Grand Prix: An alternate history of Formula 1

[ArupinumMaivista]

Grand Prix

"Introduction"
​

The year is 1954, and Grand Prix Racing is entering its 8th official season since the end of the Second World War. The Golden Age of Grand Prix Racing had died long ago in 1939 when the War began, and the names of Tazio Nuvolari, Rudolf Caracciola, Bernd Rosemeyer, Hans Stuck, Manfred von Brauchitsch and Guy Moll have been carved into the history books as the sport's greatest of that era. Some of the old dogs carried on, like Jean-Pierre Wimille, Achille Varzi and Luigi Fagioli, but fate caught up with almost every single one of the guys. Now though, with this new season on the horizons, the post-war era was slowly entering its swing after years of relying on old pre-war machinery, with the 2.5 litre regulations bringing power back to the sport. Nonetheless, the past is now behind us, and many hope that this new season will bring back the excitement, following two years of Ferrari and Alberto Ascari dominance.

Alberto Ascari driving through Eau-Rouge, or is it Radillion?

With the new season on the horizons, Grand Prix racing is approaching its 30th anniversary, with the first official FIA-sanctioned season occuring in 1925. Robert Benoist won that one with just one win, and it was also during the era of "The least points, the better". Who knows who would've been the champ in some seasons had the points system actually been normal since day 1. But that's just how Formula 1 and Grand Prix racing is - they do it the opposite way. The first four years saw utter domination by the French, with Bugatti being the early benchmark with the beautiful Type 35, but the late 20s and early 30s saw the emergence of a titanic, but gentlemanly rivalry between Achille Varzi and Tazio Nuvolari. These two practically exchanged win after win for three years, with Louis Chiron playing catch up every single time, and it only took a heavy morphine addiction for Varzi to pull out, leaving Nuvolari and Alfa Romeo to dominate. The Alfa Romeo P2 and the subsequent P3 remain as the most successful racing cars of all time, with the P3 winning three consecutive championships, 66 podiums and 22 wins, and it was only rivaled by the new Mercedes and Auto Union machines that were sponsored by the Nazi government.

Achille Varzi and Tazio Nuvolari

Nonetheless, Rudolf Caracciola was true gentleman racer and the first to bear the name of "Rainmaster", due to his immaculate car control at rain, but he faced his own competition in Manfred von Brauchitsch and Bernd Rosemeyer, who chased him year after year. Britain had their own Richard Seaman to cheer for, and the young man was destined for greatness, until his tragic accident in Belgium, where he remarked to the Mercedes chief engineer, "I was going too fast for the conditions – it was entirely my own fault. I am sorry."

Rudolf Caracciola in the Mercedes

Who knows where would the regulations have gone had the War not started on the September 1st, consequently putting Grand Prix competitions at a halt. Alfa Romeo was developing a rear-engined beast, while Mercedes and Auto Union had their own plans with cars that would've suited the eventual Formula One regulations for 1947. The post-war era started with the previously underpowered Voiturete machines being used for racing, and Alfa Romeo had the advantage with their old, but dominant 158. Alberto "Il Ciccio" Ascari was the wonderboy of the future, mentored by his dear friend Gigi Villoresi, while Juan Manuel Fangio caused a stir by becoming the first non-European to win the European Championship. Still, Grand Prix was immensely stagnant by 1953, with it effectively running on Formula 2 regulations. Still, here's hoping that the 1954 regulations will bring back that excitement, and with Mercedes returning, along with a possible entry by Lancia and that V16 monster by the British Racing Motors - we could have fireworks.

The Interbellum and post-war Grand Prix results

​

From the author of the "Brotherhood and Unity" timeline, I give you the new and fresh "Grand Prix"! In this timeline, I will focus on the history of Formula 1, but with minor and sometimes significant changes, ranging from certain teams merging or remaining in the sport, to drivers not losing their lives. This in itself is just a simple introduction, but the next post will of course focus on the 1954 season, where Mercedes and Lancia enter the sport following the new 2,5 litre regulation change. It's just that noone is exactly ready for them...

 

[how]

Can you make Chris Amon a grand prix winner please?

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Can you make Chris Amon a grand prix winner please?

How could I refuse? He is one of my personal favourite drivers of the era. The 1954 season is coming tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to update this thread on a 3-4 day basis.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1954
"A Return to power" ​

Coming into the 1954 season, Grand Prix Racing was undergoing a significant change. Gone were the F2 cars from the past two years, and in were the 2.5 liter Supercharger regulations, in what was the FIA's attempt to bring back power to an otherwise stagnant sport.

