1957 Argentine GP

## Track Facts

* Name – Buenos Aires
* Location – Argentina
* Corners – 8
* Laps – 100
* Base (Worst) Lap Time – 2:30.000
* Lap Record (Real Life) – 1:41.800 (Juan Manuel Fangio)
* Lap Record (F1R) – 1:29.832 (Carlos Menditeguy – Jun Ho)
* Pit Lane Length – 15 seconds
* Fuel Consumption – Medium
* Tyre Wear – Medium

## Qualifying

Gerard hangs onto Pole Position, meaning he has back-to-back Poles in Argentina and now has the 2nd best Race:Pole Position ratio of any driver (1st of course is held by the talented Ken Wharton, who only raced for 1 season but took 50% of all available Pole Positions that season!) - and of course is now on track for his 8th hat-trick ever!

Collins is a very respectable 2nd place and was only a couple of tenths down on the Maserati driver, with late surge by Fangio moving him into 3rd position to spare Ferrari's blushes and give the Argentine fans something to cheer for! 4th place goes to Salvadori in his 30th race entry, with Musso an impressive 5th for BRM.

Behra and Moss in the Cooper (6th and 9th) sandwich a pair of Connaughts in the shape of home favourites Gonzalez and Menditeguy, who will both be eager to get into the Top 5 and score points in the race on Sunday. Perdisa rounds out the Top 10 for Maserati, just edging out the lead Porsche of Trintignant by 0.05 seconds!

Brabham is 12th for Ferrari, from Castellotti, Maglioli and then the Ferrari trio of Gould, von Trips in Hawthorn back in 15th, 16th and 18th with Flockhart's Cooper in the midst of them! Godia finished the session strongly in 19th, in what is his 10th race ever, while Fairman rounds out a strong session for Vanwall as all their qualified drivers sit in the Top 20.

De Beaufort becomes the 1st ever Dutchman to qualify for an F1R race, and 21st is a respectable effort for the inexperienced Maserati driver - and it's particularly impressive when you consider that his more experienced team-mates Volonterio and Piotti will line up in 22nd and 23rd positions! Simon will start 24th, from England, Bonnier (who had time remaining, but opted to stay in the garage), Schell, Gibson and Leston.

Herrmann will line up 30th after failing to finish his qualifying runs, with the 31st and final position on the grid occupied by debutante Masten Gregory - who will be hoping to last longer in the race than he did in qualifying after an unfortunate off-track excursion ended his hopes of a better time.

Brooks is yet again the only driver to fail to set a lap, and the Vanwall team are certainly questioning his worth to the team after he has missed 2 races in a row…

## Grid

We are close to the race start, and the beginning of the 1957 season proper…it looks like it's going to be a scorcher in Buenos Aires, which is likely to have an impact on tyres and fuel for the race, not to mention whether the driver's will be able to cope with the stamina required at this temperature…!

## Race Commentary

*Lap 1* – Herrmann fails to make the start and thus records the 1st DNS of the season; not the start that Team Principal Kyle Morris would have hoped for!

The flag waves and the 1957 season is under-way!!! Gerard gets a slow get-away from Pole Position, meaning Collins takes the lead from Fangio and Salvadori – with Gerard now in 4th place. Musso retains 5th position for BRM, much to the delight of the entire BRM garage!

Moss starts more quickly than Menditeguy to claim 8th position, whilst Brabham is even quicker off the line as he moves into the Top 10 at the expense of both Perdisa and Trintignant, while the latter goes even further backwards and loses places to Castellotti and Maglioli. Though Trintignant, Castellotti and Maglioli are in fact all overtaken by the fast-starting duo of Gould and von Trips in the Ferrari’s…Gould even sneaks up the inside of Perdisa at the final corner to move up to 11th.

And it gets even worse for Trintignant as he slides wide at Horquilla to allow both Flockhart and Hawthorn through as well! De Beaufort moves across to block Volonterio, while Piotti does the same to Simon – and as a result Schell and Bonnier are able to capitalise as they both overtake Piotti, Simon and the slow-starting England, who in turn loses a place to Gibson at the start too.

*Lap 2* – Collins sets the Fastest Lap with a 1:43.5, whilst Fangio is keeping a tight line in the corners to prevent Salvadori, Gerard and Musso from capitalising. Behra meanwhile is proving a tough nut to crack for both Gonzalez and Moss, while Menditeguy has a train of cars behind him…though the only one able to make the most of the situation is Flockhart, who powers past both Castellotti and Maglioli into 14th, with Hawthorn & Trintignant in tow. Maglioli also loses a spot to Godia as the BRM drops down to 19th this lap.

Meanwhile Fairman is defending his Top 20 position with gritty determination, as he holds up de Beaufort, Volonterio, Schell and Bonnier – though Schell does use the situation to his advantage as he overtakes Volonterio for 22nd, and pushes the Maserati wide, which lets Bonnier and Piotti through. Later in the lap Gibson starts making moves, as he takes Simon at Ombu, before a daring double-overtake at the Horquilla hairpin on Volonterio and Piotti – much to the Maserati team’s disgust!!!

Finally, Leston and Gregory are fighting over 29th position to see who can avoid claiming the wooden spoon for today…

*Lap 3* – Another FL for Collins with a slightly better 1:43.5. Menditeguy is still holding up several cars behind him, including Brabham, Gould and Perdisa – whilst von Trips is also having to defend resolutely and blocks Flockhart at Ascari, which sends the Cooper off-line and sees him fall down to 18th behind Trintignant (who also passes Hawthorn in the confusion), Castellotti and the struggling Hawthorn.

A concertina effect takes place further back thanks to Schell blocking Bonnier, which ultimately opens the door for Volonterio to take both Gibson and Piotti – while the latter loses traction and thus positions to Simon and England

*Lap 4* – A surprise new holder of Fastest Lap, as Musso sets a 1:43.2 to close up to the back of Gerard! Fangio blocks Salvadori, as Vanwall look to be in rude health at this stage – holding 1st and 3rd comfortably as they are! Meanwhile Behra blocks both Gonzalez and Moss in the fight over 6th position, while Menditeguy looks to be focusing more on that battle than his own braking points – which causes him to run wide at Mixtos and let the Ferrari’s of Brabham and Gould past into 9th and 10th respectively.

By contrast their Ferrari team-mate Von Trips is more concerned with defence than attack, as he holds up Trintignant in 14th position. Meanwhile a massive train has formed behind Castellotti, which again it’s Flockhart who makes the most out of – as he passes Godia for 17th place. Volonterio meanwhile is spending his time warding off the attentions of the BRM duo of Gibson and Simon.

*Lap 5* – Another lap, another Salvadori challenge on Fangio which the experienced home favourite manages to defend against resolutely. Musso now has a go up the inside of Gerard at Curva Uno but is a little too eager, as there is no way the multiple Champion will be passed that easily! Behra meanwhile is dropping back from that group as he spends his time holding up Gonzalez to maintain 6th position.

