bonnier, Gurney, Phil Hill, Schell, Trintignant, Graham Hill.
Lap 2: Accelerating along the main straight, Moss’ Cooper suffers a transmission failure, and the Englishman is forced to pull off the circuit, retiring from the race as early as the second lap! In contrast, a poor start only seems to spur Gurney on, and by passing four rivals in quick succession, the American charges all the way up to 2nd!
The ultra-fast AVUS straights lend themselves to overtaking, and as a result of a series of successful attacks Brabham, Phil Hill and McLaren also improve their positions!
Lap 3: The leading six run nose to tail, and Gregory steals the spotlight, boldly attacking on the banking to snatch the lead of the race!
Further back, the fight is just as intense, with Schell, Trintignant and McLaren going wheel to wheel, and on this lap it is the New Zealander who takes the lead of the trio. Meanwhile, the race is already over for Allison, as clutch failure strikes his Ferrari.
Lap 4: More changes at the front, as Brabham dives past Gurney to snatch 3rd!
Lap 5: Having relinquished the lead for only a couple of laps, Brooks counterattacks Gregory and reclaims the top spot!
Meanwhile, Brabham doesn’t hold on to 3rd for long — Gurney fights back, pushing the Australian back down the order!
The lap also proves an unhappy one for Cooper’s third driver, McLaren, who is passed in quick succession by Schell and Trintignant, sending the New Zealander back down to 9th!
Lap 6: At the southern hairpin, Gurney makes contact with Gregory’s Cooper, his Ferrari’s nose tapping the rear of the car, yet with no serious damage done both Americans press on in a fiercely uncompromising fight!
Meanwhile, having yielded to Gurney, Brabham immediately comes under attack from another Scuderia driver, Phil Hill, and unable to hold off the American, Jack surrenders 4th place! At the same time, the battle between Schell, Trintignant and McLaren shows no sign of easing, and after a successful move Bruce once again gets ahead!
Lap 7: After an unsuccessful first attempt on Gregory, Gurney tries again on the following lap — and this time succeeds, overtaking his compatriot to reclaim 2nd! Meanwhile, further changes occur in the McLaren–Schell–Trintignant trio, with the Frenchman now moving ahead and Bruce dropping behind both rivals again!
Lap 8: Gregory refuses to give in: using the slipstream of Gurney’s Ferrari, Masten launches another attack and repasses Dan!
Meanwhile, on the same lap another retirement is added to the list, with Ireland’s Lotus out due to differential failure.
Lap 9: McLaren launches another attack and once again gets the better of Schell and Trintignant!
Lap 10: The contest between Gregory and Gurney increasingly resembles a full-blooded duel: after letting the Cooper through, Dan immediately tucks in behind and, a lap later, retakes the position! Meanwhile, the midfield is no less lively, as McLaren, Schell and Trintignant, locked in close combat, reel in Bonnier, and Bruce wastes no time in sweeping past the Swede to grab 6th!
Position after 10 laps: Brooks, Gurney, Gregory, Phil Hill, Brabham, McLaren, Bonnier, Schell, Trintignant, Graham Hill.
Ten laps are completed, yet the gaps at the front remain minimal, with Brooks, Gurney, Gregory and Phil Hill still running nose to tail, while Brabham, by contrast, begins to lose touch with the leading group, unable to sustain the relentless pace.
Lap 11: Another attack by Gregory on Gurney pays double dividends for Masten, as the Scuderia driver yields not only to him but also to his teammate Phil Hill! Meanwhile, the midfield order shifts rapidly: Bonnier strikes back at McLaren, and a brief loss of momentum leaves Bruce helpless against the charge of Schell and Trintignant! To compound matters, Graham Hill retires on the same lap with gearbox failure, effectively ending Lotus’s day.
Lap 12: Gurney has no intention of staying behind his teammate: he strikes back at once to reclaim his position!
Meanwhile, having fended off McLaren’s attack, Bonnier has little time to enjoy it: he immediately comes under a double assault from Schell and Trintignant and is forced to yield two positions at once!
Lap 13: Having dealt with his teammate, Gurney once again closes onto the tail of Gregory and, with a decisive move, leaves him behind! At the same time, the closely following Phil Hill suddenly runs into tachometer trouble and, obliged to adopt a reduced pace, is effectively ruled out of contention for victory! Elsewhere, Bonnier recoveres swiftly from his double loss and counters Trintignant to regain a position!
Lap 14: Having passed Gregory, Gurney does not stop there — he immediately attacks Brooks and emerges as the new race leader! Meanwhile, another lap later, Bonnier overtakes Schell as well, restoring status quo, while the American simultaneously being passed by Trintignant and McLaren!
Lap 15: After yielding to Gurney, Brooks responds with a counterattack, with Gregory seizing the moment and passing Dan as well!
Meanwhile, in the midfield, further reshuffling takes place: after four laps shadowing his rivals, McLaren springs into action again, overtaking Bonnier and Trintignant to take the lead of the group!