A lot of teams were caught off guard by this. BRM hoped that this was the gateway to them finally using the Type 15, powered by their ridiculous V16, while Ferrari scrambled to fit a Suitable engine for the regulations on their 2 year old Ferrari 500, by fitting a Lampredi 625 L4 Engine. But there were bigger problems than just A simple engine for Ferrari. Alberto Ascari - their triple Champ and the man that put the Prancing Horse on the map just had a contract dispute with the management, and him and his mentor Gigi Villoresi were out to join Lancia, who have by then been making their F1 machine for almost a year. Ferrari opted to sign Maurice Trintignant and bring back their Part time Legend José Froilan Gonzalez, in what was surely going to be a messy title defense for the prancing horse.

Maurice Trintignant - Ferrari's newcomer

​

Maserati entered their new and slick 250F, and with the skill of Juan Manuel Fangio, they were keen on finally challenging their rivals from Maranello. Along with Fangio, Maserati signed a promising young Briton Stirling Moss, who showed some great promise in non-Championship races the previous few years.
As for the newcomers, both Mercedes and Lancia were expected to show up for the third race of the season, on the high speed circuit of Reims, but until then - Alberto Ascari and Villoresi would participate in the first two races in private machinery.

Fangio started off with a bang, as he won the first two races of the season, helping him stay 8 points clear off his nearest rival in Maurice Trintignant, but the French Grand Prix finally saw the entry of Mercedes, and Lancia. After 15 years, The Silver Arrows were finally back as a manufacturer team in Grand Prix Racing, with an All-German pairing of Karl Kling and 1939 champion Hermann Lang, looking to close off his illustrious career as Europe's fastest man. The streamlined Mercs were fast from the Get-go, and the competition was practically breathless as they ran off into the sunset, while Ascari's Lancia D50, while seriously fast, conked out after only a quarter-length, and he had to sit and watch as his Mentor Villoresi finished 4th after a gearbox issue.

The starting lineup of the French Grand Prix, where Mercedes and Lancia made their debuts

​

Merc's debut win would remain to look like a one-time occurrence though, as The Streamlined cars were nowhere in the next two races in the UK and Germany, which were won by José Froilan Gonzalez, thus helping him closer to Fangio by half a point. The UK also saw one of the strangest finishes in all of Grand Prix Racing, as seven Drivers scored the fastest lap, meaning they would each take one 7th of a point. Wild.

Juan Manuel Fangio behind the wheel of the Maserati 250F

​

Germany wasn't as fun though, as Argentine prodigy Onofre Marimon suffered a Fatal crash, thus becoming the first F1 driver to die in a grand Prix weekend since 1948 champion Jean-Pierre Wimille. Maserati pulled out of the Grand Prix, and now Gonzalez was right up Fangio's butt. That gap would widen slightly in the next race though, when Fangio pulled off a rain masterclass to beat Gonzalez to the line, but Gonzalez then overtook him in the Italian Grand Prix by one point, after El Maestro suffered an Engine failure, while Gonzalez finished a shared 2nd with Umberto Maglioli.

Men looking at the remains of Marimon's Maserati

Spain eventually saw Gonzalez suffer an engine failure at the 16th lap, and Fangio Cruised home in 3rd, behind young Luigi Musso. It was Juan Manuel Fangio's second World title, and Maserati's first. Gonzalez never came close to challenging for a title after that, and 1954 remains as his best season before going part time. As for Ascari - well apart from two fastest laps and two Pole Positions, he's had a terrible title defense, and he hopes that 1955 will be his year.

Mike Hawthorn in Spain

Championship standings​

1. Juan Manuel Fangio (Maserati):​

8+9+31⁄7+9+4=331⁄7

1. José Froilan Gonzalez (Ferrari):​

5+(1.5)+81⁄7+4+6+4=271⁄7 (28.51⁄7)

1. Mike Hawthorn (Ferrari):​

1.5+61⁄7+8+8=231⁄7

1. Maurice Trintignant (Ferrari):​

3+6+6+3=18

1. Karl Kling (Mercedes):​

8+4=12

1. Hans Hermann (Mercedes):​

1+4+4=9

1. Gigi Villoresi (Maserati, Lancia):​

3+4=7

1. Nino Farina (Ferrari):​

6
=Robert Manzon (Gordini, Ferrari):
6
=Roberto Mieres (Maserati):
3+3=6
=Luigi Musso (Maserati):
6

1. Onofre Marimon (Maserati):​

41⁄7
=Stirling Moss (Maserati):
4+1⁄7=41⁄7

1. Prince Bira (Maserati):​

4

1. Umberto Maglioli (Ferrari):​

3

1. Jean Behra (Gordini):​

2+1⁄7=21⁄7
=André Pilette (Gordini):
2
=Elie Bayol (Gordini):
2
=Fred Wacker (Gordini):
2
=Paco Godia (Maserati):
2

1. Alberto Ascari (Maserati, Lancia):​

1⁄7+1=11⁄7

--------------​

Coming up next - The Silver Arrows and the Red Cars go at it amidst tragedy. See you next time.