The inter-Ferrari battle heats up this lap, as Gould slips up the inside of Brabham at Horquilla to claim 9th position. Menditeguy is still holding 11th despite Perdisa’s best efforts and likewise Castellotti is keeping a tight grasp on 15th position under some serious pressure from those behind him!

Fairman continues to grittily hang on to his Top 20 spot, and in the chaos behind him it’s Bonnier that capitalises by passing Schell for 22nd position. Volonterio is still holding Gibson off for 24th, and another frustrated BRM is Gregory – who is unable to get past Leston despite his best attempts!

*Lap 6* – A slightly slower lap from Collins causes the Vanwall to take a more defensive line to prevent Fangio and Salvadori passing him. Another lap for Gonzalez to have a go at Behra, and another lap that the Cooper stands firm. Brabham has a look at getting even with Gould immediately, but the Brit slams the door in his face!

Perdisa in 12th is handling pressure from von Trips and Trintignant, while Hawthorn in 16th is doing likewise with Flockhart and de Beaufort in 21st position is similarly holding up Bonnier. Gibson caves in to the pressure from Schell in the fight for 24th place, while England is unable to do the same to Simon.

*Lap 7* – Salvadori again finds himself unable to move past Fangio, as the Top 3 circulate within 1 second of each other. Perdisa is still keeping von Trips and Trintignant at bay, and de Beaufort is another Maserati defending resolutely with both Bonnier and Volonterio in close attendance.

Gibson gets his own back on Schell the very next lap, as he replicates the move to reclaim 24th – all of which is bringing England much closer to the pair of them…

*Lap 8* – A much better lap for Collins, as he sets a 1:43.0 to claim the FL back from Musso and open up some breathing space to those behind him. Behra and Gonzalez are still losing time squabbling amongst themselves and are now some 5 seconds off the lead of the race. Von Trips goes from attacker to defender this lap, as Perdisa gets a brief respite for the Ferrari and the Porsche to duel it out and actually cross the line neck-and-neck…!!!

Castellotti blocks Hawthorn again, and de Beaufort does similarly to Bonnier for 21st position – but pushes the Connaught out wide. Meanwhile Volonterio overcooks it at Horquilla and loses positions to Gibson and Schell…in fact both of them go on to capitalise on Bonnier being blocked as they slipstream past the Connaught to move into 22nd and 23rd place respectively! Though at least Bonnier is able to also pass Volonterio in the aftermath of his own incident.

*Lap 9* – Salvadori continues to be frustrated by the immovable object that is Fangio, and now needs to be mindful of Gerard lurking ready to pounce behind him! Gonzalez meanwhile comes the closest he has yet to overhauling Behra for 6th but is still narrowly behind him as they cross the line.

Trintignant is unable to pass von Trips, despite a lunge at Viborita and Hawthorn is another Ferrari under pressure with Flockhart hot on his heels! Meanwhile Schell could be in a vulnerable position after some stout defending by Gibson allows Bonnier to close onto his tail. Simon is held up by Volonterio this lap in the fight for 25th position too.

*Lap 10* – A new Fastest Lap for Salvadori, as he becomes the 1st man to break the 1:43 barrier here! Meanwhile Behra’s defending has now brought Moss, Gould and Brabham into the fray behind Gonzalez.

Godia is defending from Maglioli as they scrap over 18th, while Bonnier is within a hair’s breadth of passing Schell after a well-executed switch-back at Horquilla almost pays off!

*Lap 11* – It’s a new FL for Collins…and then Gerard immediately claims it from him with a low 1:42.9!!! While all that is going on, Fangio continues to block Salvadori’s every attempt to get by, but Gould is having more luck as when Gonzalez swerves to prevent Moss overtaking him the Ferrari is able to slip by and claim 8th position. Von Trips again has to be alert, as Trintignant is hounding him lap after lap – and Hawthorn is another Ferrari defending with everything he has, as Flockhart continues to apply the pressure.

De Beaufort staves off another attempt by Gibson to overtake, while Bonnier at last manages to gain 23rd from Schell, after a strong challenge at Mixtos proves successful! Simon tries to copy this on Volonterio at the same corner, but finds himself unable to get enough traction on exit to make the move stick…

…and in a very early move, the BRM mechanics are out in their garage waiting for one of their drivers to come in!!!

*Lap 12* – And it’s Gibson who makes the early dive into the pits, which may explain his early turn of pace in this race…he comes in 22nd and emerges in 30th and last – but in clean air, which may prove crucial later on! Meanwhile another attempt on Fangio’s 2nd place is defeated by the experienced Argentine – and Gerard continues to lurk in 4th place ready to pounce on any errors by those in front.

Another solid defensive display by von Trips ensures Trintignant continues to languish in 14th place, while Hawthorn is similarly determined in the face of increasing pressure from Flockhart and Godia over 16th position. Fairman defends determinedly from de Beaufort, as the Vanwall is insistent on keeping his Top 20 spot alive.

*Lap 13* – Musso looked to be on for a new FL this time around, but he caught Gerard at completely the wrong moment at Horquilla – meaning on FL and he didn’t manage to pass the Maserati either! As a result, it’s Salvadori who takes the new FL with a 1:42.8!!!

Gould is the latest man to come up behind the immovable wall that is Gonzalez in 7th, but the home favourite is uncompromising in his approach and slams the door shut! And of course further back von Trips and Trintignant continue to fight like terriers over 13th place…and Bonnier meanwhile has his latest overtaking attempt thwarted by de Beaufort, which gives Schell a look up the inside of the Connaught as they cross the line…

*Lap 14* – The lap-times are tumbling, and this time it is Musso who claims a 1:42.7 and potentially the bonus point that goes along with it! A rare challenge for Gonzalez on Behra proves unsuccessful, and if Gould had been closer he could certainly have capitalised…instead he finds himself distracted by the action up-front and allows Moss to slip back up the inside to reclaim 8th position!

It’s another block by Hawthorn on Flockhart, and Bonnier is as close as he’s been yet to overhauling de Beaufort for 21st overall…while at the back Gibson isn’t gaining ground in the clear air, as he looks to be struggling with a heavy fuel load.

*Lap 15* – It would have been Salvadori’s Fastest Lap, but he finds himself again blocked by Fangio – which allows Musso to better his own time and take a 1:42.6 with time before the 1st stops beginning to run out…! Meanwhile Moss’s joy at reclaiming 8th is incredibly short-lived as Gould lines up a brilliant pass at Ombu to surprise the Cooper and move back into 8th position.

Godia blocks Maglioli for 18th, as many drivers are starting to get frustrated at the ease with which some of their counterparts are able to defend so effortlessly…but the gaps will start to open up as the race evolves. De Beaufort is JUST holding on to 21st by the skin of his teeth, as Bonnier is applying some serious pressure with every passing lap!

