1953 F1 World Championship

The 1953 F1 season was the fourth year of the World Championship of Drivers. It included nine races from January 18 to September 13 and included 36 non-championship events and a separate East German Championship held over six events.

Season

As in the 1952 season, all World Championship races, except the Indianapolis 500, were held under Formula Two regulations, with only a few non-championship races run under Formula One specifications. Ferrari’s Alberto Ascari dominated the season, becoming the first driver to successfully defend his championship title since the series began in 1950. The title was his final championship, and as of 2024, he was the last Italian driver to win the Drivers’ Championship.

The 1953 season also broke new ground by hosting a championship event outside Europe, excluding the Indianapolis 500, with the 1953 Argentine Grand Prix. Tragically, the race was overshadowed by a severe accident involving former champion Nino Farina, whose crash into an unprotected crowd resulted in the deaths of nine spectators.

1953 F1 Entries drivers and teams

The following teams and drivers participated in the 1953 FIA World Championship of Drivers, excluding those who competed solely in the Indianapolis 500.

Entrant	Constructor	Chassis	Engine	Tyre	Driver	Rounds
Officine Alfieri Maserati	Maserati	A6GCM	Maserati A6 2.0 L6	P	Juan Manuel Fangio	1, 3–9
					Jose Froilan Gonzalez	1, 3–6
					Felice Bonetto	1, 3, 5–9
					Oscar Gálvez	1
					Johnny Claes	4
					Onofre Marimón	4–9
					Hermann Lang	8
					Sergio Mantovani	9
					Luigi Musso	9
Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari	500 553	Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 Ferrari 553 2.0 L4	P	Alberto Ascari	1, 3–9
					Giuseppe Farina	1, 3–9
					Luigi Villoresi	1, 3–9
					Mike Hawthorn	1, 3–9
					Umberto Maglioli	9
					Piero Carini	9
Cooper Car Company	Cooper – Bristol Cooper – Alta	T20 T23 Special T24	Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 Alta GP 2.5 L4	D	Alan Brown	1
					John Barber	1
					Adolfo Schwelm Cruz	1
					Stirling Moss	5, 7, 2009
Equipe Gordini	Gordini Simca-Gordini	Type 16 Type 15	Gordini 20 2.0 L6 Gordini 1500 1.5 L4	E	Robert Manzon	1
					Harry Schell	1, 3–7, 9
					Maurice Trintignant	1, 3–9
					Jean Behra	1, 4–8
					Carlos Menditeguy	1
					Pablo Birger	1
					Roberto Mieres	3, 5, 2009
					Fred Wacker	3–4, 8
Ecurie Rosier	Ferrari	500	Ferrari 500 2.0 L4	D	Louis Rosier	3–7, 9
				E	Louis Rosier	8
Enrico Platé	Maserati	A6GCM	Maserati A6 2.0 L6	P	Toulo de Graffenried	3
Connaught Engineering	Connaught – Lea-Francis	Type A	Lea-Francis 2.0 L4	D	Roy Salvadori	3, 5–7, 9
					Kenneth McAlpine	3, 6–7, 9
					Stirling Moss	3
					Birabongse Bhanudej	5–7
					Jack Fairman	9
Ecurie Belge	Connaught – Lea-Francis	Type A	Lea-Francis 2.0 L4	E	Johnny Claes	3, 5, 7, 9
					André Pilette	4
Ken Wharton	Cooper – Bristol	T23	Bristol BS1 2.0 L6	D	Ken Wharton	3, 5–6, 8–9
HW Motors	HWM – Alta	53	Alta GP 2.5 L4	D	Peter Collins	3–6
					Lance Macklin	3–6, 8–9
					Paul Frère	4, 8
					Yves Giraud-Cabantous	5, 9
					Duncan Hamilton	6
					Jack Fairman	6
					Albert Scherrer	8
