1957 F1 World Championship

The 1957 F1 season was the 8th year of the World Championship of Drivers. It included eight races from 13 January to 8 September 1957 and included nine non-championship events.

Season

Juan Manuel Fangio secured his fourth consecutive Formula One World Championship in 1957, driving for Maserati. This was his fifth and final title, a record that stood until Michael Schumacher beat it in 2003. Fangio’s closest challenger, particularly in the latter half of the season, was Stirling Moss, but the British driver once again finished runner-up for the third consecutive year.

Excluding the Indianapolis 500, which was part of the F1 championship but rarely featured regular Grand Prix drivers, every race was won by a constructor using their own engine. This record would not be repeated until 2006.

The year was also saw tragedy, with three Formula One drivers losing their lives in other racing categories. On March 14, Ferrari’s Eugenio Castellotti suffered a fatal crash while testing at Modena Autodrome. He lost control while attempting to break the track record and was killed instantly from a skull fracture. On May 12, Ferrari endured another devastating loss when Alfonso de Portago died in the Mille Miglia after a tyre failure sent his car into the crowd, also killing his co-driver and nine spectators. Later that summer, Herbert MacKay-Fraser, who had debuted with BRM at the 1957 French Grand Prix, was killed in a sports car race at Reims-Gueux just a week later.

1957 F1 Entries drivers and teams

The following teams and drivers participated in the 1957 FIA World Championship of Drivers, excluding those who competed solely in the Indianapolis 500.

Entrant	Constructor	Chassis	Engine	Driver	Rounds
Officine Alfieri Maserati	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Maserati 250F1 2.5 V12	Juan Manuel Fangio	1–2, 4–8
				Stirling Moss	1
				Jean Behra	1, 4–8
				Carlos Menditeguy	1–2, 4–5
				Giorgio Scarlatti	2, 6–8
				Harry Schell	2, 4–8
				Hans Herrmann	2
Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari	801	Ferrari DS50 2.5 V8	Peter Collins	1–2, 4–6, 8
				Luigi Musso	1, 4–8
				Eugenio Castellotti	1
				Mike Hawthorn	1–2, 4–6, 8
				Wolfgang von Trips	1–2, 8
				Cesare Perdisa	1
				Alfonso de Portago	1
				José Froilán González	1
				Maurice Trintignant	2, 4–5
Scuderia Centro Sud	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	Harry Schell	1
				Jo Bonnier	1, 7–8
				Masten Gregory	2, 6–8
				André Simon	2
				Hans Herrmann	6
	Ferrari	500	Ferrari 625 2.5 L4	Alejandro de Tomaso	1
Luigi Piotti	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	Luigi Piotti	1–2, 7–8
Owen Racing Organisation	BRM	P25	BRM P25 2.5 L4	Ron Flockhart	2, 4
				Roy Salvadori	2
				Herbert MacKay-Fraser	4
				Jack Fairman	5
				Les Leston	5
Connaught Engineering	Connaught – Alta	B	Alta GP 2.5 L4	Stuart Lewis-Evans	2
				Ivor Bueb	2
Cooper Car Company	Cooper – Climax	T43	Climax FPF 2.0 L4	Jack Brabham	2, 4, 2007
				Les Leston	2
				Mike MacDowel	4
				Roy Salvadori	5, 7
				Roy Salvadori	6
Vandervell Products	Vanwall	VW 5	Vanwall 254 2.5 L4	Stirling Moss	2, 5–8
				Tony Brooks	2, 5–8
				Stuart Lewis-Evans	4–8
				Roy Salvadori*	4
H.H. Gould	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	Horace Gould	2, 4–8
Jo Bonnier	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	Jo Bonnier	5
Gilby Engineering	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	Ivor Bueb	5
R.R.C. Walker Racing Team	Cooper – Climax	T43	Climax FPF 2.0 L4	Jack Brabham	5
		T43	Climax FPF 1.5 L4	Jack Brabham*	6
Bob Gerard	Cooper – Bristol	T44	Bristol BS2 2.2 L6	Bob Gerard	5
Bruce Halford	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	Bruce Halford	6–8
Dr Ing F. Porsche KG	Porsche	RS550	Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4	Umberto Maglioli*	6
				Edgar Barth*	6
Ridgeway Management	Cooper – Climax	T43 T41	Climax FPF 1.5 L4 Climax FWB 1.5 L4	Tony Marsh*	6
				Paul England*	6
Ecurie Maarsbergen	Porsche	RS550	Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4	Carel Godin de Beaufort*	6
J.B. Naylor	Cooper – Climax	T43	Climax FPF 1.5 L4	Brian Naylor*	6
Dick Gibson	Cooper – Climax	T43	Climax FPF 1.5 L4	Dick Gibson*	6
Francesco Godia Sales	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	Paco Godia	6–8
Ottorino Volonterio	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	Ottorino Volonterio	8
				André Simon	8