*Lap 16* – Fangio has mostly been defending during these opening laps, but much to the home fan’s delight he puts the hammer down on Lap 16 to set an incredible 1:42.4 and the Fastest Lap of the race – and the top 3 are now covered by just 7 tenths of a second!!! Meanwhile Gonzalez has Gould, Moss and Brabham hoping desperately to see the Connaught crew out for the Argentinean…but no luck for them as yet!

Von Trips and Hawthorn continue to keep their positions intact as they make their Ferrari’s as wide as possible! Maglioli is also piling the pressure on Godia, as he looks to force the Connaught driver into a mistake. Bonnier tries a move at Curva Uno that was never really on, and gives de Beaufort some breathing space as a result…while Ferrari are out in the garage for one of their drivers now…

*Lap 17* – …and it’s Brabham who comes in from 10th, clearly sick of being held up by Gonzalez et al! The Ferrari emerges in 28th place JUST behind Leston, which will be an awful strategic error by his team if he can’t pass that Porsche in short order!

6 tenths now cover the top 3, as Collins is forced to defend from the advancing Fangio…while von Trips again stops Trintignant progressing further, while Castellotti has to make a rare defensive move to prevent Hawthorn from taking 15th position. Godia again defends from Maglioli, as the Connaught looks to be struggling with its tyres at this point…and a mistake by de Beaufort in challenging Fairman looks to have opened the door for Bonnier to go through, until a violent swerve across the track spares the Dutchman’s blushes!

*Lap 18* – Fangio is again the man responsible for ending Salvadori’s hopes of a FL this time around, and even goes as far to force the Brit to defend from his compatriot Gerard! While all that is going on the pit-stops are in full effect, with Musso (5th), Gould (8th), Flockhart and Godia (16th & 17th) all in this lap…that moves Behra into 5th, Gonzalez into 6th and Moss up to 7th with some breathing space now back to Menditeguy 8th, Perdisa 9th and von Trips 10th.

Trintignant is still 11th, while Castellotti is 12th and defending resolutely from Hawthorn in 13th. Maglioli just moves into 14th, with Musso out in a very respectable 15th position – Fairman is 16th, with de Beaufort 17th and hanging onto the position given Bonnier’s continuing pressure! Then comes Schell, Volonterio, Simon, England and Piotti before Gould re-joins in 24th overall.

Even worse news for Brabham is that he’s still stuck behind Leston, and not even applying that much pressure to the Brit – though he can at least take comfort in the fact that he gains 2 positions this lap due to Flockhart and Godia re-emerging in 28th and 29th respectively.

*Lap 19* – Fangio is denied 1st place and a new Fastest Lap by some last gasp defending from Collins, who seems determined to hang onto the lead come what may! That in turn also delays Salvadori, as the leading trio are certainly holding each other up at this stage of proceedings and that allows Gerard to claim a new FL (a better 1:42.4) and gain ground on the three in front…whilst this time around it’s Behra and England into the pits. Behra actually emerges in 21st, near where England had been running – but it’s a lowly 29th for the Porsche now, who at least manages to come out in front of Gibson.

Gonzalez is now 5th and looking comfortable in the position, albeit nearly 10 seconds off the leading 4 drivers who are line-astern! Perdisa meanwhile is being blocked by Menditeguy in the fight for what is now 7th overall, and it might now be for 9th, but there’s no change to the dynamic between von Trips and Trintignant as the Porsche is fast running out of ideas for how to get past the Ferrari!

Further back a disaster for Bonnier as the knock-on effects of de Beaufort challenging Fairman and running wide echo back to the Connaught who is forced to brake hard and gift Schell 17th position! Simon is now inside the Top 20, but keen to improve yet further – though finds Volonterio unwilling to help him with that mission.

*Lap 20* – Fangio again finds himself unable to get past Collins, and as Salvadori pulls into the pits Gerard celebrates moving into the Podium Positions with another new Fastest Lap (a 1:42.3). Moss (6th), de Beaufort (16th), Schell (17th) and Simon (20th) all pit, much to the relief of Bonnier and several others!

Menditeguy is now 5th, with Perdisa 6th, the interminable von Trips v Trintignant battle now over 7th place and Castellotti holding onto his newly-acquired 9th position with gusto against the ever-eager Hawthorn in the Ferrari. Salvadori comes out of the pits in a strong 11th position, with Musso down in 13th with his team-mate Maglioli between him and his prey!

Bonnier breathes a sigh of relief and has no trouble in getting past Fairman to claim 14th and use a bit of free air to his advantage…Volonterio is 16th, with Behra and Moss competing over 17th as the latter emerges from the pits…but it’s the Frenchman who uses his greater momentum to take the place, meaning the Brit must settle for 18th at this stage. Piotti is 19th with Gould rounding out the Top 20, as de Beaufort, Schell and Simon re-enter the fray in 26th, 27th and 28th respectively.

*Lap 21* – Menditeguy and Perdisa pit from 5th and 6th respectively, moving von Trips and Trintignant (for once not fighting with each other) into their positions. Gould is lucky to have had some free air, as he moves up to 18th, with Menditeguy out in 19th, Brabham 20th and Perdisa in 22nd as he is unable to inch ahead of Gregory when he exits the pits!

Leston pits this lap also and comes out in 30th position to the relief of Gibson, while Schell challenges de Beaufort for 25th but finds the Dutchman an incredibly stubborn customer!

*Lap 22* – The top 3 are scrapping amongst themselves again, but no man is able to force a significant advantage at this stage…while Gonzalez pits from 4th and comes out in 13th with a good gap back to the Cooper duo of Behra and Moss. The usual scraps are going on between von Trips, Trintignant, Castellotti and Hawthorn, while Volonterio also pits this lap and emerges in 24th place.

Behra and Moss’ in-fighting allows Piotti and Gould to close up, while Menditeguy is holding up a whole queue of cars behind him!

*Lap 23* – First Collins sets a 1:40.8, before Fangio improves on it with a 1:40.5 to ratchet up the pressure on the leader! Gerard also manages a 1:40.5 to keep himself in the mix before all 3 make their 1st stops. Castellotti is busy defending from Hawthorn, while Maglioli takes advantage of Salvadori’s heavier car by blitzing him on the straight between Curvon and Ascari to claim 8th position.

Meanwhile Bonnier pits, and Fairman uses a slipstream from the Connaught to launch himself up to 10th past the heavier and thus slower Musso. Several of the drivers exiting the pits are struggling to get up to speed, and Piotti uses this to his advantage as he makes an incredible double-overtake at Horquilla on the Cooper’s of Behra and Moss to claim 13th place.

Gregory is another on the march here, as he passes Brabham and Menditeguy to move into 17th overall. Bonnier emerges in 22nd behind Perdisa and Flockhart.

*Lap 24* – Von Trips pits earlier than Trintignant, leaving the Porsche in clean air and looking to press home his advantage. Meanwhile Hawthorn is blocked by Castellotti again, and Menditeguy is slowing the progress of Brabham and Perdisa.

