1959 Formula One season

1959 Formula One season
The 1959 Formula One season was the 13th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1959 World Championship of Drivers and the 1959 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, contested concurrently over a nine-race series which commenced on 10 May and ended on 12 December. The season also included several non-championship Formula One races.
Jack Brabham won the World Championship of Drivers in a sport still reeling from the death of several drivers, including reigning champion Mike Hawthorn. The International Cup for F1 Manufacturers was awarded to Cooper–Climax.
Championship teams and drivers
The following teams and drivers competed in the 1959 FIA World Championship.
Note: The above list does not reflect competitors in the 1959 Indianapolis 500.
Championship summary
Juan Manuel Fangio and Mike Hawthorn's retirement meant that for the very first time, no world champion was on the grid. Cooper's revolutionary mid-engined cars, powered by the compact Coventry-Climax 2.5 litre engine, won five races with Jack Brabham, Stirling Moss and Bruce McLaren. BRM also landed its maiden victory in the hands of Jo Bonnier. Aston Martin appeared with a car that was outdated and overweight in the face of Cooper's rear mid-engined revolution.
The German Grand Prix was held for the second time on the very high speed AVUS circuit, where Ferrari's Jean Behra was killed during an unrelated sports car race at the wheel of a Porsche.
Ferrari's Tony Brooks took the fight to the Coopers, and going into the final race, he, Moss, or Brabham could win the title. Moss retired from the race, the inaugural United States Grand Prix, giving Brabham the lead. Brabham ran out of fuel on the last lap but pushed his car across the line to finish fourth. With Brooks unable to do better than third, Brabham became the first Australian World Champion, while Cooper won the International Cup for F1 Manufacturers.
Championship calendar
Calendar changes
The British Grand Prix was moved from Silverstone to Aintree, in keeping with the event-sharing arrangement between the two circuits.
The German Grand Prix was moved from the Nürburgring to AVUS.
The Portuguese Grand Prix was moved from Circuito da Boavista to Monsanto Park Circuit.
The United States Grand Prix hosted its first World Championship Grand Prix in 1959, the race was held at Sebring International Raceway on 12 December.
The Argentine Grand Prix was originally scheduled for January 25th but was cancelled because of heroes such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Jose Froilan Gonzalez having retired, plus there was no local interest in the race.
The Belgian Grand Prix was originally scheduled for June 14th, but it was cancelled due to a dispute over start money.
The Moroccan Grand Prix was originally scheduled for 1 October but it was cancelled because of monetary reasons.
Results and standings
Championship races
World Drivers' Championship standings
Points were awarded on an 8–6–4–3–2 basis to the first five finishers at each Grand Prix, with an additional point going to the driver who set the fastest lap. Only the best five results contributed to the World Championship.
Italics indicates the fastest lap (One point awarded – point shared equally between drivers sharing fastest lap)
Bold indicates pole position
International Cup for F1 Manufacturers standings
Points were awarded on an 8–6–4–3–2 basis to the first five finishers at each round (excluding the Indianapolis 500). However, a manufacturer only received points for its highest-placed car in each round, and only the best five results from the eight races were retained.
Bold results counted to championship totals.
Non-championship races
Five Formula One races which did not count towards the World Championship were held in 1959.
Notes
References
Formula One seasons