Pre-Season Moves

The reigning world champion, Juan Manuel Fangio, returned to Maserati for the 1957 season after spending one-and-a-half years at Mercedes and one season at Ferrari. Fangio had previously raced for Maserati in 1953 before moving on to other teams. Meanwhile, British Racing Motors (BRM), having introduced their first in-house chassis at the 1956 British Grand Prix, entered three races in 1957 as a preparation step for their first full-time season in 1958.

One of the significant team withdrawals was Gordini, which exited Formula One after the 1956 season. This also led to the departure of several of their long-time drivers, most notably Robert Manzon, who chose to retire from the sport. On the other hand, Scuderia Ferrari made a key signing by bringing back Mike Hawthorn, who had previously raced for the team in 1955.

Mid-Season Changes

Following the season opener in Argentina, Stirling Moss switched from Maserati to Vanwall, which had not participated in the first race. He was joined by Tony Brooks, who was embarking on his first full season in Formula One. However, Ferrari suffered significant setbacks during the season due to two tragic incidents.

First, Eugenio Castellotti was killed in a testing accident between the first and second races of the season, prompting his teammate Cesare Perdisa to retire from racing out of grief. Just two months later, Ferrari endured another devastating loss when Alfonso de Portago crashed fatally at the Mille Miglia. In response to these losses, Ferrari brought back Maurice Trintignant, a former Ferrari driver from 1955, to reinforce their lineup.

Further changes saw ex-Vanwall driver Harry Schell join Maserati from the second race onward, while Stuart Lewis-Evans secured a seat with Vanwall starting from the French Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Cooper significantly expanded its presence, moving to a full-time entry during the season. The team signed future world champion Jack Brabham, along with ex-Gilby driver Roy Salvadori, strengthening its growing presence in Formula One.

1957 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	Argentine Grand Prix	Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez , Buenos Aires	13 January
2	Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco , Monte Carlo	19 May
3	Indianapolis 500	Indianapolis Motor Speedway , Speedway	30 May1
4	French Grand Prix	Rouen-Les-Essarts , Orival	7 July
5	British Grand Prix	Aintree Motor Racing Circuit , Merseyside	20 July
6	German Grand Prix	Nürburgring , Nürburg	4 August
7	Pescara Grand Prix	Pescara Circuit , Pescara	18 August
8	Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza , Monza	8 September

The 1957 Formula One season saw significant adjustments to its calendar, primarily due to the ongoing Suez Crisis, which led to the cancellation of three races. The affected Grands Prix were:

• Belgian Grand Prix – originally scheduled for 2 June
• Dutch Grand Prix – originally scheduled for 16 June (this race had also been cancelled in 1956)
• Spanish Grand Prix – originally scheduled for 20 October

To compensate for these cancellations, the Pescara Grand Prix was added to the 1957 calendar, making its only appearance as a World Championship event.

Other notable venue changes included the French Grand Prix, which was moved from Reims-Gueux to Rouen-Les-Essarts for a year. Additionally, the British Grand Prix rotated venues, moving from Silverstone to Aintree, in accordance with the event-sharing agreement between the two circuits.

1957 Formula 1 Race Reports

Before the 1957 season began, Juan Manuel Fangio made another team switch, moving from Ferrari back to Maserati. His decision proved to be a masterstroke, as Ferrari endured a winless season with its lineup of Peter Collins, Eugenio Castellotti, and the returning Mike Hawthorn. The year was particularly tragic for Ferrari, as both Castellotti and Alfonso de Portago were killed during the season, though neither fatality occurred in a Formula One race.

The driver Fangio replaced at Maserati, Stirling Moss, moved to Vanwall, a team that was beginning to fulfill its potential. Between them, Fangio and Moss dominated the season, winning every championship race except the Indianapolis 500. Fangio secured four victories, while Moss claimed three.