Von Trips comes out in 14th right between the Cooper’s of Behra and Moss and looking set for a titanic battle!

*Lap 25* – Excitement at the front, as all 3 of the leaders pit – meaning it will be a race in pit-lane for who comes out ahead! Though the man in 1st place is in fact…Fangio!!! What a stop from the Ferrari mechanics, as they send him out marginally ahead of Trintignant, who managed to close the gap to the leaders and get past before most could emerge from the pits.

Collins is out in 3rd with Gerard 4th, and – thanks to Castellotti pitting – Hawthorn into 5th overall. Maglioli also pits, meaning Salvadori is 6th and (due to Fairman’s stop, in which he narrowly avoids being held up by his team-mate Collins) Musso is now 7th overall. Gonzalez is 8th, Piotti 9th and Behra 10th.

Moss meanwhile manages to overhaul von Trips and is just quick enough to move past Castellotti too. The Italian emerges in 12th, also ahead of the German’s Ferrari, who now has Gould and Gregory in very close attendance! Maglioli is out in 16th, while Fairman comes out in 20th and has maintained his Top 20 position despite a stop.

Further back Schell is still being held up by de Beaufort in their fight for 25th position.

*Lap 26* – Trintignant’s time at the front is short-lived, as he pits from 2nd and comes out in a remarkable 7th position! Collins is now 2nd, with Gerard 3rd, Salvadori 4th, Musso 5th and Gonzalez narrowly in 6th place ahead of the aforementioned Trintignant. Hawthorn emerges in 8th position after going long pays off strongly for the Ferrari…

…Piotti stops meaning the Cooper trio of Behra, Moss and Castellotti are in 9th, 10th and 11th. Gould is up to 12th after a strong pass on von Trips at Mixtos – and he uses that impetus to take 11th from Castellotti this time around too! Maglioli is now 14th, with Menditeguy 15th, Brabham 16th, Perdisa 17th, Fairman 18th, Flockhart 19th, Bonnier 20th, Godia 21st, Volonterio 22nd, de Beaufort 23rd, Schell 24th, Simon 25th and Piotti out in 26th place after a stop that could have been much better.

England is 27th and Gregory has done his 1st stop on this lap too and drops to 28th as a result – though is at least ahead of Gibson and Leston still. That means that everyone in the race has now done 1 stop so far…

*Lap 27* – Salvadori in 4th is setting the pace on track right now as he looks to close the 6.3 second gap to the leader! Von Trips is trying his utmost to overtake Castellotti, but the Cooper’s defence is holding strong at this stage…while Brabham and Perdisa continue to harry Menditeguy for 15th place. Volonterio and de Beaufort are contesting an all-Maserati battle over 22nd, but there is no victor yet there…

*Lap 28* – A great lap for Moss, as he not only overtakes team-mate Behra, but also slips up the inside of Hawthorn at Horquilla to claim 8th place! Flockhart meanwhile is being held up by Fairman in the fight for 18th position, while we have a victor in the Volonterio v de Beaufort fight – as the Dutchman dives up the inside at Mixtos, causing Volonterio to take evasive action and letting his Dutch team-mate past with Schell in tow!!! He does at least recover in time to prevent Simon doing further damage to his position…

*Lap 29* – Salvadori is now just 5.2 behind the leaders, while Hawthorn is going backwards quickly – he gives up 9th to Behra without much struggle at all! Brabham comes within inches of overhauling Menditeguy on this lap, but the Argentine holds firm – much to the home crowd’s delight!!!

Meanwhile it’s better news for Flockhart, as he finally gets ahead of Fairman to claim 18th place. And there is some real action at the back of the pack, as England is blocked by Piotti over 26th and Gibson improves his fortunes with a well-timed pass on team-mate Gregory at Ombu to take 28th position.

*Lap 30* – Hawthorn again fails to put up much of a fight, as it’s now his team-mate Gould who takes his spot in the Top 10 after an easy pass at Mixtos. Von Trips is blocked again by Castellotti, while Brabham is another frustrated Ferrari at the hands of Menditeguy and England is still blocked by Piotti this time around.

*Lap 31* – Menditeguy blocks Brabham for 15th position, whilst Simon manages to pass Volonterio for 24th position with a well-executed pass at Horquilla. Meanwhile England is being blocked by Piotti for 26th place.

*Lap 32* – Castellotti closes the door on von Trips, which is starting to move Maglioli into contention for that 12th placed position. At long last Brabham passes Menditeguy, to loud cheering from the Ferrari garage and a sense of resignation from the stands filled with partisan locals! And – of course – Piotti is blocking England as usual!

*Lap 33* – Salvadori’s pace has slowed somewhat, but he is still just 4.2 seconds down on the leading trio. Gould challenges Behra for 9th but can’t make the move stick. And Piotti blocking England has allowed Gibson to get into the mix, though he too is unable to pass either of them!

*Lap 34* – A good lap for Salvadori as he is now 3.2 seconds off the lead, while Musso is also hunting down the leaders and has the gap down to 11.3 seconds. Meanwhile Bonnier is blocked by Fairman for 19th and…INCREDIBLY…England at last overtakes Piotti for 26th position. Gibson pits from 28th and emerges in 30th position after a decent stop.

*Lap 35* – Fangio is gradually pulling out a lead at the front, and is now 2 seconds ahead of Collins, Gerard and the ever-improving Salvadori. Musso is 10 seconds back and is likely to start catching up if those ahead fight amongst themselves! Von Trips blocks Maglioli and does his team-mate a favour, as Brabham is able to take an alternative line through Mixtos and move into 14th at the BRM’s expense.

*Lap 36* – Salvadori is blocked by Gerard for 3rd, meaning Musso is now just 7.6 seconds down on the pair of them. Moss makes an incredible move on Trintignant stick, as he goes around the outside at Horquilla to claim 7th place and give himself some free air to race into! Gould is being held up by Behra at the same time, while Brabham is losing time struggling to overtake team-mate von Trips.

Flockhart pits from 18th, and this seems to distract Fairman, who doesn’t defend at all from Bonnier – who inherits 18th position as a result! Flockhart is out in 26th with England right ahead of him, much to the Cooper’s dismay.

*Lap 37* – A sensational lap, as Collins defends hard from Gerard and squeezes his rival to the outside at Ascari – which allows Salvadori to dive up the inside of both of them and take 2nd place! Von Trips and Brabham continue to fight over 13th, while Perdisa has come up to the back of the Menditeguy and is now challenging for 16th.

Godia is the latest Connaught to overtake Fairman, as the Vanwall drops to 20th place as he doesn’t seem that fast at this stage of proceedings.