​

Changes in this timeline:
1. Juan Manuel Fangio stays in Maserati despite Mercedes entering in France, and he still wins the championship thanks to the 250F's fantastic handling
2. Lancia enters earlier, but their results aren't up to scratch just like in the OTL

That concludes the 1954 season. Do let me know your initial thoughts. I still need to iron out a few things like a proper champioship table, but I hope the rest was ok.

 

[Whiteshore]

Coming up next - The Silver Arrows and the Red Cars go at it amidst tragedy. See you next time.

​

Well, can’t wait to see what TTL’s equivalent to the Le Mans disaster would be like.

 

[TheMann]

Very interested. I'm curious to see how far you can go with this, too. 🙂

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Very interested. I'm curious to see how far you can go with this, too. 🙂

I was making documents of every season for years now. If everything goes well, I'll reach cca 2008 without a problem

 

[Whiteshore]

I was making documents of every season for years now. If everything goes well, I'll reach cca 2008 without a problem

On that note, what would be interesting would be whether any short-lived F1 teams IOTL could do better like Porsche or Vanwall here.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

On that note, what would be interesting would be whether any short-lived F1 teams IOTL could do better like Porsche or Vanwall here.

The plan is not to include Teams staying despite not having any coherent Car. Mercedes, Honda and Porsche lie in that case, I'm afraid. But, Vanwall and Lancia could stick around for much longer, including perhaps Eagle and I'd say, Shadow. Still, these are just early days. 1955 is coming on Saturday or Sunday

 

[Lautréamont]

The Interbellum and post-war Grand Prix results
View attachment 847449
​

From the author of the "Brotherhood and Unity" timeline, I give you the new and fresh "Grand Prix"! In this timeline, I will focus on the history of Formula 1, but with minor and sometimes significant changes, ranging from certain teams merging or remaining in the sport, to drivers not losing their lives. This in itself is just a simple introduction, but the next post will of course focus on the 1954 season, where Mercedes and Lancia enter the sport following the new 2,5 litre regulation change. It's just that noone is exactly ready for them...

Does that Wiki table imply that 1950 is not perceived as the first F1 season ITTL?

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Does that Wiki table imply that 1950 is not perceived as the first F1 season ITTL?

In this timeline, the first GRAND PRIX season is 1925, while 1947 is the first under Formula 1 regulations. I believe the pre-war Drivers deserve as much respect as their post-war counterparts, and I will make posts dedicated to certain Drivers, because I admire men like Nuvolari and Fagioli a ton, and the purist in me refuses to let them be forgotten.

 

[Lautréamont]

In this timeline, the first GRAND PRIX season is 1925, while 1947 is the first under Formula 1 regulations. I believe the pre-war Drivers deserve as much respect as their post-war counterparts, and I will make posts dedicated to certain Drivers, because I admire men like Nuvolari and Fagioli a ton, and the purist in me refuses to let them be forgotten.

Perfectly valid, I'm just confused on whether there's a PoD before 1954 or it's just the OTL pre-1954 history of the sport being read differently.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1955
"Lancia vs Mercedes"

​

It is the 30th anniversary of Grand Prix Racing, and the onlookers alike waited with baited breath as what might be the greatest season in years was about to take place. Mercedes, after a largely quiet 1954 season were debuting the new open-wheeled version of their W196, while Lancia was keen to challenge for the championship with their futuristic, but ultimately unreliable D50. Designed by Vittorio Jano and driven by Alberto Ascari, accompanied by Gigi Villoresi and newcomer Eugenio Castellotti - the Lancia D50 was a slick machine, with a powerful Jano V8 engine. Many were quick to say that these two teams would run away from the rest of the field, and leave everyone else in the dust. Ferrari, now with a 3-year old car looked like they were in for a dissapointing season. Their best man Jose Froilan Gonzalez was out, with the Argentine Pampas Bull prefering to race part time, while Mike Hawthorn went out to drive for the new Vanwall team, with Tony Vandervell pumping money into the project. But for now, Vanwall simply fielded dated, but modified Ferrari machinery, while Maserati lost their champion Juan Manuel Fangio to Mercedes, and their young upstart Stirling Moss went to th Silver Arrows as well. Thus, the Italian team would now have to rely on young Luigi Musso, and Gordini's finest - Jean Behra.