One of Fangio’s most legendary performances came at the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, where a pit stop left him nearly a minute behind Collins and Hawthorn. In an astonishing drive, he chased down both Ferrari drivers and overtook them on the penultimate lap, cementing his status as one of the greatest drivers in history.

At the end of the season, Fangio announced his retirement, bringing an end to his illustrious Formula One career. Maserati also withdrew from Formula One due to financial difficulties, marking the end of their factory team’s participation. Additionally, 1957 was the final season in which points were awarded for shared drives, as the system was discontinued in subsequent years.

Round 1: Argentine Grand Prix

Race date: 13 January 1957
Circuit: Autódromo Municipal Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
Laps: 100
Circuit length: 3.912 km (2.431 miles)

Juan Manuel Fangio thrilled the home crowd in Buenos Aires by winning the 1957 Argentine Grand Prix in a Maserati, beginning his journey to a fifth and final world title. Stirling Moss, also in a Maserati, started from pole but lost ten laps due to a throttle linkage failure. Only Fangio and Jean Behra, who finished second, completed all 100 laps, as Maserati dominated the top four spots. Early leader Peter Collins retired with clutch problems, while the grid featured mainly Maserati 250Fs and Lancia Ferrari 801s, with just one old Ferrari 500 in the mix. Carlos Menditeguy finished in third.

Round 2: Monaco Grand Prix

Race date: 19 May 1957
Circuit: Circuit de Monaco
Laps: 100
Circuit length: 3.145 km (1.955 miles)

Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1957 Monaco Grand Prix on May 19 after a major accident on lap four eliminated nearly all his serious competitors. Fangio qualified on pole with Stirling Moss leading initially. Moss crashed at the harbour chicane, and second-place Peter Collins collided while trying to avoid Moss. Fangio navigated the crash unscathed, but Tony Brooks, in fourth, was rear-ended by Mike Hawthorn as he braked. Brooks continued but was five seconds behind Fangio and never posed a threat, eventually finishing second for Vanwall and over 25 seconds behind Fangio at that point. Only six cars finished behind Fangio, with Jack Brabham pushing his car across the line due to a fuel pump failure. Masten Gregory finished third for Maserati.

Round 3: Indianapolis 500

Race date: 30 May 1957
Circuit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Laps: 200
Circuit length: 4.0225 km (2.499 mi)

For the second year in a row, former World Champion Giuseppe Farina entered, but again struggled to get his car up to speed. He eventually withdrew after his teammate Keith Andrews was killed in a crash testing the car. Race winner Sam Hanks earned 8 points towards the World Championship. Despite not competing in any of the other World Championship events, Hanks finished eighth in the final season standings. Jim Rathmann secured second while Jimmy Bryan took third place.

Round 4: French Grand Prix

Race date: 7 July 1957
Circuit: Rouen-Les-Essarts, Grand-Couronne, France
Laps: 77
Circuit length: 6.542 km (4.065 miles)

Juan Manuel Fangio triumphed at the 1957 French Grand Prix, finishing ahead of a trio of Ferraris driven by Luigi Musso, Peter Collins, and Mike Hawthorn. Although Fangio lost the lead from pole position, he quickly overtook Jean Behra and Musso to reclaim his spot at the front. The win marked his third consecutive victory in the 1957 F1 World Championship, paving the way for him to secure his fifth and final drivers’ title with ease.

Round 5: British Grand Prix

Race date: 20 July 1957
Circuit: Silverstone Circuit
Laps: 90
Circuit length: 4.828 km (3.000 miles)

Sir Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks shared a historic victory at the 1957 British Grand Prix held at Aintree, marking the first win for a British car in Formula One. Driving for Vanwall, they led the Ferraris of Luigi Musso and Mike Hawthorn across the finish line. Moss initially suffered an engine failure but took over teammate Brooks’ car midway through the race. Brooks was still recovering from injuries sustained in a massive accident at Le Mans earlier that year.

Rejoining in ninth place, Moss immediately began an impressive comeback. “I came out quite a long way down but that suited me fine,” he recalled. “The trouble is that when you are leading and the car fails, you get labelled as a car breaker. But when you’re at the back coming through the field, they don’t care if you break it. So at least I could have a go.” He fought his way back up the ranks, reaching fourth place before taking the lead when Jean Behra’s clutch exploded, puncturing the tyres of second-placed Mike Hawthorn. Moss then overtook teammate Stewart Lewis-Evans to secure a comfortable victory.