					John Fitch	9
Emmanuel de Graffenried	Maserati	A6GCM	Maserati A6 2.0 L6	P	Toulo de Graffenried	4–9
Georges Berger	Simca-Gordini	Type 15	Gordini 1500 1.5 L4	E	Georges Berger	4
Arthur Legat	Veritas	Meteor	Veritas 2.0 L6	E	Arthur Legat	4
Ecurie Francorchamps	Ferrari	500	Ferrari 500 2.0 L4	E	Jacques Swaters	4, 7–8
					Charles de Tornaco	4
Louis Chiron	OSCA	20	OSCA 2000 2.0 L6	P	Louis Chiron	5–6, 8–9
Elie Bayol	OSCA	20	OSCA 2000 2.0 L6	P	Élie Bayol	5, 8
Bob Gerard	Cooper – Bristol	T23	Bristol BS1 2.0 L6	D	Bob Gerard	5–6
R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Connaught – Lea-Francis	Type A	Lea-Francis 2.0 L4	D	Tony Rolt	6
	Connaught – Lea-Francis Cooper – Bristol	Type A T20	Lea-Francis 2.0 L4 Bristol BS1 2.0 L6	D	Ian Stewart	6
					Jimmy Stewart	6
R.J. Chase	Cooper – Bristol	T23	Bristol BS1 2.0 L6	D	Alan Brown	6
Atlantic Stable	Cooper – Alta	T24	Alta GP 2.5 L4	D	Peter Whitehead	6
Tony Crook	Cooper – Bristol	T20	Bristol BS1 2.0 L6	D	Tony Crook	6
Hans Stuck	AFM – Bristol	6	Bristol BS1 2.0 L6	D	Hans Stuck	7, 9
Wolfgang Seidel	Veritas	RS	Veritas 2.0 L6	D	Wolfgang Seidel	7
Willi Heeks	Veritas	Meteor	Veritas 2.0 L6	D	Willi Heeks	7
Theo Helfrich	Veritas	RS	Veritas 2.0 L6	D	Theo Helfrich	7
Oswald Karch	Veritas	RS	Veritas 2.0 L6	D	Oswald Karch	7
Helmut Niedermayr	AFM – BMW	U8	BMW 328 2.0 L6	D	Theo Fitzau	7
Ernst Loof	Veritas	Meteor	Veritas 2.0 L6	D	Ernst Loof	7
Hans Herrmann	Veritas	Meteor	Veritas 2.0 L6	D	Hans Herrmann	7
Erwin Bauer	Veritas	RS	Veritas 2.0 L6	D	Erwin Bauer	7
Ecurie Espadon	Ferrari	500 212	Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 Ferrari 166 2.0 V12	P	Kurt Adolff	7
					Peter Hirt	8
					Max de Terra	8
Rennkollektiv EMW	EMW	R2	EMW 6 2.0 L6	D	Edgar Barth	7
Dora Greifzu	Greifzu – BMW	Eigenbau	BMW 328 2.0 L6	D	Rudolf Krause	7
Ernst Klodwig	Heck – BMW	Eigenbau	BMW 328 2.0 L6	D	Ernst Klodwig	7
Equipe Anglaise	Cooper – Bristol	T23	Bristol BS1 2.0 L6	D	Alan Brown	7, 9
					Helmut Glöckler	7
Rodney Nuckey	Cooper – Bristol	T23	Bristol BS1 2.0 L6	D	Rodney Nuckey	7
Günther Bechem	AFM – BMW	50–5	BMW 328 2.0 L6	D	Günther Bechem	7
Escuderia Bandeirantes	Maserati	A6GCM	Maserati A6 2.0 L6	P	Chico Landi	8
OSCA Automobili	OSCA	20	OSCA 2000 2.0 L6	P	Élie Bayol	9
Scuderia Milano	Maserati	A6GCM	Maserati A6 2.0 L6	P	Chico Landi	9
					Birabongse Bhanudej	9

1953 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	Argentine Grand Prix	Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez	18 January
2	Indianapolis 500	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	30 May1
3	Dutch Grand Prix	Circuit Zandvoort	7 June
4	Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps	20 June
5	French Grand Prix	Reims-Gueux	5 July
6	British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit	18 July
7	German Grand Prix	Nürburgring	2 August
8	Swiss Grand Prix	Circuit Bremgarten	23 August
9	Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza	13 September

1953 Formula 1 Race Reports

Round 1: Argentine Grand Prix

Race date: 18 January 1953
Circuit: Autódromo 17 de Octubre, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Laps: 97
Circuit length: 3.912 km (2.431 miles)

