Maserati in Formula One

Throughout its history, the Italian auto manufacturer Maserati has participated in various forms of motorsports including Formula One, sportscar racing and touring car racing, both as a works team and through private entrants.

Beginnings
One of the first Maseratis the Tipo 26 driven by Alfieri Maserati with Guerino Bertocchi acting as riding mechanic won the Targa Florio 1,500 cc class in 1926, being ninth place in overall.

Maserati was very successful in pre-war Grand Prix racing using a variety of cars with 4, 6, 8 and 16 cylinders (two straight-eights mounted parallel to one another).

Other notable pre-war successes include winning the Indy 500 twice (1939 and 1940), both times with Wilbur Shaw at the wheel of a 8CTF.

Sports and GT cars
Maserati's wins in the Targa Florio
 * 1937 : 🇮🇹 Giulio Severi, Maserati 6CM
 * 1938 : 🇮🇹 Giovanni Rocco, Maserati 6CM
 * 1939 : 🇮🇹 Luigi Villoresi, Maserati 6CM
 * 1940 : 🇮🇹 Luigi Villoresi, Maserati 4CL

Maserati's post-war factory effort in sports car racing in 1954 for the second season of the World Sportscar Championship. The factory raced as Officine Alfieri Maserati. For the 1954 World Sportscar Championship season Maserati entered the Maserati A6GCS finishing 5th in the Manufacturers Championship.

For the 1955 World Sportscar Championship season Maserati finished 4th in the Manufacturers Championship.

For the 1956 World Sportscar Championship season Maserati finished 2nd in the Manufacturers Championship including a win at the 1000 km Buenos Aires and the 1000 km at the Nurburgring. The win at 1956 1000 km Buenos Aires was a Maserati 300S sports car driven by Stirling Moss, Carlos Menditéguy.

For the 1957 World Sportscar Championship season Maserati again finished 2nd in the Manufacturers Championship. This time with wins at Sebring and Rabelöfsbanan

For the 1959 World Sportscar Championship season Maserati finished 4th in the Manufacturers Championship.

For the 1960 World Sportscar Championship season Maserati finished 3rd in the Manufacturers Championship. With a win at the ADAC 1000 km Nürburgring for a Maserati Tipo 61 driven by Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney.

For the 1961 World Sportscar Championship season Maserati finished 2nd in the Manufacturers Championship. With a repeat win at the ADAC 1000 km Nürburgring for a Maserati Tipo 61 this time driven by Lloyd Casner and Masten Gregory.

List of Maserati sports and GT racing cars


 * Maserati A6GCS Sports Car


 * Maserati 350S Sports Car.
 * Maserati 300S Sports Car.
 * Maserati 250S Sports Car.
 * Maserati 200S Sports Car.
 * Maserati 150S Sports Car.
 * Maserati 450S Sports Car.


 * Maserati Tipo 60 Sports Car
 * Maserati Tipo 61 the "Birdcage" Sports Car


 * Maserati Tipo 63
 * Maserati Tipo 64
 * Maserati Tipo 65


 * Maserati Tipo 151
 * Maserati Tipo 152
 * Maserati Tipo 154 the "Racing Van"


 * Maserati Barchetta Sports Car
 * Maserati Ghibli II Open Cup gt Car
 * Maserati Trofeo series gt Car.
 * Maserati Trofeo Light GT3 Racing Car
 * Maserati MC12 GT1 Racing Car
 * Gran Turismo GT4
 * Gran Turismo GT3

Touring cars
The Biturbo competed unsuccessfully in the British Touring Car Championship in the late 1980s, the European Touring Car Championship and the World Touring Car Championship (1987).

The cars for the 1987 World Touring Car Championship season were entered by Pro Team Italia/Imberti. The car was in Group A Division 3 competing against the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth and later in the season Ford Sierra RS 500. The car was driven by Bruno Giacomelli, Armin Hahne, Marcello Gunella, Mario Hytten, Nicola Tesini, Kevin Bartlett.

For the British Touring Car Championship the cars were entered by Trident Motorsport. This was for the 1988 and 1989 seasons. The car was driven by Nick May, John Lepp, Vic Lee.


 * Maserati Biturbo Group A Racing car 1987

Rally cars
Ex 1987 WTCC car was bought by Adriano Dece and converted it for used on Road rallies.


 * Maserati Biturbo Group A Rally car

Formula One
Maserati participated in Formula One motor racing during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Its works Formula One programme was broadly successful, providing a total of 9 Grand Prix wins for the factory team and a world title for Juan Manuel Fangio. Maserati designed three Formula One cars: the Maserati 4CLT, the Maserati A6GCM and the Maserati 250F, and the pre-WWII Maserati 4CL was also used with some success. However due to financial difficulties in the late 1950s the team had to withdraw from Formula One in 1958 despite the 250F still being successful. Privateers continued to use the 250F until 1960, the last year F1 allowed front-engine race cars.

In the 1960s, Maserati supplied engines to Cooper Car Company, a British race car company. The most successful car of that collaboration was the Cooper-Maserati T81, which had a Maserati V12 engine. It won the Mexican GP in 1966 (John Surtees) and the South African GP in 1967 (Pedro Rodriguez).

Beginnings of Formula One operation
The 1948 Maserati 4CLT was one of the first cars built to the new Formula One regulations, introduced in 1946, and was developed from the 1938 Maserati 4CL voiturette car. The older design was still competitive despite the hiatus of World War II and was entered into Formula One races when racing resumed after the war. Its success encouraged Maserati to develop the car's design and these refinements were brought together as the 4CLT.