1959 United States Grand Prix

The eighth and final round of the 1959 Formula 1 World Championship took place on December 12 at the American circuit of Sebring, Florida, becoming the first Grand Prix of motor racing’s premier class ever held on United States soil. The Sebring circuit, well known to many Grand Prix drivers from the famous "12 Hours of Sebring" sports car race, was in fact laid out on an active airfield, with much of the track running along runways and featuring artificially created corners marked out by rubber cones. The total length of the circuit was 8.368 kilometres, while the drivers faced the challenge of completing 42 laps.

Three months after the Italian Grand Prix, the teams gathered once again for the final round of the season to settle the destiny of the championship once and for all. After the long pause separating the European leg of the championship from its American finale, it was Sebring that had the honor of hosting the decisive showdown between three contenders — Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss, and Tony Brooks — each with a genuine chance of donning the champion’s crown. Of the trio, Brabham held the strongest hand: with 31 points to his name, the Australian needed only a first- or second-place finish to secure the title, while his two British rivals required nothing less than victory in this race.

With so much at stake, the Maranello team arrived in the United States with their strongest possible lineup, determined to give their leader, Brooks, every opportunity to achieve his long-cherished goal.

As the best-represented team on the grid, the Scuderia arrived at Sebring with no fewer than four cars - two standard Ferrari 246s, one long-wheelbase version, and a Formula 2 chassis fitted with a 2.4-litre engine, the first three equipped with the new independent rear suspension.

Given full freedom of choice, Brooks ultimately opted for a standard 246, while the long-wheelbase car went to Cliff Allison, and the Formula 2 chassis was assigned to Phil Hill, who obtained permission to repaint it in the American national colors of blue and white. As for Dan Gurney, having suffered a leg injury, he was unfortunately forced to miss his home Grand Prix, and his place in the Scuderia lineup was taken by the returning Wolfgang von Trips.

Meanwhile, Cooper - having already secured the Constructors’ Cup at the Italian Grand Prix and now aiming to add the Drivers’ Championship to their achievements - was represented at Sebring by just two drivers: main title contender Jack Brabham and his invariable teammate Bruce McLaren, while their third driver, Masten Gregory, was still recovering from his accident at the Tourist Trophy.

As for Rob Walker’s private team, which carried the championship hopes of the third contender, Moss, it likewise fielded just two drivers - Stirling himself and his long-time teammate Maurice Trintignant, who, like the works Cooper drivers, competed in T51 cars powered by 2.5-litre Climax engines.

It is worth noting, however, that Moss’s car differed slightly from the others: in order to improve his chances of claiming the title, the Englishman personally modified the rear suspension, replacing the transverse leaf springs with coil springs.

Meanwhile, the last factory team to take part in the United States Grand Prix was Colin Chapman’s squad. As usual, it was represented by only two drivers, but this time the lineup had changed slightly: after two years of disappointing results, Graham Hill decided to part ways with Chapman and join BRM, and his seat in the Lotus 16 was taken by reserve driver Alan Stacey, who became the teammate of Innes Ireland.

As for the BRM team itself, since it was no longer in contention for the championship, Alfred Owen decided to skip the American round to avoid the expense of shipping cars across the Atlantic - a decision mirrored by Aston Martin, which had failed to produce any notable results throughout the season. At the same time, a couple of drivers from these two teams still found a way to take part in the Grand Prix: Harry Schell lined up in a Cooper T51 powered by a 2.2-litre Climax engine, while Roy Salvadori, as had often been the case this season, turned to Tommy Atkins, who lent him his Cooper T45 fitted with a Maserati engine.

Alongside the factory teams, a number of private entrants also took part in the Grand Prix, giving the American spectators the chance to witness a truly colorful and varied field of cars. In particular, the crowd was thrilled by the appearance of a local star - USAC champion and that year’s Indy 500 winner, Rodger Ward - who took to the track in a Kurtis Kraft midget equipped by a 1.7-litre Offenhauser engine and a two-speed Ford gearbox.