The 1953 Argentine Grand Prix was the first-ever championship Argentine event, sadly overshadowed by a tragic accident that resulted in the death of 13 spectators, and consequently a young boy, and injuries to many others. During the race, on lap 31, Nino Farina attempted to dodge a spectator crossing the track, which led him to crash into the nearby crowd. Farina sustained minor leg injuries from the incident. Initially, the Buenos Aires Autodrome welcomed around 200,000 fans due to free admission, which led to overcrowded conditions with spectators overflowing onto the track edges. Despite this, the race continued, and Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari dominated, starting from pole position, leading every lap, recording the fastest lap, and lapping all other drivers. Ascari’s teammate, Luigi Villoresi finished second with Jose Froilan Gonzalez finishing in third for Maserati.

Round 2: Indianapolis 500

Race date: 30 May 1953
Circuit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Laps: 200
Circuit length: 4.023 km (2.500 miles)

The 1953 Indianapolis 500 was the second round of the nine-race 1953 World Championship season. However, as in previous years, the event failed to attract any regular Grand Prix competitors.

Bill Vukovich dominated the race, securing victory and earning 9 points toward the World Championship—8 for the win and 1 for setting the fastest lap. Despite not participating in any other World Championship rounds, his victory was enough to place him seventh in the final season standings.

Art Cross finished second, while third place was shared between Sam Hanks and Duane Carter, with Carter taking over driving duties for the final 48 laps of the race.

Carl Scarborough, 39, collapsed from heat exhaustion after the Indy 500, highlighting the extreme conditions drivers face.

Round 3: Dutch Grand Prix

Race date: 7 June 1953
Circuit: Circuit Zandvoort
Laps: 90
Circuit length: 4.193 km (2.605 miles)

Alberto Ascari clinched victory at the 1953 Dutch Grand Prix from pole position. Despite the circuit being resurfaced and experiencing significant degradation, anticipation was high due to the close practice times of the leading six drivers. However, the race unfolded differently than anticipated. Ascari, starting from pole, seized the lead and maintained it throughout, securing a commanding win. Luigi Villoresi briefly held second place early in the race but later exchanged positions with Nino Farina multiple times before retiring three-quarters of the way through due to a throttle issue, with Farina claiming second. Jose Froilan Gonzalez showed promise but was forced to retire due to suspension troubles, only to take over Felice Bonetto’s car and stage a remarkable comeback to secure a joint third place ahead of Mike Hawthorn.

Round 4: Belgian Grand Prix

Race date: 21 June 1953
Circuit: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Laps: 36
Circuit length: 14.120 km (8.774 miles)

Alberto Ascari clinched victory at the 1953 Belgian Grand Prix after an exciting race. Juan Manuel Fangio started on pole and initially pulled away with his teammate Froilan Gonzales, followed by Ascari. However, engine troubles for the two leading Maseratis allowed Ascari to overtake and secure the win, followed by Luigi Villoresi and Onofre Marimon.

Round 5: French Grand Prix

Race date: 5 July 1953
Circuit: Reims Circuit, Gueux, France
Laps: 60
Circuit length: 8.347 km (5.187 miles)

After 300 miles of racing, the 1953 French Grand Prix was decided in the final straight when Mike Hawthorn in a Ferrari overtook Juan Manuel Fangio in a Maserati to clinch victory. With just a second separating the leading two cars, it was widely acclaimed as the best grand prix since the inception of the Formula One World Championship and marked the first win by a British driver. Throughout the season, a fierce battle for Italian pride raged between Ferraris and Maseratis, culminating at the Reims circuit. Jose Froilan Gonzalez, driving a Maserati, took an early lead in his A6GCM, but his light fuel load forced him to pit, thrusting him back into a fierce contest with Fangio, Hawthorn, and Alberto Ascari in a Ferrari. The battle raged on for the entire race, with no driver able to gain a clear advantage. In the end, the top four cars crossed the finish line within five seconds of each other, a remarkable feat after 2 hours and 44 minutes of racing. Gonzalez finished third.