The season-opener in Argentina was wild from the very beginning, with the race being the hottest in recent memory. The southern-American climate in January meant that the temperatures were soaring, but Fangio managed to win it by a margin of one minute, while everyone behind him had to swap cars because of the ridiculous heat. Ferrari picked an unlikely podium after the Lancia's crashed out, and the next race would see the Prancing horse's fortunes reach a peak as Maurice Trintignant took his maiden win after both Mercs retired. But what really makes this race famous was Alberto Ascari's spectacular crash that saw his Lancia fly from the harbour to the sea. Miraculously, "Il Ciccio" was alive and well, but his D50 was now at the bottom of the Mediterranean. Eugenio Castellotti though managed to bring the car back home, thus scoring his first podium, while Louis Chiron drove his final laps as a Grand Prix driver for Lancia.

Ascari's accident in Monaco

​

Round three looked like things were finally going Lancia's way, as Eugenio Castelotti nabbed a stunning Pole during torrential conditions, but his hopes of a decent results went up in smoke when his D50 had a gearbox failure, while Ascari had problems with his clutch. The Mercs dominated the rest of the race, while Ferrari netted another quiet podium with Nino Farina. So far, 1955 looked like it would be a year of Mercedes dominance, and many were already looking for the next season. But, only four days after the race in Belgium, Racing in Europe would forever change.

​

During the 24 hours of Le Mans, which saw Jaguar's Mike Hawthorn, Fangio's and Moss' Mercs and Ascari's Lancia battling for the win, a single moment of misjudgement led to Pierre Levegh pipping the behind of Lance Macklin, who was taking avoiding maneuvers as Hawthorn was coming into the pits. What followed was Levegh's Mercedes flew up into the sky, where it soon found itself barelling through the stands. The Mercedes was at that moment a giullotine, and the fire that occured mere moments after the crash in the end saw 84 people losing their lives. There had never been such an incident before. Sure, people lost their lives in racing. 1934 champ Guy Moll lost his in the 1938 Tripoli Grand Prix, and both Varzi and Wimille died in the post-war championships, but this was the first time that the fans were now involved in a crash of this magnitude, and the shockwave that it caused rang all over Europe. Switzerland outlawed racing from ever taking place, with the Swiss only respecting the contract with the FIA to stage would become the last ever Swiss Grand Prix. France and Spain delayed their races to try and improve safety in any way they could, while a serious question came if the Nordschleiffe in Germany should even host the Grand Prix. But, the only alternative for the German Grand Prix would then be AVUS, and many agreed that an isolated crash into the trees was a miles better option than a 300 kmh crash near the fans, on what was at that time Europe's greatest banking. Safety was for the first time called into question, but FIA shook it off. The show must go on, even when the actors are gone. Perhaps most important of all, Mercedes cut all of their racing operations, and they would pull out of Grand Prix Racing after the year is finished.

Another rain masterclass awaited the Mercs in Holland, which was back in Formula 1 after years of absence, but noone could be bothered to celebrate, seeing what took place just a week before it. Then in France, Mercedes was back with its streamlined machine. But Lancia came with a reply to that car, with a D50S. Incredibly, Alberto Ascari won ahead of Fangio by just 0.6 of a second, in what was a drag race towards the finish line. Finally, Lancia had won its first race, and Ascari for the first time in months could be seen smiling.

The Lancia streamliner

​

It was obvious that Lancia wasn't just some plucky Italian team with a fast car. These guys, with the funding from FIAT were constatly trying to improve their machinery, in an effort to take it to the Silver Arrows. Despite this probably being the only year in which they could challenge them, Lancia and Ascari wanted to give one hell of a challenge to the Mercedes team. But, a poor British Grand Prix saw the red cars only finish a shared 6th, while Fangio drove behind Moss in what would be the first time a Briton won the British Grand Prix. His Britsh triumph was followed by another win in Germany, where he outran both Lancias, while Fangio suffered his second retirement of the season. El Maestro quickly fired back in the follwoing two races, and Moss' retirement in the Italian Grand Prix signalled the end of the championship, with Fangio lifting his 3rd World Title. But what might be even more peculiar is the withdrawal of the Lancia's in Italy. The 1955 edition of the Italian Grand Prix saw the first use of the Monza Banking since 1933, and they shreaded Lancia's Pirelli tires, and the Tifosi could only watch as their only hope pulled out of the race, leaving a Mercedes demonstration. The only thing the Italian fans could cheer for was Nino Farina, who scored his final podium. The Spanish Grand Prix would be the Italian champion's last ever race, in what was a career that spanned for 18 years. Ascari won that race ahead of the Mercedes cars, and he hoped that without the Silver cars, the next year would be his, otherwise all of this would be for nothing.

