# 1953 Italian Grand Prix

The 1953 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 13 September 1953 at Monza. It was the ninth and final race in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used. This made it the last World Championship race to run under the Formula Two regulations. The 80-lap race was won by Maserati driver Juan Manuel Fangio after he started from second position. Nino Farina finished second for the Ferrari team and his teammate Luigi Villoresi came in third.

## Race report

The initial part of the race was a four-way battle between Alberto Ascari, Giuseppe Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio and Onofre Marimón. With five drivers running together on the last lap, the race saw a spectacular finish with Ascari and Farina ahead of Fangio approaching the last corner. Ascari made a mistake and spun. To avoid him, Farina pulled to the grass but recovered later. Fangio pounced on this window of opportunity and took a famous win. Ascari claimed the World Championship for Drivers' for the second, and final, time.

## Entries

| Team | No | Driver | Car | Engine | Tyre |
| Scuderia Ferrari | 2 | Luigi Villoresi | Ferrari Tipo 500 | Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 | P |
| Scuderia Ferrari | 4 | Alberto Ascari | Ferrari Tipo 500 | Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 | P |
| Scuderia Ferrari | 6 | Nino Farina | Ferrari Tipo 500 | Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 | P |
| Scuderia Ferrari | 8 | Mike Hawthorn | Ferrari Tipo 500 | Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 | P |
| Scuderia Ferrari | 10 | Umberto Maglioli | Ferrari 553 | Ferrari 553 2.0 L4 | P |
| Scuderia Ferrari | 12 | Piero Carini | Ferrari 553 | Ferrari 553 2.0 L4 | P |
| HW Motors | 14 | Lance Macklin | HWM 53 | Alta GP 2.5 L4 | D |
| HW Motors | 16 | Yves Giraud Cabantous | HWM 53 | Alta GP 2.5 L4 | D |
| HW Motors | 18 | John Fitch | HWM 53 | Alta GP 2.5 L4 | D |
| Connaught Engineering | 20 | Jack Fairman | Connaught Type A | Lea-Francis 2.0 L4 | D |
| Connaught Engineering | 22 | Roy Salvadori | Connaught Type A | Lea-Francis 2.0 L4 | D |
| Connaught Engineering | 24 | Kenneth McAlpine | Connaught Type A | Lea-Francis 2.0 L4 | D |
| Ecurie Belge | 26 | Johnny Claes | Connaught Type A | Lea-Francis 2.0 L4 | E |
| Cooper Car Company | 28 | Stirling Moss | Cooper T24 | Alta GP 2.5 L4 | D |
| Ken Wharton | 30 | Ken Wharton | Cooper T23 | Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 | D |
| Louis Chiron | 32 | Louis Chiron | OSCA 20 | OSCA 2000 2.0 L6 | P |
| OSCA Automobili | 34 | Élie Bayol | OSCA 20 | OSCA 2000 2.0 L6 | P |
| Equipe Gordini | 36 | Maurice Trintignant | Gordini Type 16 | Gordini 20 2.0 L6 | E |
| Equipe Gordini | 38 | Harry Schell | Gordini Type 16 | Gordini 20 2.0 L6 | E |
| Equipe Gordini | 40 | Roberto Mieres | Gordini Type 16 | Gordini 20 2.0 L6 | E |
| Scuderia Milano | 42 | Chico Landi | Maserati A6GCM | Maserati A6 2.0 L6 | P |
| Scuderia Milano | 44 | Prince Bira | Maserati A6GCM | Maserati A6 2.0 L6 | P |
| Equipe Anglaise | 46 | Alan Brown | Cooper T23 | Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 | D |
| Hans Stuck | 48 | Hans Stuck | AFM 6 | Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 | D |
| Officine Alfieri Maserati | 50 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Maserati A6GCM | Maserati A6 2.0 L6 | P |
| Officine Alfieri Maserati | 52 | Felice Bonetto | Maserati A6GCM | Maserati A6 2.0 L6 | P |
| Officine Alfieri Maserati | 54 | Onofre Marimón | Maserati A6GCM | Maserati A6 2.0 L6 | P |
| Officine Alfieri Maserati | 56 | Sergio Mantovani | Maserati A6GCM | Maserati A6 2.0 L6 | P |
| Emmanuel de Graffenried | 58 | Toulo de Graffenried | Maserati A6GCM | Maserati A6 2.0 L6 | P |
| Ecurie Rosier | 64 | Louis Rosier | Ferrari Tipo 500 | Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 | D E |
| Source: ||||||