Over half a century later, Moss told the press that this race was his favourite British Grand Prix: “It was not a great circuit or anything else, but it was the first time a British car won a world championship race. And sharing it with Tony Brooks, who was such a fantastic driver anyway, certainly didn’t take anything away from it.”

Round 6: German Grand Prix

Race date: 4 August 1957
Circuit: Nürburgring, Nürburg, West Germany
Laps: 22
Circuit length: 22.810 km (14.173 miles)

The 1957 German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring is forever etched in history as one of Juan Manuel Fangio‘s most remarkable drives. After a poor pit stop left him over a minute behind race leader Mike Hawthorn, Fangio responded with a series of astonishing laps, some six seconds faster than his own lap record and eight seconds quicker than his pole lap. He ultimately claimed victory for Maserati, later reflecting, “I’d never driven like that before, and I knew I never would again.”

Mike Hawthorn took second for Ferrari, and teammate Peter Collins came home in thrid,

Thanks to the 34 points he had accumulated during the season, compared to Luigi Musso’s 16, Fangio’s victory at the Nürburgring mathematically secured his fifth World Championship title with two races remaining. This race was also significant as it marked Fangio’s 24th and final victory in Formula 1.

Round 7: Pescara Grand Prix

Race date: 18 August 1957
Circuit: Pescara Circuit
Laps: 18
Circuit length: 25.579 km (15.894 miles)

Stirling Moss claimed victory at the inaugural 1957 Pescara Grand Prix in Italy, an addition to the calendar following the cancellations of the Belgian and Dutch GPs. Ferrari did not enter with their cars for Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins, partly because Juan Manuel Fangio had already secured the championship and also in protest against the Italian government’s moves to ban road racing. The race became a duel between Moss’ Vanwall and Fangio’s Maserati, with Moss winning after Fangio spun on oil left by Luigi Musso’s privateer Ferrari.

Round 8: Italian Grand Prix

Race date: 8 September 1957
Circuit: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Laps: 87
Circuit length: 5.750 km (3.573 miles)

Stirling Moss, driving for Vanwall, won the 1957 Italian Grand Prix after starting from pole, with Juan Manuel Fangio in a Maserati finishing in second place. The reigning world champion put in a strong performance but was unable to catch Moss for the lead. Wolfgang von Trips driving for Ferrari secured third place.

1957 Formula 1 Race Results

Round	Grand Prix	Pole position	Fastest lap	Winning driver	Winning constructor	Report
1	Argentine Grand Prix	Stirling Moss	Stirling Moss	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati	Report
2	Monaco Grand Prix	Juan Manuel Fangio	Juan Manuel Fangio	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati	Report
3	Indianapolis 500	Pat O’Connor	Jim Rathmann	Sam Hanks	Salih – Offenhauser	Report
4	French Grand Prix	Juan Manuel Fangio	Italy Luigi Musso	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati	Report
5	British Grand Prix	Stirling Moss	Stirling Moss	Tony Brooks / Stirling Moss	Vanwall	Report
6	German Grand Prix	Juan Manuel Fangio	Juan Manuel Fangio	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati	Report
7	Pescara Grand Prix	Juan Manuel Fangio	Stirling Moss	Stirling Moss	Vanwall	Report
8	Italian Grand Prix	Stuart Lewis-Evans	Tony Brooks	Stirling Moss	Vanwall	Report

1957 Formula 1 Standings

Points were awarded to the top five finishers, with an extra point granted for the fastest lap, regardless of finishing position or classification. Only the best five results contributed to the championship standings. Formula 2 cars participating in Grands Prix were not eligible for Championship points. In cases of shared drives, points were divided among the drivers if they finished in a scoring position, unless a driver was deemed to have completed an “insufficient distance” in the final car (e.g., Peter Collins at the 1957 British Grand Prix). If multiple drivers recorded the same fastest lap time, the fastest lap point was equally split among them. Numbers outside parentheses indicate championship points, while numbers in parentheses represent total points scored. The points were awarded according to the following system:

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

1957 Drivers’ standings