The Championship Standings

​

Despite the tragedy that took place, this year has gone down in history as that one time Lancia and Mercedes both fought in the F1 championship. And while the results might be one-sided, there is no denying that Lancia was the only true challenger that year. With Mercedes withdrawing from Motorsport, the following year will see an all-Italian domination, where Ascari and Fangio would go at it one last time. Up next, it's 1956 - The Italian Job.

Alberto Ascari and Juan Manuel Fangio posing with Nino Farina after the Spanish Grand Prix

​

Immediately, I have to give special thanks to GPLaps because some of the results from his Let's play of the 1955 season in GPL inspired me to do the full 10 race season, instead of cutting it short to just 6. No doubt about it, Mercedes were the class of the field that season, but Lancia's gallant efforts to do what was financially impossible is admirable in my eyes, and I believe Ascari would have the patience to remain and give this small team one more shot to see where things will take him. As for Fangio, well you guess where El Masetro's going.

 

[Nuraghe]

1955
"Lancia vs Mercedes"

​

It is the 30th anniversary of Grand Prix Racing, and the onlookers alike waited with baited breath as what might be the greatest season in years was about to take place. Mercedes, after a largely quiet 1954 season were debuting the new open-wheeled version of their W196, while Lancia was keen to challenge for the championship with their futuristic, but ultimately unreliable D50. Designed by Vittorio Jano and driven by Alberto Ascari, accompanied by Gigi Villoresi and newcomer Eugenio Castellotti - the Lancia D50 was a slick machine, with a powerful Jano V8 engine. Many were quick to say that these two teams would run away from the rest of the field, and leave everyone else in the dust. Ferrari, now with a 3-year old car looked like they were in for a dissapointing season. Their best man Jose Froilan Gonzalez was out, with the Argentine Pampas Bull prefering to race part time, while Mike Hawthorn went out to drive for the new Vanwall team, with Tony Vandervell pumping money into the project. But for now, Vanwall simply fielded dated, but modified Ferrari machinery, while Maserati lost their champion Juan Manuel Fangio to Mercedes, and their young upstart Stirling Moss went to th Silver Arrows as well. Thus, the Italian team would now have to rely on young Luigi Musso, and Gordini's finest - Jean Behra.

The season-opener in Argentina was wild from the very beginning, with the race being the hottest in recent memory. The southern-American climate in January meant that the temperatures were soaring, but Fangio managed to win it by a margin of one minute, while everyone behind him had to swap cars because of the ridiculous heat. Ferrari picked an unlikely podium after the Lancia's crashed out, and the next race would see the Prancing horse's fortunes reach a peak as Maurice Trintignant took his maiden win after both Mercs retired. But what really makes this race famous was Alberto Ascari's spectacular crash that saw his Lancia fly from the harbour to the sea. Miraculously, "Il Ciccio" was alive and well, but his D50 was now at the bottom of the Mediterranean. Eugenio Castellotti though managed to bring the car back home, thus scoring his first podium, while Louis Chiron drove his final laps as a Grand Prix driver for Lancia.

Ascari's accident in Monaco

​

Round three looked like things were finally going Lancia's way, as Eugenio Castelotti nabbed a stunning Pole during torrential conditions, but his hopes of a decent results went up in smoke when his D50 had a gearbox failure, while Ascari had problems with his clutch. The Mercs dominated the rest of the race, while Ferrari netted another quiet podium with Nino Farina. So far, 1955 looked like it would be a year of Mercedes dominance, and many were already looking for the next season. But, only four days after the race in Belgium, Racing in Europe would forever change.