In addition to the drivers already mentioned, the Cooper cars contingent was bolstered by two more competitors: George Constantine competed in a T45 fitted with a 2-litre Climax engine, while Alessandro de Tomaso brought his own T43, powered by an OSCA engine.

Of course, the legendary Maserati 250F was also on the grid: one car was entered by Phil Cade, while its new, lightened version, known as the Tec-Mec and designed by Valerio Colotti, was brought to the track by the Brazilian Fritz d’Orey.

Rounding out the entry list were two more American drivers: Bob Said competed in a toothpaste-tube Connaught C powered by a 1.5-litre Alta engine, while Harry Blanchard appeared at Sebring behind the wheel of a 1.5-litre Porsche RSK sports car.

Qualification

The final qualifying sessions of the season took place over two days, and, just as at the previous two rounds, no one was faster than Stirling Moss, who set his best lap in exactly three minutes, securing yet another pole position.

At the same time, the Englishman’s closest rival was Brabham, who also felt very confident through Sebring’s artificial corners and ultimately posted the second-fastest time; however, his best lap was a full three seconds slower than Moss’s.

Meanwhile, the third-fastest time came as a genuine surprise to everyone - it was set by Harry Schell in his underpowered Cooper F2, so startling that the timekeepers were baffled and immediately added six seconds to the American’s lap time! In the meantime, there was little cause for optimism at the Scuderia: in terms of handling, their cars lagged noticeably behind the Coopers, and the best Tony Brooks could manage after trying all four of their cars was only fourth place, nearly six seconds off Moss’s pace!

At the same time, the rest of the Ferrari drivers fared no better: von Trips, Cliff Allison, and Phil Hill qualified 6th, 7th, and 8th respectively, even falling behind Walker’s second driver, Maurice Trintignant, who posted 5th fastest time. Rounding out the top ten were Innes Ireland and Bruce McLaren: taking on the role of Lotus team leader, Ireland clearly gained confidence and showed impressive pace, his best lap just one second slower than Phil Hill’s Ferrari.

As for Bruce, he looked rather pale compared with the other Cooper drivers; nevertheless, the young New Zealander remained undeterred, hoping to make his mark in the race. The biggest disappointment of qualifying, however, was Ward: on the very first day of practice, his midget’s engine failed, and as a result, the USAC star ended up at the very back of the timesheets, a staggering 44 (!) seconds slower than Moss.

However, things fared no better for Phil Cade: finishing second-to-last in qualifying, the American suffered an engine failure in his Maserati, effectively eliminating him from any chance of taking part in the race.

Race

Race day dawned sunny and warm, and in anticipation of the decisive battle for the championship, spectators began filling the numerous grandstands well before the start. Their early arrival proved worthwhile - the crowd was unexpectedly treated to not one, but two pre-race spectacles. The first was initiated by Harry Schell: outraged by the timekeepers’ decision, the American loudly asserted his right to start from the front row right on the grid, and in the end the officials relented, admitting their mistake. Naturally, this decision provoked a stormy reaction from Ferrari manager Romolo Tavoni, who rushed to the epicenter of events, unable to watch calmly as Schell unceremoniously moved his Cooper into Brooks’s spot, depriving the Scuderia leader of the chance to start alongside his main championship rivals. In the end, however, justice was on the American’s side, and after prolonged arguments Tavoni had to back down, making way for the second pre-race spectacle — the Sebring orchestra’s performance and a parade of long-legged majorettes.

Start. At the wave of the national flag, the cars surge off the line, and Moss and Brabham, reacting almost in unison, immediately lock horns in the fight for the lead, with the Australian edging ahead into the opening corner!

At the same time, Moss still holds onto second place, while McLaren unexpectedly surges into third, pulling off another fantastic start from the fourth row! By contrast, the start proves extremely unlucky for Schell: a slipping clutch wiped out all his pre-start efforts, and the American instantly finds himself in the second half of the field!

Lap 1: Brabham’s time at the front proves short-lived - already in the third corner, the Tower Turn, Moss launches an attack and snatches the lead from the Australian! Meanwhile, the third championship contender, Brooks, runs into trouble on the very first lap: his teammate von Trips misjudged his braking and plowed nose-first into the back of Tony’s Ferrari, spinning him around! And whereas the German himself, despite a crumpled nose, loses only a few positions, the completely innocent Ferrari leader is forced not only to let the entire field pass but also to stop at the end of the lap for a pit check!