*Lap 38* – Musso pits this time around, dropping from 5th to 10th as a result. That puts Gonzalez into 5th, Moss 6th, Trintignant 7th with Behra pressing him in 8th place and Gould close behind in 9th. Brabham and von Trips continue to duel it out over 13th, while Menditeguy is chasing Maglioli for 15th and getting blocked in the process.

Godia pits from 19th, letting Fairman and de Beaufort up to 19th and 20th respectively. Godia meanwhile emerges in 28th place just behind Gregory’s BRM.

*Lap 39* – Behra pits from 8th and comes out in 17th place, which moves Gould up to 8th, Musso up to 9th and Hawthorn up to 10th position. Castellotti is still defending from von Trips as they fight over 11th, while Brabham pits to let Maglioli into 13th, and the BRM seizes the moment to slipstream past von Trips and take 12th position too!!! Menditeguy is now into 14th and Perdisa into 15th – though he is pushing the Argentine ahead of him to improve that position ASAP!!!

Bonnier is fortunate to move into 16th place, as Behra emerges just behind the Swede and with Fairman right on his tail! Brabham comes out in 23rd position, while England stops and emerges in 29th between Leston and Gibson.

*Lap 40* – Salvadori pits this lap from his impressive 2nd position, and even more impressively he emerges in 4th place narrowly ahead of Gonzalez and seemingly odds-on to take at least a couple of points today! Moss and Gould both pit this lap and come out either side of Bonnier in 14th and 16th respectively.

As such Trintignant is now 6th, Musso 7th, Hawthorn 8th, Castellotti 9th and then comes Maglioli strongly defending 10th position from von Trips, Menditeguy and Perdisa. Fairman passes Behra for 17th position with a strong move up the inside of Mixtos, while the drivers in 19th, 20th and 21st all pit on this lap! De Beaufort comes out of the pits behind Godia and narrowly ahead of Leston, with Schell and Simon out just behind that trio!!!

*Lap 41* – Gonzalez challenges Salvadori for 4th, but crucially the Brit keeps the home favourite at bay to retain his position…meanwhile Menditeguy pits from 12th (to the relief of Perdisa!) and exits in 19th narrowly ahead of Brabham’s Ferrari. Leston continues to be held up by de Beaufort, and despite a surge up the inside at Horquilla he is unable to make the move stick.

*Lap 42* – Perdisa’s freedom is short-lived, as he pits on this lap to try the “overcut” on Menditeguy – and that extra lap on low fuel really pays off as he emerges in front of the Connaught in 18th, while Menditeguy is too busy staving off a challenge from Brabham to do anything about the Maserati’s stop.

Bonnier almost gets the better of Moss this time around, but the Cooper moves at the last moment to deny the Swede. Leston pits this lap as well, dropping from 26th to 30th behind Gibson and nearly in reach of the leaders lapping him.

*Lap 43* – Gonzalez makes good on his threat to overhaul Salvadori this time and claims 4th place to loud cheers from the crowd watching on at the Mixtos hairpin. Bonnier is desperate to pass Moss and pulls a good switch-back at Horquilla to cross the line almost neck-and-neck…and behind them Fairman does the same to Gould…will either make the move work for them!?!

*Lap 44* – Gonzalez pits from 4th place, meaning Salvadori reassumes his place just outside the Podium spots and Trintignant moves into the points paying positions. Musso is now 6th, Hawthorn 7th, Castellotti 8th, Maglioli 9th and von Trips is into the Top 10 and putting pressure on the BRM ahead. Gonzalez emerges in 11th position with some breathing space back to those behind him…

Meanwhile in the Bonnier v Moss and Fairman v Gould fights one driver does make the pass, while the other is forced to duck back in line behind the driver he is challenging…and it’s Bonnier who makes the move work for him, as he claims 12th position while Fairman must accept being behind Gould for one lap more at least.

Volonterio comes in from 17th to emerge in 23rd, while Brabham is blocked by Menditeguy and de Beaufort is held up by Godia – and Leston looks like being lapped imminently by the leader.

*Lap 45* – Von Trips is blocked by Maglioli, Fairman is held up by Gould and Leston is now a lap down on the leader.

*Lap 46* – Hawthorn is right on Musso’s tail in the fight for 6th position, while von Trips is the man on the move after a clean pass on Maglioli sets him up for a slipstream on Castellotti at Horquilla – meaning he goes from 10th to 8th in the space of a single lap!!! Further back de Beaufort still can’t pass Godia for 24th place.

*Lap 47* – At the front Fangio’s pace has been good enough to keep himself comfortably ahead of the duo chasing him – and he even goes so far as to set a new Fastest Lap of a 1:40.2, while Gould looks to be struggling with his fuel load as Fairman slices past him to claim 14th without any issues.

*Lap 48* – Hawthorn shows exactly what the Ferrari is capable of, with a brilliantly timed pass on Musso to move into 6th position. Bonnier pits from 12th to emerge in 17th place, right between Perdisa and Menditeguy. Flockhart is pressuring Brabham for 19th position, while Godia is unable to pass Volonterio despite a strong move at Ombu – and both England and Gibson are lapped by the leader too.

*Lap 49* – Von Trips pits from 8th place and comes out in 14th position narrowly behind his team-mate Gould. Menditeguy is holding up both Brabham and Flockhart in the fight for 18th position, while de Beaufort’s efforts to pass Godia for 24th means he isn’t paying attention to who’s behind him – and Schell capitalises to claim 25th from de Beaufort.

*Lap 50* – The leading trio all pit…and come out in the same positions as before, though Fangio is now 4 seconds up on Collins and a further 2 seconds ahead of Gerard! Salvadori and Trintignant are still 4th and 5th and around 9 seconds down on the Podium spots right now. Hawthorn is 6th, Musso 7th and Gonzalez is now 8th after Castellotti and Maglioli both pit – with the Cooper emerging JUST ahead of the BRM driver!

Moss is now 9th, with the aforementioned Castellotti and Maglioli 10th and 11th respectively just ahead of Gould’s Ferrari in 12th. Thanks to Fairman’s stop von Trips inherits 13th but loses it immediately to the recovering Behra in the Cooper!

Perdisa is now 15th, while a slide by Bonnier on his cold tyres sets off a chain reaction behind him as a whole host of cars jostle for position at Horquilla…and the big winner is Piotti as he goes from 21st to 16th by virtue of taking a wide route and avoiding the trouble!!! Bonnier is now 17th, with Flockhart another to benefit by moving up to 18th; Menditeguy is 19th and Brabham 20th as they both lose out significantly as a result of having to avoid the slower cars in front.

Finally, Fairman re-joins in 21st and de Beaufort has a go at Schell for 25th but is unable to make it work for him this time around.

*Lap 51* – Trintignant gets blocked by Salvadori in the fight for 4th place, while Castellotti has a whole queue behind him as he desperately tries to hang on to 10th position. Piotti pits from 16th place, and Bonnier seems to take his eye off the ball and loses his newly found 16th position to Flockhart’s Cooper.