Round 6: British Grand Prix

Race date: 18 July 1953
Circuit: Silverstone Circuit
Laps: 90
Circuit length: 4.7105 km (2.927 miles)

Italian dominance, courtesy of Ferrari and Maserati, was anticipated at Silverstone for the 1953 British Grand Prix, and the race unfolded as expected. Alberto Ascari seized the lead from the start and maintained his position throughout, never once being challenged. He would go on to win the drivers’ title that year. Juan Manuel Fangio finished second for the Maserati team and Ascari’s teammate Nino Farina came in third.

Round 7: German Grand Prix

Race date: 2 August 1953
Circuit: Nürburgring, Nürburg, West Germany
Laps: 18
Circuit length: 22.810 km (14.173 miles)

The 1953 German Grand Prix, held on 2 August at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, was the seventh round of the nine-race World Championship. Like the previous season, the 1953 championship was contested under Formula Two regulations rather than the standard Formula One rules. This race set a record for the largest starting grid in World Championship F1 history, with 34 cars taking the start.

Nino Farina claimed victory for Ferrari, finishing just over a minute ahead of Juan Manuel Fangio in second. This would be Farina’s final win in Formula One. Meanwhile, Alberto Ascari secured his second consecutive World Drivers’ Championship, as neither Mike Hawthorn, who finished third in the race, nor Fangio could catch his points total with just two races remaining.

Round 8: Swiss Grand Prix

Race date: 23 August 1953
Circuit: Bremgarten, Bern, Switzerland
Laps: 65
Circuit length: 7.28 km (4.524 miles)

Alberto Ascari defied team orders to lead a Ferrari 1-2-3 finish at the 1953 Swiss Grand Prix and clinch his second Drivers’ World Championship. Despite battling a gearbox issue with Maserati driver and rival Juan Manuel Fangio, Ascari encountered engine problems and had to pit. Rejoining the race behind teammates Giuseppe Farina and Mike Hawthorn, Ascari ignored instructions to hold position and overtook both to secure the victory. It was the last race win and finish of his F1 career.

Round 9: Italian Grand Prix

Race date: 13 September 1953
Circuit: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Laps: 80
Circuit length: 6.300 km (3.915 miles)

Juan Manuel Fangio snatched victory at the 1953 Italian Grand Prix, spoiling Ferrari’s party after a dramatic finish. Ferrari drivers Giuseppe Farina, Luigi Villoresi, and Mike Hawthorn appeared set to dominate, with Alberto Ascari leading early on. But in the final corner, Ascari spun, and Farina veered off-track to avoid him, leading to chaos as Ascari was hit by Onofre Marimon. Fangio avoided the melee to claim victory, with Farina recovering for second ahead of Villoresi.

1953 Formula 1 Race Results

Round	Grand Prix	Pole position	Fastest lap	Winning driver	Winning constructor
1	Argentine Grand Prix	Alberto Ascari	Alberto Ascari	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari
2	Indianapolis 500	Bill Vukovich	Bill Vukovich	Bill Vukovich	Kurtis Kraft – Offenhauser
3	Dutch Grand Prix	Alberto Ascari	Luigi Villoresi	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari
4	Belgian Grand Prix	Juan Manuel Fangio	Jose Froilan Gonzalez	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari
5	French Grand Prix	Alberto Ascari	Juan Manuel Fangio	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari
6	British Grand Prix	Alberto Ascari	Alberto Ascari / Jose Froilan Gonzalez	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari
7	German Grand Prix	Alberto Ascari	Alberto Ascari	Giuseppe Farina	Ferrari
8	Swiss Grand Prix	Juan Manuel Fangio	Alberto Ascari	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari
9	Italian Grand Prix	Alberto Ascari	Juan Manuel Fangio	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati

1953 Formula 1 Standings

Points were awarded to the top five finishers, with an additional point for the fastest lap, regardless of the driver’s finishing position or classification. Only a driver’s four best results contributed to their final championship standings. In cases where drivers shared a car and finished in a points position, they each received half the points for that position. If multiple drivers set identical fastest lap times, the fastest lap point was equally divided among them.

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Fastest Lap
Race	8	6	4	3	2	1

1953 Driver standings