At the same time, Brooks is not alone in his troubles: he was joined by Stacey, who had to stop in the Lotus pits with a faulty gearshift mechanism! Besides, the first lap also sees the first retirement: confused by Stacey’s unpredictable movements, Said makes a mistake at North Runway and ends his race by flying off the track!

Position after Lap 1: Moss, Brabham, McLaren, Phil Hill, Ireland, Trintignant, Allison, Salvadori, Schell, von Trips.

Lap 2: Ireland, having made a brilliant start, continues his masterful drive: he easily overtakes Hill’s Ferrari to move up to 4th!

At the same time, the American, following the Lotus, also yields to his teammate Allison, who on the same lap overtakes Trintignant as well! Besides, on this lap, von Trips gains a position at Schell’s expense, while Brooks, after a quick pit check, sets off in pursuit of the rest of the field and immediately leaves Blanchard’s Porsche behind!

As for Stacey, his pit stop proved useless: barely half a lap later, the Englishman pulls off to the side with a burnt-out clutch!

Lap 3: After moving ahead of Brabham, Moss is literally flying along the track, extending his lead over the Australian to five seconds!

Meanwhile, Allison also continues to impress: launching a decisive attack on Ireland, Cliff moves up - no less than - to 4th!

As for Brooks, he is not sitting idle either, and after effortlessly passing Ward, Tony finds himself already in 14th!

Lap 4: Phil Hill begins experiencing clutch problems and loses two more positions, yielding to Trintignant and von Trips! Problems also strike Constantine: his Cooper’s engine starts misfiring, and the American, without any fight, let de Tomaso and Brooks pass - the latter continuing his confident charge up the field!

Lap 5: Brooks gains another two positions - one by overtaking d’Orey, and the second gifted by Schell, who retires in the pits with a faulty clutch!

Lap 6: Disaster for Moss! Having already built a ten-second lead over Brabham, Stirling suddenly stops in the S-curve with a failed transmission, his title hopes shattered once again! Climbing out of the cockpit, the Englishman can do nothing but watch Brabham streak past him, the Australian now once again at the head of the race!

Amid all this drama, Constantine’s retirement goes almost unnoticed - a blown head gasket deprived the engine in his Cooper of all power, leaving the American with no choice but to retire in the pits.

Lap 7: Another retirement follows - d’Orey comes into the pits with an oil leak and never returns to the track.

Lap 8: Phil Hill’s troubles are snowballing: to his clutch problems are now added brake issues, and having completely lost his pace, the American surrenders 7th to Salvadori with barely a fight!

Meanwhile, things are no better for de Tomaso: suffering serious brake problems of his own, the Argentine pulls into the pits and, after a lengthy repair, rejoins the race in last place!

Lap 9: Ireland, who had been running close behind Allison for quite some time, is forced to pit with gearshift troubles and eventually drops to 8th, missing a fine opportunity to score some points for Lotus!

Meanwhile, Phil Hill’s race is effectively over: weary of struggling with relentless mechanical issues, the American eventually pulls into the pits to retire.

Lap 10: After several laps of pursuit, von Trips finally finds a gap in Trintignant’s defense and passes the Frenchman in the battle for 4th!

Position after 10 laps: Brabham, McLaren, Allison, von Trips, Trintignant, Salvadori, Brooks, Ireland, Ward, Blanchard.

After ten laps, Brabham is confidently leading, securely covered from behind by McLaren, and, with Moss' retirement and Brooks’ first-lap misfortune, the Australian’s chances of claiming the title now looking almost unassailable!

Lap 11: Refusing to give up in an obviously hopeless situation, Brooks keeps pushing to the limit and gains another position, overtaking Salvadori!

Lap 14: Mechanical problems continue to take their toll: de Tomaso retires with brake issues, leaving just ten cars still running in the race!