Menditeguy is up to 18th, from Brabham 19th and Fairman 20th for Vanwall. Volonterio is up to 21st, with Godia pressuring him hard at every potential opportunity! Schell, de Beaufort and Simon are 23rd, 24th and 25th respectively with Piotti out in 26th and Gregory pitting to emerge in 27th position.

*Lap 52* – Trintignant and Hawthorn both pit this time around, from 5th and 6th, which puts Musso back into the points ahead of Trintignant, from Gonzalez in 7th and Hawthorn, who comes out in a solid 8th position.

Maglioli is the man holding up Gould and Behra this lap, while Bonnier contains team-mate Menditeguy and the Ferrari of Brabham by taking some very defensive lines. Volonterio is blocking Godia and Schell, as there continue to be battles all the way down the field!

*Lap 53* – Salvadori is hunting down the leading trio by around 1 second per lap and has about 6 seconds to go to catch up with Gerard as it stands…meanwhile Gould challenges Maglioli, and as the Ferrari gets blocked at Horquilla he is forced to defend from Behra, who has pulled alongside him as they cross the start/finish line…!

Menditeguy passes team-mate Bonnier for 17th position, while Volonterio and Godia’s squabbling allow Schell to move up to 21st position. Volonterio is down to 22nd, with de Beaufort now 23rd and Godia dropping to 24th after his dive up the inside of Volonterio really does not pay off!!!

*Lap 54* – The race is really opening up, as Castellotti and Maglioli almost crash as they duel it out for the final Top 10 position…but as they both recover, they find themselves falling behind both Gould and Behra, and in fact the latter comes out best of all to claim 10th ahead of the Ferrari in 11th, Castellotti 12th and Maglioli 13th.

Flockhart drops from 16th to 25th, with Menditeguy now up to 16th, Bonnier 17th and pushing hard to regain his position. Brabham is 18th, Fairman 19th, Schell 20th and de Beaufort 21st after he executes a forceful pass at Ascari to overtake team-mate Volonterio. Simon claims 23rd with a dive up the inside at Mixtos on Godia, with Flockhart out of the pits a couple of seconds further back.

*Lap 55* – Moss makes short work of passing Hawthorn, as he moves up to 8th with a scything move up the inside at Horquilla, while Brabham replicates that move on Bonnier to take 17th on this lap too. Simon defends stoutly from Godia for 23rd, while England overtakes Gregory for 27th this time around too.

*Lap 56* – Gonzalez is blocked by Trintignant, as they duel over 6th place. Brabham finds himself similarly stuck behind Menditeguy, while further back Simon overtakes Volonterio at Curva Uno for 22nd and Gibson pits from 29th and emerges about 7 seconds behind Leston at the rear of the field.

*Lap 57* – The home crowd go wild, as Menditeguy out-drags Trintignant to claim 6th place – though with some 12 seconds to gain on Musso it will be an uphill task to crack the points at this race. Von Trips is blocked by Maglioli in their fight for 13th, while Brabham is again unable to pass Menditeguy’s Connaught and Volonterio fails to reclaim the place he lost to Simon the lap before.

*Lap 58* – Up front Salvadori is now just 1.8 seconds down on Gerard in 3rd position, while von Trips and Maglioli continue their rivalry for 13th and Brabham is still stuck behind Menditeguy despite his every effort to pass the Argentine.

*Lap 59* – Behra stops from 10th and comes out in 18th, meaning Gould regains his Top 10 spot. Further back Godia stops from 24th and comes out in 27th JUST behind Gregory’s BRM, while England previously occupied 27th but his 3rd stop of the race drops him down to 29th overall.

*Lap 60* – Several drivers pull into the pits this lap, including Salvadori (goes from 4th to…4th!), Musso (goes from 5th to…7th behind Gonzalez and Trintignant), Moss (goes from 8th to 14th, which moves Hawthorn to 8th, Gould to 9th and Castellotti to 10th – despite Maglioli’s constant pressure!), Schell (goes from 20th to 24th) and de Beaufort (goes from 21st to 25th).

*Lap 61* – Menditeguy pits from 15th, much to Brabham’s relief! The Argentine emerges in 21st place behind Volonterio, who has now edged into the Top 20 as a result.

*Lap 62* – Gould and Hawthorn are battling over 8th, but it’s the latter who prevails. Von Trips gets the better of Maglioli for 11th place, with a well-executed overtake at Mixtos while Brabham pits from 15th to come out in 19th overall.

*Lap 63* – Gonzalez comes into the pits on this lap, and goes from 5th down to 8th, which promotes Trintignant to 5th, Musso to 6th and Hawthorn to 7th overall. Gould is also into the pits from 9th overall, which means Castellotti takes over 9th and von Trips finds himself into the Top 10. Maglioli is up to 11th, Moss is now 12th thanks to Perdisa entering the pits and Bonnier is 13th for the same reason.

Gould comes out of the pits in 14th overall, with Behra in 15th and Simon now up to 16th as he glides past Fairman with ease at Curva Uno – while Perdisa emerges from the pits in 18th overall. Volonterio is checked by Brabham in the battle over 19th, while Leston comes in from 28th and exits in 30th some 8 seconds down on Gibson…

*Lap 64* – Von Trips is busy lining up Castellotti for 9th place but holds his attack to ensure he chooses the best moment. Volonterio comes in from 20th overall to promote Menditeguy back into the Top 20, and the Maserati comes out narrowly behind his team-mate de Beaufort.

But the big news is that Simon’s BRM, which had been flying past his competitors, pulls up at the side of the road – looks like he has run out fuel!!!

*Lap 65* – Von Trips timing is superb, as he times his overtake on Castellotti to perfection to roar around the outside of Horquilla and claim 9th overall!

*Lap 66* – Not much action on track as the race has seemingly settled into a rhythm at last…

*Lap 67* – …and it’s von Trips setting the pace right now as he roars up to the back of Gonzalez. Flockhart tries to pass Menditeguy but is unable to make the move stick – while Gregory continues to improve on his debut as he passes Volonterio for 24th overall.

*Lap 68* – Bonnier is challenging Moss for 12th but is unable to get around the outside of the Cooper. Behra passes Gould for 14th without any issue whatsoever – while Flockhart has significant issues overtaking Menditeguy for 19th and is ultimately unsuccessful!

*Lap 69* – Bonnier’s latest attempt to pass Moss is thwarted by the Brit, while a lap further back Schell is blocked by Piotti, and Godia gets the better of Volonterio to move up to 25th as the Maserati struggles with his heavy fuel load.

*Lap 70* – Von Trips is motoring now, as he breezes past Gonzales for 8th overall and is now sitting directly behind team-mate Hawthorn! Meanwhile a stunning lap from Bonnier sees him speed around the outside of Moss at Horquilla, much to the shock of the Cooper now running in 13th overall.

Flockhart is blocked by Menditeguy and at the same corner Piotti does the same block on Schell a few seconds later!