Lap 16: Gurney shows no signs of easing: with a decisive attack, he passes both Brooks and Gregory, who in turn swap positions behind him!
Meanwhile, on the banking, a loud grinding noise comes from Brabham’s Cooper — a transmission failure that marks Jack’s first retirement of the season! With the Australian out, his teammate McLaren inherits fifth place, while Schell grabs sixth after overtaking both Bonnier and Trintignant during the lap!
Lap 17: Brooks, now down in third, strikes back immediately, executing a bold move to leave Gregory behind once again!
Meanwhile, the contest for fifth position intensified, with Schell overtaking McLaren and Herrmann joining the closely grouped midfield!
Lap 18: Brooks passes Gurney for the lead and clocks the fastest lap of the race - 2’04.5!
At the same time, following Brooks, Gregory also moves into the gap, pushing Dan back to third again! Meanwhile, in the battle for sixth, Bonnier gets past McLaren, and the New Zealander immediately drops another two spots, overtaken by Trintignant and Herrmann!
Lap 19: McLaren strikes back, overtaking both the Frenchman and the German, while Bonnier jumps ahead of Schell to lead the group!
Lap 20: After a relatively quiet lap, the battle for the lead fires up again: Gurney attacks Gregory, reclaiming 2nd! Meanwhile, in the fight for 5th, McLaren gains the upper hand, while Bonnier falls back behind Schell and Trintignant again!
Position after 20 laps: Brooks, Gurney, Gregory, Phil Hill, McLaren, Schell, Trintignant, Bonnier, Herrmann, Burgess.
Lap 21: Gregory, enjoying a stellar performance today, strikes once more, leaving Gurney behind yet again! Meanwhile, Bonnier is back up to 6th, recovering two positions in a single lap!
Lap 22: Another change in the fight for 5th: Schell moves ahead, with McLaren dropping to the tail of the pack once more!
Lap 23: Having moved up to 2nd, Gregory tucks in behind Brooks and then makes a bold move to take the lead for the first time in a long while!
Lap 24: That final push proves fatal for Gregory’s engine: the unit explodes spectacularly, and in a heartbeat all the American’s heroic efforts are undone! At the same time, Gregory’s retirement immediately reshapes the race, with the midfield now fighting for 4th — a battle once again led by Bonnier!
Lap 25: With Gregory out of the picture, Brooks and Gurney immediately call off their private duel, intent on preserving the existing order till the end of the first heat. The fight for 4th, though, is far from over: Schell retakes control of the group as Bonnier drops to the very tail of the pack!
Lap 26: Brooks and Gurney reel in the pack that’s been fighting all race long, and as the leaders make their way, McLaren jumps to the front of the group again!
Lap 27: Having taken 4th, McLaren tucks into the slipstream of the two Ferraris ahead, getting the chance to finally break away from his pursuers! Meanwhile, the battle behind him remains fierce, with Trintignant moving past Schell to claim 5th!
Lap 29: Schell fights back, launching another attack on the Frenchman to regain 5th!
Lap 30: The first heat comes to an end, and the drivers head straight to the pits for a break, while the interim classification at the halfway point is as follows: Brooks, Gurney, Phil Hill, McLaren, Schell, Trintignant, Bonnier, Herrmann, Burgess.
Heat 2.
During the break, all cars and tyres of the remaining drivers underwent thorough inspection, and the nosecone of Gurney’s Ferrari, damaged in the collision with Gregory, was carefully straightened with several hammer blows. Meanwhile, the bolids of Allison and Graham Hill, who had retired during the first heat, were also repaired; however, neither driver was permitted to take part in the second heat, much to their disappointment.
Start. The drivers line up on the grid according to the results of Heat 1 — and at the signal for the second start, the Grand Prix roars back to life! This time, it is McLaren who gets the best getaway from the front line, immediately leaving three Scuderia drivers behind, while the main loser of the restart is Schell, who at once drops to the very back of the field!
Lap 31: McLaren’s time at the front is short-lived — by the end of the main straight he yields not only to the three Ferraris but also to Bonnier, who, acting with precision and coolness, skillfully slips between the scarlet cars to take 2nd!
As for BRM’s second driver, Schell, he also does not sit idle: in a single lap the American passes two rivals — Herrmann and Burgess — moving up to 7th!
Position after Lap 31: Phil Hill, Bonnier, Brooks, Gurney, McLaren, Trintignant, Schell, Herrmann, Burgess.
Lap 32: The battle for the lead in the second heat proves as intense as in the first one: Phil Hill holds the top position for just one lap before yielding to his two teammates and Bonnier, with Brooks once again taking the lead! Meanwhile, Schell keeps up the pace: closing in on Trintignant, he leaves the Frenchman behind, continuing the duel that began back in the first heat!
Lap 33: Positions change like a kaleidoscope: Bonnier cannot match the Ferraris’ pace and drops to 6th, while McLaren replaces the Swede in the red cars’ ranks, passing Gurney for 3rd!