Lap 16: Allison, now Ferrari’s main hope, continues to push hard, cutting his gap to the Brabham-McLaren pair down to just seven seconds!

Lap 17: Sensing the threat from Allison, John Cooper orders his boys to push harder, and they respond instantly, gaining two seconds back from the pursuing Ferrari!

Lap 20: Desperately trying to keep pace with the Coopers, Allison pushes flat out - but makes a mistake, smashing straight into a hay bale! With a dented nose, Cliff immediately heads to the pits for a check, thus allowing von Trips and Trintignant to slip through and losing a prime opportunity for his first podium finish!

Position after 20 laps: Brabham, McLaren, von Trips, Trintignant, Allison, Brooks, Salvadori, Ireland, Ward, Blanchard.

Lap 21: Another retirement – Ward heads into the pits with a faulty clutch, and despite a fairly modest performance, the crowd cheers their favorite with thunderous applause, honoring his effort!

Lap 22: After his pit stop, Allison begins to experience clutch problems, and Brooks closes in effortlessly, overtaking his teammate for 5th!

Lap 23: Another position lost for Allison: Salvadori passes him, now dropping Cliff down to 7th!

Lap 24: Having shadowed von Trips for more than 10 laps, Trintignant finally finds the right moment to attack and overtakes the German for 3rd!

Meanwhile, on the same lap, the race loses two more competitors: Allison, completely losing pace due to clutch problems, eventually heads to the pits to retire, and he is joined by Salvadori, whose Cooper suffers a transmission failure!

Lap 25: Having passed von Trips, Trintignant sharply ups the pace and immediately sets one of the fastest laps of the race!

Meanwhile, as he passes the pits, the Frenchman sees he is 25 seconds behind the Cooper pair, yet Moss, having just returned on foot, gestures for his teammate to keep pushing!

Position after 30 laps: Brabham, McLaren, Trintignant, von Trips, Brooks, Ireland, Blanchard.

With twelve laps to go, Brabham and McLaren still lead comfortably, yet the fastest man on track is Trintignant, now reducing his gap to the Cooper duo down to 17 seconds!

Lap 38: Another driver runs into trouble as von Trips suffers an engine failure, yet the German somehow drags his Ferrari to the finish line, thus securing a place in the final classification!

Meanwhile, von Trips’ retirement plays straight into Brooks’ hands, promoting him up to 4th!

Lap 39: Continuing his desperate chase, Trintignant sets a new fastest lap of the race - 3’05.0 - and his gap to the leading Coopers visibly melts away, shrinking to just seven seconds!

Final lap: Brabham and McLaren begin the last lap still holding more than a four-second advantage over Trintignant, but to the astonishment of the crowd, Jack’s Cooper suddenly slows on the final stretch and comes to a halt just 400 meters from the finish line - his tanks completely dry! McLaren inherits the lead, with Trintignant now looming in his mirrors, yet in a breathtaking sprint, it is Bruce who crosses the finish line first, beating the Frenchman by just 0.6 seconds!

Meanwhile, Brabham, scarcely believing his misfortune, steps out and starts pushing his Cooper up the slightly rising finishing straight, and at that very moment, Brooks sweeps past him to secure third place in the race! Shortly after, Ireland crosses the line three laps down, thus securing Lotus their second points finish of the season, yet all eyes in the grandstands remain on the Australian, grim-faced and determined, still stubbornly pushing his car forward!

And finally - it’s done: Jack pushes his Cooper over the finish line… sinks to the ground, utterly spent… and amidst thunderous applause from the stands, becomes the new World Champion!

Having given everything in that final sprint, Jack comes to his senses only a quarter of an hour later, and the first thing he does is shake his young teammate’s hand, congratulating him on his maiden Formula 1 victory - a perfect ending to an incredible day for the Cooper team. Bruce himself, still in disbelief, immediately steps into the spotlight: under the camera flashes, the newly crowned winner is greeted by Miss Sebring, awarding him the traditional kiss that concludes this dramatic and unforgettable race.

Interesting facts:

- Bruce McLaren's first victory;

- Maurice Trintignant's first fastest lap.

Driver standings

Constructor standings

Alternative GP results