​

During the 24 hours of Le Mans, which saw Jaguar's Mike Hawthorn, Fangio's and Moss' Mercs and Ascari's Lancia battling for the win, a single moment of misjudgement led to Pierre Levegh pipping the behind of Lance Macklin, who was taking avoiding maneuvers as Hawthorn was coming into the pits. What followed was Levegh's Mercedes flew up into the sky, where it soon found itself barelling through the stands. The Mercedes was at that moment a giullotine, and the fire that occured mere moments after the crash in the end saw 84 people losing their lives. There had never been such an incident before. Sure, people lost their lives in racing. 1934 champ Guy Moll lost his in the 1938 Tripoli Grand Prix, and both Varzi and Wimille died in the post-war championships, but this was the first time that the fans were now involved in a crash of this magnitude, and the shockwave that it caused rang all over Europe. Switzerland outlawed racing from ever taking place, with the Swiss only respecting the contract with the FIA to stage would become the last ever Swiss Grand Prix. France and Spain delayed their races to try and improve safety in any way they could, while a serious question came if the Nordschleiffe in Germany should even host the Grand Prix. But, the only alternative for the German Grand Prix would then be AVUS, and many agreed that an isolated crash into the trees was a miles better option than a 300 kmh crash near the fans, on what was at that time Europe's greatest banking. Safety was for the first time called into question, but FIA shook it off. The show must go on, even when the actors are gone. Perhaps most important of all, Mercedes cut all of their racing operations, and they would pull out of Grand Prix Racing after the year is finished.

Another rain masterclass awaited the Mercs in Holland, which was back in Formula 1 after years of absence, but noone could be bothered to celebrate, seeing what took place just a week before it. Then in France, Mercedes was back with its streamlined machine. But Lancia came with a reply to that car, with a D50S. Incredibly, Alberto Ascari won ahead of Fangio by just 0.6 of a second, in what was a drag race towards the finish line. Finally, Lancia had won its first race, and Ascari for the first time in months could be seen smiling.

The Lancia streamliner

​

It was obvious that Lancia wasn't just some plucky Italian team with a fast car. These guys, with the funding from FIAT were constatly trying to improve their machinery, in an effort to take it to the Silver Arrows. Despite this probably being the only year in which they could challenge them, Lancia and Ascari wanted to give one hell of a challenge to the Mercedes team. But, a poor British Grand Prix saw the red cars only finish a shared 6th, while Fangio drove behind Moss in what would be the first time a Briton won the British Grand Prix. His Britsh triumph was followed by another win in Germany, where he outran both Lancias, while Fangio suffered his second retirement of the season. El Maestro quickly fired back in the follwoing two races, and Moss' retirement in the Italian Grand Prix signalled the end of the championship, with Fangio lifting his 3rd World Title. But what might be even more peculiar is the withdrawal of the Lancia's in Italy. The 1955 edition of the Italian Grand Prix saw the first use of the Monza Banking since 1933, and they shreaded Lancia's Pirelli tires, and the Tifosi could only watch as their only hope pulled out of the race, leaving a Mercedes demonstration. The only thing the Italian fans could cheer for was Nino Farina, who scored his final podium. The Spanish Grand Prix would be the Italian champion's last ever race, in what was a career that spanned for 18 years. Ascari won that race ahead of the Mercedes cars, and he hoped that without the Silver cars, the next year would be his, otherwise all of this would be for nothing.

The Championship Standings
View attachment 848234
​

Despite the tragedy that took place, this year has gone down in history as that one time Lancia and Mercedes both fought in the F1 championship. And while the results might be one-sided, there is no denying that Lancia was the only true challenger that year. With Mercedes withdrawing from Motorsport, the following year will see an all-Italian domination, where Ascari and Fangio would go at it one last time. Up next, it's 1956 - The Italian Job.

Alberto Ascari and Juan Manuel Fangio posing with Nino Farina after the Spanish Grand Prix

​

Immediately, I have to give special thanks to GPLaps because some of the results from his Let's play of the 1955 season in GPL inspired me to do the full 10 race season, instead of cutting it short to just 6. No doubt about it, Mercedes were the class of the field that season, but Lancia's gallant efforts to do what was financially impossible is admirable in my eyes, and I believe Ascari would have the patience to remain and give this small team one more shot to see where things will take him. As for Fangio, well you guess where El Masetro's going.

this TL is beautiful, ok surely the passionate and F1 fan in me is speaking, but it is really well cared for ( I hope Alberto survives once he reaches the same age his father had when he died, unlike Otl ) I think Fangio is going to Maranello, maybe mentoring Collins and Musso ( who I'd like to see live on beyond 1958 Reims ) something can be done to encourage the participation of pilots on both sides (the USA and Europe) in the whole championship ( where the former used to go only to the 500 miles, while the latter almost always avoided that race ) it would be nice if the winners of the 500 ( like for example Bill Vukovich that Otl sadly died in May 1955 ) were participating in the old Spa or the Nürburgring

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

this TL is beautiful, ok surely the passionate and F1 fan in me is speaking, but it is really well cared for ( I hope Alberto survives once he reaches the same age his father had when he died, unlike Otl ) I think Fangio is going to Maranello, maybe mentoring Collins and Musso ( who I'd like to see live on beyond 1958 Reims ) something can be done to encourage the participation of pilots on both sides (the USA and Europe) in the whole championship ( where the former used to go only to the 500 miles, while the latter almost always avoided that race ) it would be nice if the winners of the 500 ( like for example Bill Vukovich that Otl sadly died in May 1955 ) were participating in the old Spa or the Nürburgring

Thank you for the kind words. I wanted to do this TL for so long, but I only gathered the courage after I started my first timeline about Soccer in Yugoslavia had the country stayed together.

