1958 Formula One season

The 1958 Formula One season was the ninth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1958 World Championship of Drivers which commenced on January 19, 1958, and ended on October 19 after eleven races. This was the first Formula One season in which a Manufacturers title was awarded, the International Cup for F1 Manufacturers being contested concurrently with the World Championship of Drivers. Englishman Mike Hawthorn won the Drivers title after a close battle with compatriot Stirling Moss and Vanwall won the Manufacturers award from Ferrari.

The season was one of the most important and tragic seasons in Formula One's history. Four drivers died in four different races during this season.

Season summary
Although the engine formula remained the same, minimum race lengths were reduced to 300 kilometres or two hours, and the use of commercial petrol became compulsory, in place of specialized alcohol-based racing fuels. The International Cup for F1 Manufacturers was awarded for the first time, but Ferrari's Mike Hawthorn won the driver's championship from Stirling Moss, despite the latter having won four of the ten grand prix to Hawthorn's one.

Rear-engined Cooper-Climaxes, entered by the private owner Rob Walker, shocked the establishment by winning two early-season races: Moss, driving for Walker in Argentina because Vanwall had not entered, beat the Ferraris by superior race craft, and Maurice Trintignant outlasted the opposition at Monaco.

Moss' teammate at Vanwall, Tony Brooks also won three races, his success in the Italian race, overtaking Hawthorn after Moss had retired, ensured the title went to the final round in Morocco. Moss needed to win, with a fastest lap and Hawthorn third or lower to win the title. With Moss leading, Brooks and team-mate Stuart Lewis-Evans attempted to hold Hawthorn in third, however both their engines failed – Lewis-Evans' tragically resulting in severe burns he did not recover from. Hawthorn finished second to win his first title, his greater consistency and reliability, along with crucial points for fastest laps, giving him the title by a single point. Vanwall won the inaugural Constructors Competition, mere consolation following the events in Morocco.

Hawthorn retired after winning the Championship, but died in a road accident in early 1959. His death compounded a tragic season for Formula One, with four drivers killed during the year. Luigi Musso died in the French Grand Prix, Peter Collins a month later in the German Grand Prix – just two weeks after winning his home race, Lewis-Evans died in hospital following his fire in Morocco and Pat O'Connor died at the Indianapolis 500 (which, at the time, was a round of the World Championship).

Maria Teresa de Filippis became the first woman to drive in a world championship event. Reigning five-time Champion Juan Manuel Fangio, the dominant driver of the 1950s and one of the greatest of all time, competed in only two races as a privateer, retiring after the French Grand Prix.

Season review
Note: The Indianapolis 500, being run to rules other than Formula One, did not count towards the International Cup for F1 Manufacturers

Teams and drivers
The following teams and drivers competed in the 1958 FIA World Championship.


 * Pink background denotes F2 entrants to the German and Moroccan Grands Prix

1958 World Championship of Drivers – final standings
Points were awarded on an 8-6-4-3-2 basis to the first five finishers at each race. An additional point was awarded to the driver setting the fastest race lap. The best six results from the eleven races were retained.


 * Italics indicate fastest lap (1 point awarded – point shared equally between drivers sharing fastest lap)
 * Bold indicates pole position
 * ~ No points awarded for shared drive

1958 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers – final standings
Points were awarded on an 8-6-4-3-2 basis to the first five finishers at each race. However a manufacturer only received points for its highest placed car and only the best six results from the ten races were retained.


 * Bold results counted to championship totals.

Non-Championship race results
Other Formula One races also held in 1958, which did not count towards the World Championship.