*Lap 71* – Von Trips is the class of the field right now, and his team-mate Hawthorn offers no resistance to the German snatching 7th place from his grasp! Piotti holds up Schell and de Beaufort, much to their frustration at this stage.

*Lap 72* – Castellotti dives up the inside of the unsuspecting Gonzalez at Ascari, and comfortably claims 9th position while Fairman is the latest man to pass Gould…now for 15th place. Flockhart meanwhile claims 19th with a well-executed move on Menditeguy, with that particular home hope fading quite sharply! De Beaufort is also blocked by Schell, as frustration continues apace towards the rear of the field…

*Lap 73* – Castellotti continues his rise through the field with a well-timed move on Hawthorn to claim 8th place. Bonnier pits from 12th and comes out in 16th overall, while de Beaufort continues to be held up by Schell.

*Lap 74* – Von Trips pits from 7th and comes out in 12th, meaning Castellotti has gained yet another position (that’s 3 in 3 laps!!!), Hawthorn is 8th, Gonzalez is 9th, Gonzalez 10th and Maglioli 11th. Meanwhile Gregory becomes the latest man to be held up by Schell and de Beaufort’s battle on this lap.

*Lap 75* – The leading trio are clearly all on the same strategy, and logically this must be their last stop…and Fangio actually extends his lead in these pits, so he is now some 13 seconds ahead of Collins and looking odds on to take victory today!

Unfortunately, Castellotti’s incredible run comes to an end, as he pulls into the pits on this lap…as do Maglioli and Fairman. That means Hawthorn is up to 7th, Gonzalez up to 8th, Moss 9th, von Trips 10th, Castellotti out in 11th, Behra 12th, Maglioli out in 13th, Gould 14th and Perdisa up to 15th as he steams past Bonnier at Mixtos! Brabham is now 17th, Flockhart 18th and Menditeguy 19th with Fairman out of the pits in his familiar 20th position overall.

Further back Gregory capitalises on Schell’s determined blocking of de Beaufort, as he takes an alternative line to the Maserati to move up to 23rd overall!

*Lap 76* – After the leader’s stops Salvadori is now back to just 2 seconds behind Gerard at this point…while Behra gets blocked by team-mate Castellotti despite looking much quicker than the Italian at this stage in the race.

Piotti and Gregory both come into the pits, from 21st and 23rd – emerging in 25th and 27th respectively.

*Lap 77* – Trintignant is the latest man to pull into the pits, from 5th and he emerges in 6th to put Musso back into a points paying position for BRM as a result. Behra does press home his pace advantage on this lap to ensure Castellotti falls behind him and gives the Frenchman 11th place.

Flockhart pits from 18th and comes out in 22nd just ahead of Godia’s Connaught – and England is blocked by Piotti towards the back of the field.

*Lap 78* – Salvadori moves past Gerard with ease this lap, but it’s likely that the Vanwall will have to stop again – so his podium hopes may be short-lived. Hawthorn pits from 7th, moving Gonzalez into 7th overall, Moss into 8th and Hawthorn himself out in 9th position.

Godia passes Flockhart for 22nd place, and England forces his way past Piotti with ease for 25th overall. Finally, Gibson pits from 28th overall, to drop behind Leston as the battle for the wooden spoon continues to pass from one driver to another!!!

*Lap 79* – Behra comes in for his final stop (presumably) and drops from 11th to 18th as a result. Meanwhile Perdisa is making the most out of the opportunity as he comfortably passes Gould at Ombu, before lining up Maglioli and making the pass before they even reach Horquilla – meaning he goes from 15th to 12th in the space of a single lap!!!

Schell is still being blocked by de Beaufort, while both Godia and England pit to emerge in 26th and 27th respectively.

*Lap 80* – As anticipated Salvadori comes into the pits to move Gerard back into 3rd overall, but what was less expected was the Vanwall emerging in 5th to move Musso into 4th overall…though the BRM is also likely to stop again. Meanwhile Moss pits from 8th, meaning Hawthorn inherits that spot, von Trips is up to 9th, Castellotti 10th, Perdisa 11th, Gould 12th after a brilliant overtaking manoeuvre at Viborita dispatches Maglioli down to 13th position. Moss emerges from the pits in 14th, while Bonnier blocks Brabham in the fight for 15th overall.

Further back de Beaufort and Schell both pit, but much to the Porsche team’s frustration it is again the Maserati who emerges narrowly in front of his rival – in 22nd and 23rd respectively, all of which promotes Flockhart back inside the Top 20.

*Lap 81* – Von Trips is back into 8th place as his team-mate Hawthorn wisely moves over to let the German through – which now leaves him 20 laps to close a 19 second gap on Gonzalez in front…meanwhile Brabham is still trying to overtake Bonnier, but without much success at this stage.

Finally, Menditeguy pits from 17th and drops to 20th as a result!

*Lap 82* – Musso stops for the final time and drops to 5th behind Salvadori, but now has Trintignant in close company behind him. Moss gets the better of Maglioli this time around, with a good move up the inside at Horquilla to grab 13th place – and Brabham follows suit with a carbon copy of that move on Bonnier to take 15th position.

Leston makes a potentially vital pass on England, as the 2 Porsche’s and the BRM of Gibson continue to duel it out to avoid being the final driver to cross the finish line!!!

*Lap 83* – Brabham pits this time around, dropping from 15th to 18th – to the delight of Bonnier, Behra and Fairman who move up as a result!

*Lap 84* – Perdisa comes in for what is surely his final stop, dropping from 11th to 16th while Bonnier takes full advantage to overtake Maglioli and move into 13th as a result. Volonterio and Leston both make what is not only their final stops, but seemingly the final stops of the race – going on the lack of any further activity in the pits. The Maserati comes out in 26th and Leston is 29th and last at this stage!

*Lap 85* – Von Trips now comes up to the back of Gonzalez, and ALMOST passes him in 1 corner – but finds the Argentine responding to the gasps from the crowd as he ensures that the German is behind him in 8th for at least one lap more…Bonnier meanwhile is blocked by Moss for 12th position and Gregory is challenging Piotti for 23rd overall, but as yet to no avail.

*Lap 86* – Another lap for von Trips to have a go at Gonzalez, and another lap for the Argentine to keep the crowd’s hopes alive that their man can keep the Ferrari at bay. Bonnier is blocked by Moss for 12th again in a battle that must be getting irritating for the Swede stuck behind him…

*Lap 87* – Finally von Trips makes the pass on Gonzalez to silence the home fans briefly (though they do have a driver leading the race comfortably, so they don’t look too upset!) and move into 7th overall – but a 30 second gap to the points might be too much for the Ferrari to overcome. Gould is making moves this time around, as he overtakes Castellotti for 10th …while AGAIN Bonnier is blocked by Moss, and Gregory is still stuck behind Piotti too.