While I didn't think much about the American Drivers coming into F1, I do have plans for Drivers like Collins, Musso and Evans, while Ascari is obviously staying in Lancia to mentor Castellotti (who himself was seen as Ascari's successor).

Later down the line, I want to make posts dedicated to certain Drivers, along with lists to rank the drivers and cars of the decades.

 

[Nuraghe]

Thank you for the kind words. I wanted to do this TL for so long, but I only gathered the courage after I started my first timeline about Soccer in Yugoslavia had the country stayed together.

While I didn't think much about the American Drivers coming into F1, I do have plans for Drivers like Collins, Musso and Evans, while Ascari is obviously staying in Lancia to mentor Castellotti (who himself was seen as Ascari's successor).

Later down the line, I want to make posts dedicated to certain Drivers, along with lists to rank the drivers and cars of the decades.

don't worry, mine was just an idea to try to integrate the 500 into the championship in a better way than Otl,
It's good to hear you have plans for these pilots, fantastic, I can't wait for the 60s/70s to arrive it will be pure pleasure, with the boom of teams and sponsors that has historically happened ( March, McLaren, Tyrrell, Penske, Honda, Arrows, Lotus, Ligier, Surtees, Brabham, Walter Wolf, Shadow, Hesketh, Williams, without forgetting the many smaller Italian stables ect ) it would be very nice if it continued ..... Ah speaking of historical teams there is it was one that began his career in F1 in this period ( the story is little known outside Italy ) but under the Ferrari banner.... let me explain better... is it possible that Minardi actually takes part in a few more races?, because Otl Enzo Ferrari learned about the events of Giancarlo Minardi and his team in F3, wanted to meet them to create a development program for young Italian drivers to make their debut in the top flight with a third Ferrari 312T single-seater, the whole program was managed by the Minardi team which was even sponsored by Marlboro ( long before becoming the historic Ferrari sponsor of the years between 2000) with the assistance of some mechanics from Maranello but due to lack of badget he finished in 1974 after only two races )

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

is it possible that Minardi actually takes part in a few more races?

I never knew about the earlier ventures. That said, I already have some coherent plans for several teams, be it Shadow, Williams and to a lesser extent Lancia. I don't want Minardi to just dissapear though. Hopefully by the time I reach 2006, I'll have a plan for them, and maybe for some other teams. The documents I made are slightly outdated, so I will rework them to accomodate this TL even more (Example: 1955 was supposed to be much closer)

 

[Nuraghe]

I never knew about the earlier ventures. That said, I already have some coherent plans for several teams, be it Shadow, Williams and to a lesser extent Lancia. I don't want Minardi to just dissapear though. Hopefully by the time I reach 2006, I'll have a plan for them, and maybe for some other teams. The documents I made are slightly outdated, so I will rework them to accomodate this TL even more (Example: 1955 was supposed to be much closer)

unfortunately the story of the collaboration between Minardi and Ferrari is not well known outside Italy ( where it came to light thanks to an investigation by Autosprint, the main national motoring magazine )

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

Hello dear readers. I am afraid that I have to delay the 1956 World Championship post for perhaps a week, due to situations that are simply out of control in my private life. I am sorry for the inconvenience.

 

[ArupinumMaivista]

1956
"The Italian Job"

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After the horrors that occurred during the 1955 season, Racing in Europe was forever changed. Though it didn't look like that at first. Despite some tracks getting more guard rails or simple hay bales, the cars stayed relatively the same. Switzerland, after respecting the deal for the 1955 Grand Prix to take place permanently banned racing, forever throwing the well-loved Bremgarten track out of the calendar. Holland, despite returning last year, couldn't host the Grand Prix in 1956 due to monetary issues, and the same went for Spain, only for the Pedralbes circuit to be forever thrown in the bin. Racing wouldn't return to Spain until 1968.