Meanwhile, 5th place now belongs to Trintignant: the Frenchman on this one lap gets ahead of both Schell and Bonnier!
Lap 35: McLaren’s breakthrough proves short-lived: he yields his position to Gurney, who immediately passes Phil Hill as well to claim 2nd!
Lap 36: Phil Hill fights back in style, sweeping past Gurney and Brooks one after the other to reclaim the lead of the race!
Lap 37: Brooks wastes no time in replying — a swift counter-attack puts him back in front! However, the crowd’s attention is suddenly drawn to the rear of the field: unable to slow in time for the South Hairpin due to brake problems, Herrmann ploughs into the straw bales, sending his BRM airborne and tumbling across the track!
Fortunately for the German, fate smiles on him — he is thrown clear of the car on the very first roll, and even before the mangled BRM comes to rest, he is already back on his feet, completely unhurt and greeted by thunderous applause from the crowd!
Lap 38: The lead changes hands once again as Phil Hill overtakes Brooks to move back into first position! Meanwhile, McLaren is no longer in contention even for points — just like Brabham's, his Cooper suffers a transmission failure, forcing the New Zealander to pull off and retire! At the same time, Bruce's fourth place is now taken not by Trintignant but by Bonnier, who comes back to action and leaves the Frenchman behind!
Lap 39: Trintignant responds immediately, launching a counter-attack of his own and moving back ahead of the Swede!
Meanwhile, serious clutch problems force Schell to slow dramatically, and the American immediately drops to the very back of the field, losing any chance of a descent result!
Lap 40: Brooks attacks again, snatching the lead from Phil Hill — and with a moment’s hesitation, the American also surrenders another position to Gurney!
Meanwhile, the fight for fourth is far from over — Bonnier attacks again and once more gets the better of Trintignant!
Position after 40 laps: Brooks, Gurney, Phil Hill, Bonnier, Trintignant, Burgess, Schell.
Lap 41: Brooks gets no respite — now it is Gurney who sweeps past, resulting in yet another change at the front!
Lap 42: Brooks refuses to back down — he counterattacks the American and retakes the lead of the race!
Lap 43: Gurney responds immediately — another attack, and Dan is back in front!
Lap 44: After watching his teammates’ duel for several laps, Phil Hill rejoins the fight, taking 2nd away from Brooks!
Lap 45: One more decisive move sees Phil Hill back in the lead of the race, while Gurney, having let both teammates through, drops back to 3rd again!
Lap 46: Phil Hill doesn’t stay long in front — pushed hard by his teammates, he drops back to 3rd as Brooks surges back into the lead!
Meanwhile, having shadowed Bonnier for several laps, Trintignant launches another attack — and grabs 4th from the Swede!
Lap 47: Trintignant’s move doesn’t stick — Bonnier immediately responds with a counterattack and regains the lead!
Lap 48: The Ferrari trio is still locked in a fierce duel, with the lead shuffling again: Phil Hill now heads the race, Gurney second, Brooks third!
Lap 49: Third place is clearly not enough for Brooks — he launches another attack and moves past Gurney to regain 2nd!
Lap 50: Gurney is not backing down — he overtakes both his teammates, reclaiming the lead of the race! Meanwhile, on the same lap, Trintignant launches another attempt on Bonnier and succeeds, moving up to 4th!
Meanwhile, Schell’s hopes of even finishing the race vanish before his eyes as the clutch burns out, yet the determined American refuses to give up, pushing his car across the line by hand to secure a classified position!
Lap 51: The checkered flag is near, but the battle for 4th still rages on — Bonnier launches another counterattack, once again leaving Trintignant behind!
Lap 52: Another shuffle in the leading trio: Gurney lets Brooks and Phil Hill through, and with that, the fight for victory is effectively over — the drivers are instructed to maintain their positions until the finish!
Meanwhile, the battle for 4th is also decided on this lap: Bonnier suddenly loses pace due to throttle linkage issues, allowing Trintignant to move ahead unchallenged!
Lap 53: Bonnier heads into the pits for repairs, which take more than two minutes, yet the Swede returns to the track ahead of Burgess, still securing a points finish!
Final Lap: After spending the last eight laps at a moderate pace, the three Scuderia drivers cross the line in quick succession, taking all three top spots in a convincing display!
Having won both heats, Brooks takes the overall victory in the Grand Prix — a well-deserved triumph that also significantly improves his standing in the championship, cutting his points deficit to Brabham down to four! Meanwhile, Gurney claims second place — a brilliant result for the American, securing his first podium in only his second Grand Prix, while Phil Hill takes third, marking his second podium of the season. Following a fiercely contested race, fourth place goes to Trintignant, a solid result that adds some valuable points to the Frenchman’s tally, while fifth place is claimed by Bonnier — the Swede scores his first points since his triumph in the Netherlands.
Interesting facts:
- Tony Brooks' last victory;
- Dan Gurney's first podium and points;
- Stirling Moss' 50th Grand Prix;
- Scuderia Ferrari's 100th podium.
Driver standings
Constructor standings
Alternative GP results