## Classification
### Qualifying

| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Time | Gap |
| 1 | 4 | Alberto Ascari | Ferrari | 2:02.7 | — |
| 2 | 50 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Maserati | 2:03.2 | + 0.5 |
| 3 | 6 | Nino Farina | Ferrari | 2:03.9 | + 1.2 |
| 4 | 54 | Onofre Marimón | Maserati | 2:04.1 | + 1.4 |
| 5 | 2 | Luigi Villoresi | Ferrari | 2:04.6 | + 1.9 |
| 6 | 8 | Mike Hawthorn | Ferrari | 2:04.9 | + 2.2 |
| 7 | 52 | Felice Bonetto | Maserati | 2:05.1 | + 2.4 |
| 8 | 36 | Maurice Trintignant | Gordini | 2:05.7 | + 3.0 |
| 9 | 58 | Toulo de Graffenried | Maserati | 2:05.9 | + 3.2 |
| 10 | 28 | Stirling Moss | Cooper-Alta | 2:06.6 | + 3.9 |
| 11 | 10 | Umberto Maglioli | Ferrari | 2:06.9 | + 4.2 |
| 12 | 56 | Sergio Mantovani | Maserati | 2:07.5 | + 4.8 |
| 13 | 34 | Élie Bayol | OSCA | 2:07.8 | + 5.1 |
| 14 | 22 | Roy Salvadori | Connaught-Lea-Francis | 2:08.0 | + 5.3 |
| 15 | 38 | Harry Schell | Gordini | 2:08.5 | + 5.8 |
| 16 | 40 | Roberto Mieres | Gordini | 2:08.8 | + 6.1 |
| 17 | 64 | Louis Rosier | Ferrari | 2:08.9 | + 6.2 |
| 18 | 24 | Kenneth McAlpine | Connaught-Lea-Francis | 2:09.0 | + 6.3 |
| 19 | 30 | Ken Wharton | Cooper-Bristol | 2:09.3 | + 6.6 |
| 20 | 12 | Piero Carini | Ferrari | 2:09.5 | + 6.8 |
| 21 | 42 | Chico Landi | Maserati | 2:09.7 | + 7.0 |
| 22 | 20 | Jack Fairman | Connaught-Lea-Francis | 2:09.9 | + 7.2 |
| 23 | 44 | Prince Bira | Maserati | 2:10.1 | + 7.4 |
| 24 | 46 | Alan Brown | Cooper-Bristol | 2:10.5 | + 7.8 |
| 25 | 32 | Louis Chiron | OSCA | 2:10.8 | + 8.1 |
| 26 | 18 | John Fitch | HWM-Alta | 2:11.0 | + 8.3 |
| 27 | 14 | Lance Macklin | HWM-Alta | 2:11.5 | + 8.8 |
| 28 | 16 | Yves Giraud Cabantous | HWM-Alta | 2:11.9 | + 9.2 |
| 29 | 48 | Hans Stuck | AFM-Bristol | 2:13.0 | + 10.3 |
| 30 | 26 | Johnny Claes | Connaught-Lea-Francis | 2:14.6 | + 11.9 |
| Source: ||||||

### Race

| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
| 1 | 50 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Maserati | 80 | 2:49:45.9 | 2 | 9 |
| 2 | 6 | Nino Farina | Ferrari | 80 | + 1.4 | 3 | 6 |
| 3 | 2 | Luigi Villoresi | Ferrari | 79 | + 1 Lap | 5 | 4 |
| 4 | 8 | Mike Hawthorn | Ferrari | 79 | + 1 Lap | 6 | 3 |
| 5 | 36 | Maurice Trintignant | Gordini | 79 | + 1 Lap | 8 | 2 |
| 6 | 40 | Roberto Mieres | Gordini | 77 | + 3 Laps | 16 | |
| 7 | 56 | Sergio Mantovani Luigi Musso | Maserati | 76 | + 4 Laps | 12 | |
| 8 | 10 | Umberto Maglioli | Ferrari | 75 | + 5 Laps | 11 | |
| 9 | 38 | Harry Schell | Gordini | 75 | + 5 Laps | 15 | |
| 10 | 32 | Louis Chiron | OSCA | 72 | + 8 Laps | 25 | |
| 11 | 44 | Prince Bira | Maserati | 72 | + 8 Laps | 23 | |
| 12 | 46 | Alan Brown | Cooper-Bristol | 70 | + 10 Laps | 24 | |
| 13 | 28 | Stirling Moss | Cooper-Alta | 70 | + 10 Laps | 10 | |
| 14 | 48 | Hans Stuck | AFM-Bristol | 67 | + 13 Laps | 29 | |
| 15 | 16 | Yves Giraud Cabantous | HWM-Alta | 67 | + 13 Laps | 28 | |
| 16 | 64 | Louis Rosier | Ferrari | 65 | + 15 Laps | 17 | |
| Ret | 4 | Alberto Ascari | Ferrari | 79 | Accident | 1 | |
| Ret | 52 | Felice Bonetto | Maserati | 77 | Out of fuel | 7 | |
| Ret | 54 | Onofre Marimón | Maserati | 75 | Accident | 4 | |
| Ret | 58 | Toulo de Graffenried | Maserati | 70 | Engine | 9 | |
| NC | 20 | Jack Fairman | Connaught-Lea-Francis | 61 | Not Classified | 22 | |
| NC | 30 | Ken Wharton | Cooper-Bristol | 57 | Not Classified | 19 | |
| NC | 24 | Kenneth McAlpine | Connaught-Lea-Francis | 56 | Not Classified | 18 | |
| Ret | 12 | Piero Carini | Ferrari | 40 | Engine | 20 | |
| Ret | 22 | Roy Salvadori | Connaught-Lea-Francis | 33 | Throttle | 14 | |
| Ret | 42 | Chico Landi | Maserati | 18 | Engine | 21 | |
| Ret | 34 | Élie Bayol | OSCA | 17 | Engine | 13 | |
| Ret | 18 | John Fitch | HWM-Alta | 14 | Engine | 26 | |
| Ret | 26 | Johnny Claes | Connaught-Lea-Francis | 7 | Fuel System | 30 | |
| Ret | 14 | Lance Macklin | HWM-Alta | 6 | Engine | 27 | |
| Source: ||||||||

#### Notes

* ^1 – Includes 1 point for fastest lap

## Shared drive

* Car #56: Mantovani (38 laps) then Musso (38 laps)

## Championship standings after the race
### Drivers' Championship standings

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Alberto Ascari | 34.5 (46.5) |
| 1 | 2 | Juan Manuel Fangio | 28 (29.5) |
| 1 | 3 | Nino Farina | 26 (32) |
| | 4 | Mike Hawthorn | 19 (27) |
| 1 | 5 | Luigi Villoresi | 17 |
| Source: ||||
* Note: Only the top five positions are included. Only the best 4 results counted towards the Championship. Numbers without parentheses are Championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.