On the tracks, Mercedes pulled out of Motoracing after the 1955 Le Mans disaster, and this meant that Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss were both now looking for a drive. Moss returned to the familiar territory of Maserati, joining Jean Behra and Cesare Perdisa, While Juan Manuel Fangio caused a stir by joining Scuderia Ferrari. Indeed, the team which was probably the least prepared for the new regulations now had perhaps the sports' greatest driver, and he would guide Britain's hopeful Peter Collins. Mike Hawthorn was out of the Scuderia for this year, preferring to drive part time for BRM and then Vanwall, but that ended up being a disaster. Finally, Lancia enforced itself with Luigi Musso entering the team, where he would drive with Eugenio Castellotti and Alberto Ascari. The all-Italian Lancia team were the undoubtable favorites coming into this season after challenging Mercedes the previous year, but a bad result could be just around the corner with the fragile D50.

Lancia's crew working on their cars

The Argentine Grand Prix, just like the previous year, was a race of attrition, and Jean Behra looked like he was poised to take his first career win, until a charging Alberto Ascari overtook him, thus giving us the second ever shared win in history of Grand Prix Racing. The Monaco Grand Prix though was dominated by Stirling Moss, who showed that he wasn't just Fangio's apprentice, but also a master. Speaking of Fangio, El Maestro finished a shared 2nd with Peter Collins, and he could smile on the podium, knowing that Ferrari were introducing the new V8-powered 801, which looked remarkably close to the Lancia D50. The new Ferrari was quick from the start, and it won the Belgian Race with Peter Collins ahead of Ascari, after the two duked it out for the entire race. The Ferraris were back with a vengeance, but Fangio had thus far only scored 4 points, and his next retirement in France meant that out of the first four races - the reigning champion had only finished once.

Peter Collins behind the wheel of the Ferrari 801

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Lancia brought back the Streamliner in France, since the high speed nature of the Reims road-circuit, and Eugenio Castellotti made the most of it. With Castellotti's win, this meant that the opening 4 races saw 4 different winners. Silverstone though finally saw Fangio take his first win of the season, and he dominated in the Nurburgring to bring himself to the championship lead. The Lancias, while fast, were incredibly unreliable, and the Bordeaux cars were essentially trying to outrun their poor unreliability. Nurburgring in particular saw Ascari pushing it too far and crashing, thus throwing his title bid in jeopardy.

Coming into Monza, Fangio sat 1st with 24 points, Collins was second with 19, ahead of Moss with 18. Jean Behra was third with 21 after putting in a consistent couple of drives, and finally there was Ascari with 19. This wild, wild season was now going to end with 5 Championship contenders. Maserati showed up with their own Streamliner, along with Lancia, while the Ferraris came with their original cars.

The Maserati streamliner

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Many thought that the Lancias would shred their tyres just like the previous year, but Ascari had a plan, and he led Castellotti and Musso with the strategy of pitting for tyres and fuel, and then booking it at a ridiculous pace. With Maserati and Moss being the only guys to be remotely close to the Lancias, the stage was set for a wild finish. Fangio sat comfortably in 3rd, but his horrible luck that he's had to endure this whole year struck once again, and he had to retire. Incredibly though, Peter Collins stopped the very next lap, and he offered his Ferrari to Fangio. El Maestro was so moved by this that he almost wanted to cry, but he took the offer and drove the remainder of the race. Moss was now leading in front of Fangio, while Ascari finished his last pit stop of the race. All of the other Lancias retired, so the superstitious Italian had to just hope that luck would be on his side, and that he doesn't retire. Il Ciccio Then went on to put in the greatest drive of his life, as he flew past Fangio down the second banking. As the two cars emerged, the Italian crowd stood up as they felt a genuine possibility that Ascari could hunt down Moss for the lead. The gap was slowly getting smaller, with both Drivers exchanging the fastest lap until the 46th lap, when Ascari caught up to Moss. The ensuing slipstream battle would see both Drivers occasionally driving side-by-side through the bankings, the Parabolica, and the back stretch, but Ascari aligned his Lancia behind Moss through Curva Sud, and he built enough speed to outrun Moss through the finish line by two seconds. With that win, Alberto Ascari had become a four time Champion of Europe, by 1 point. In what was one of the closest Championships in the sport's history,

Championship standings

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Finally, after years of effort, Ascari had achieved the goal he had set out with Lancia. With a four title added to his belt, "Il Ciccio" has now become Grand Prix Racing's most successful driver along with Achille Varzi. With Luigi Musso and Eugenio Castellotti as his successors, Alberto can be confident that Italy will have its champions in the future, while Fangio's one-off year with Ferrari ends in tears, but also unrivaled sportsmanship thanks to young Peter Collins. The young Brit shined throughout the entire year while supporting "El Maestro", and the experienced Argentine couldn't be more grateful, despite in the end losing the title. Up next though, Fangio is about to become the greatest, in Grand Prix Racing's finest V12 machine of the era.