Maserati 250F

Category	Formula One
Constructor	Maserati
Designer(s)	Gioacchino Colombo Valerio Colotti
Production	1954–1958
Predecessor	Maserati A6GCM
Technical specifications
Chassis	Aluminium tubular ladder frame
Suspension (front)	Independent wishbone
Suspension (rear)	De Dion tube
Engine	Maserati 1954 – 2,493 cc (152.1 cu in), straight 6 1957 – 2,491 cc (152.0 cu in) works cars V12, naturally aspirated, All models:front engine, longitudinally mounted
Transmission	1954: Maserati 4 speed manual 1956: Stirnsi 5 speed manual
Fuel	50% methanol, 35% petrol, 10% acetone, 4% benzol, 1% castor oil
Tyres	Pirelli
Competition history
Notable entrants	Officine Alfieri Maserati, Owen Racing Organisation, Equipe Moss/Stirling Moss Ltd
Notable drivers	Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss
Debut	1954 Argentine Grand Prix, J.M. Fangio, 1st
Races Wins Poles F/Laps 46 8 8 10
Constructors' Championships	0 (Note that the Constructors' Championship was first awarded in 1958)
Drivers' Championships	2
n.b. Unless otherwise stated, all data refer to Formula One World Championship Grands Prix only.

Maserati 250F at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2009

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The Maserati 250F was a racing car made by Maserati of Italy used in '2.5 litre' Formula One racing between January 1954 and November 1960. Twenty-six examples were made.

Mechanical details

The 250F principally used the SSG, 220 bhp (at 7400rpm) 2,493 cc (152.1 cu in) capacity 84 mm × 75 mm (3.31 in × 2.95 in) Maserati A6 straight-six engine, ribbed 13.4" drum brakes, wishbone independent front suspension, a De Dion tube axle, Borrani 16" & 17" wheels and Pirelli Stella Bianca tyres. It was built by Gioacchino Colombo, Vittorio Bellentani and Alberto Massimino; the tubular work was by Valerio Colotti. A streamlined version with bodywork which partially enclosed the wheels (similar to the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 "Typ Monza") was used in the 1956 French Grand Prix.^[1]

Images

• 
  Maserati 250F
• 
  straight 6 Maserati 250 F
• 
  Cockpit
• 
  Works team at Aintree, 1957
• 
  Fangio and 250F
• 
  Maserati 250F v12 at the Umberto Panini museum

Racing history

The 250F first raced in the 1954 Argentine Grand Prix where Juan Manuel Fangio won the first of his two victories before he left for the new Mercedes-Benz team. Fangio won the 1954 Drivers' World Championship, with points gained with both Maserati and Mercedes-Benz; Stirling Moss raced his own privately owned 250F for the full 1954 season. Prince Bira was another driver favouring the 250F.

In 1955 a 5-speed gearbox; SU fuel injection (240 bhp) and Dunlop disc brakes were introduced. Jean Behra drove this in a five-member works team which included Luigi Musso.

In 1956 Stirling Moss won the Monaco and Italian Grands Prix, both in a works car.

In 1956 three 250F T2 cars first appeared for the works drivers. Developed by Giulio Alfieri using lighter steel tubes they sported a slimmer, stiffer body and sometimes the new 315 bhp (235 kW) V12 engine2,491 cc (152.0 cu in) capacity 68.7 mm × 56 mm (2.70 in × 2.20 in) , although it offered little or no real advantage over the older straight 6. It was later developed into the 3 litre V12 that won two races powering the Cooper T81 and T86 from 1966 to 1969, the final "Tipo 10" variant of the engine having three valves and two spark plugs per cylinder.

In 1957 Juan Manuel Fangio drove to four more championship victories, including his final win at German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring (Aug. 4, 1957), where he overcame a 48-second deficit in 22 laps, passing the race leader, Mike Hawthorn, on the final lap to take the win. In doing so he broke the lap record at the Nürburgring, 10 times.

By the 1958 season, the 250F was totally outclassed by the new rear engined F1 cars. However, the car remained a favourite with the privateers, including Maria Teresa de Filippis, and was used by back markers through the 1960 F1 season, the last for the 2.5 litre formula.

In total, the 250F competed in 46 Formula One championship races with 277 entries, leading to eight wins. Success was not limited to World Championship events with 250F drivers winning many non-championship races around the world.

Stirling Moss later said that the 250F was the best front-engined F1 car he drove.^[2]

World Championship wins

Year	Race	Circuit	Driver
1954	Argentine Grand Prix	Autódromo 17 de Octubre	Juan Manuel Fangio
	Belgian Grand Prix	Spa-Francorchamps	Juan Manuel Fangio
1956	Monaco Grand Prix	Monte Carlo	Stirling Moss
	Italian Grand Prix	Monza	Stirling Moss
1957	Argentine Grand Prix	Autódromo 17 de Octubre	Juan Manuel Fangio
	Monaco Grand Prix	Monte Carlo	Juan Manuel Fangio
	French Grand Prix	Rouen-Les-Essarts	Juan Manuel Fangio
	German Grand Prix	Nürburgring	Juan Manuel Fangio

Non-World Championship wins

Non-World Championship wins

Year	Race	Circuit	Driver
1954	II Curtis Trophy	Snetterton	Roy Salvadori
	XIII Rome Grand Prix	Castelfusano	Onofre Marimón
	I International Gold Cup	Goodwood	Stirling Moss
	XXIII Pescara Grand Prix	Pescara	Luigi Musso
	VII Goodwood Trophy	Goodwood	Stirling Moss
	I Daily Telegraph Trophy	Goodwood	Stirling Moss
1955	XVI Pau Grand Prix	Pau	Jean Behra
	I Glover Trophy	Goodwood	Roy Salvadori
	IV Bordeaux Grand Prix	Bordeaux	Jean Behra
	VII BRDC International Trophy	Goodwood	Peter Collins
	XVII Albi Grand Prix	Albi	André Simon
	III Curtis Trophy	Snetterton	Roy Salvadori
	III London Trophy	Crystal Palace	Mike Hawthorn
	III Daily Record Trophy	Charterhall	Bob Gerard
	II Daily Telegraph Trophy	Aintree	Roy Salvadori
	II International Gold Cup	Oulton Park	Stirling Moss
1956	IV Glover Trophy	Goodwood	Stirling Moss
	XI BARC Aintree 200	Aintree	Stirling Moss
	I Aintree 100	Aintree	Horace Gould
	I Vanwall Trophy	Snetterton	Horace Gould
	IV Caen Grand Prix	Circuit de la Prairie	Harry Schell
1957	XI Buenos Aires Grand Prix	Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez	Juan Manuel Fangio
	XVII Pau Grand Prix	Pau	Jean Behra
	V Modena Grand Prix	Modena	Jean Behra
	VI Grand Prix de Maroc	Ain-Diab Circuit	Jean Behra