*Lap 88* – Gould can’t make it 2 passes in a row, as team-mate Hawthorn refuses to let him by – and unsurprisingly Moss does the same to Bonnier!

*Lap 89* – This time Gould does make the pass stick, as he really pushes his tyres to make sure he overtakes Hawthorn and move into the position of 3rd best Ferrari…

*Lap 90* – …but that may have been too much for the tyres to take, as Gould looks to be struggling for grip. And YET AGAIN Bonnier is unable to get the better of Moss, as the Cooper covers a lunge at Horquilla with a last-gasp move to maintain 12th place. Brabham has a go at Fairman for 17th but doesn’t manage to make the move stick.

*Lap 91* – Gould is going backwards quickly, as Hawthorn and Castellotti move into 9th and 10th respectively as a result – though neither looks to have the pace to move up much further in the race. Brabham is blocked again by Fairman, while Piotti has Gregory all over the back of him as we draw towards the race conclusion…

*Lap 92* – Castellotti tries to get past Hawthorn, after they were gifted their current places by Gould’s issues, but it is to no avail this time around. Bonnier meanwhile unable to pass Moss, though with Gould now just a second or so ahead of the pair of them, Bonnier’s chance may come soon!

Also, Gregory gets the better of Piotti to move into 23rd position after a solid debut by the BRM driver.

*Lap 93* – Up front Fangio has a 20 second lead, much to the home crowd’s enjoyment, with Gerard over 5 seconds behind Collins and no-one in the Top 8 within 5 seconds of another and gaining. As such the battle for 9th is the closest on track, with Castellotti harrowing Hawthorn to move past him! Meanwhile Gould proves to be Bonnier’s saviour, as he is struggling so much with his tyres that he inadvertently blocks Moss to allow the Connaught to go from 13th to 11th in the space of 1 lap!!!

Gould drops behind both of them and Maglioli to sit 14th, and you wonder how much further he will fall in the next 7 laps…! If he falls far enough back to disrupt Fairman’s Vanwall, Brabham (Gould’s team-mate of course) will be delighted to get the chance to finally move ahead of his British rival!

*Lap 94* – Castellotti gets within 1/100 of a second of passing Hawthorn – but the Ferrari just has the position as they cross the line…but can he hold it for 6 more laps!?! Meanwhile Behra and Perdisa are the latest to overtake the luckless Gould, who drops down to 16th this time around.

*Lap 95* – Hawthorn manages to block Castellotti’s latest attempt – and the Cooper seems to be running out of ideas of how to pass the Ferrari! Gould has now dropped as far down as Brabham and Fairman…and he does indeed do his team-mate a favour, as he swerves to block the Vanwall and allows his team-mate to take both of them around the outside!!!

Gould of course still drops behind Fairman, who has thus retained 17th, but Brabham looks overjoyed to move from 18th to 16th as a result!

*Lap 96* – Castellotti looks to have dropped back in order to make one final lunge at Hawthorn, who looks surprised not to see the Cooper quite so close to him for once! Flockhart and Menditeguy are the latest to pass Gould, who is now 20th and looks likely to lose his Top 20 place very soon…

*Lap 97* – WHAT A PASS FROM CASTELLOTTI! He hooks up a great lap to give him the momentum to force his way around the outside of Hawthorn at Horquilla!!! The Cooper is now up to 8th and has an outside chance of catching Gonzalez for 7th if he can set some very special lap-times indeed…meanwhile one small error at Ombu is enough to undo all of Brabham’s hard work, as Fairman jinks up the inside to reclaim 16th place.

Further back de Beaufort, Schell and Gregory all move past Gould who is 23rd and dropping like a stone…

*Lap 98* – Maglioli challenges Moss for 12th, but though the BRM briefly gets his nose in front, he is quickly out-gunned by the faster Cooper driver. Gould is now down to 27th behind Piotti, Godia, Volonterio and England…and the only question is whether he will actually be able to finish the race, and whether he can somehow avoid last place if he does!!!

*Lap 99* – Bonnier has been taking a lot out of his tyres over the past few laps as he hunts down Hawthorn, and he reaches him this time around and manages to get ahead of the Ferrari and move into the Top 10! Can he keep the place though…? Maglioli is again blocked by Moss, and is running out of time to do anything about the Brit in front of him – and Gould is now 28th as Gibson overtakes him…he is 4 seconds ahead of Leston and it looks like it will be a late heart-break for the Ferrari driver…

*Lap 100* – Hawthorn is seemingly spurred on by the unexpected overtake, and with Bonnier’s tyres now losing grip he manages to execute a last-gasp move on the Swede right in front of the race-winner crossing the line! And so it is Fangio who starts the season off with victory at his home Grand Prix, which is not only his 1st ever victory but the 1st victory for any non-European driver in the series!!! He also takes the point for Fastest Lap in the process too!

Collins finishes 2nd for Vanwall, and that podium moves him up to 5th in the all-time podium finish rankings, though he still has only the 1 race victory to his name.

A solid 3rd for Gerard, who would have hoped for more after his Pole Position, but nevertheless this equals his own PB for Points finishes in a row (for the last 8 races) and is a good platform to mount another championship challenge on.

4th place is a good finish for Salvadori in his 30th race entry, while Musso in the BRM rounds out the points scorers to claim his first ever points in the F1R series (he would have been in the Top 10 for Most Races without Points had he failed to finish in the Top 5). Trintignant is a respectable 6th for Porsche, with von Trips 7th for Ferrari, Gonzalez is 8th and does enough to keep Castellotti behind him in 9th, while Hawthorn does come home to finish 10th ahead of Bonnier in 11th.

Moss comes home 12th and Maglioli 13th and they round out those who finished on the lead lap.

*1 LAP DOWN* – Perdisa tries a late lunge on Behra, but it is to no avail as they come home in 15th and 14th respectively, with Fairman 16th, Brabham 17th, Flockhart 18th, Menditeguy 19th and de Beaufort rounding out the Top 20 in a great debut race for the Dutchman.

Schell is 21st, with Gregory 22nd in a solid debut for the BRM driver, while Piotti is 23rd, Godia is 24th, Volonterio is 25th and England can only manage 26th on his debut. Gibson is 27th overall, and it is…Leston who finishes 28th with Gould in 29th position after a terrible decision to stay out on those tyres for so long!!!

Simon retired due to fuel issues, and Herrmann didn’t make the start after qualifying – and that wraps up the Argentine Grand Prix from Buenos Aires. See you next time in the infamous Monaco for a crucial qualifying session!

## Milestones

* 30th race entry for Roy Salvadori
* Gonzalez up to 6th most entries ever (34 total), at the expense of Alberto Ascari
* Carel Godin de Beaufort becomes 1st ever Dutchman to compete in F1R
* 10th race start for Paco Godia
* Fangio moves into 9th for most starts ever ahead of Pietsch and Villoresi (latter drops out of Top 10)
* Maglioli up to 5th in most races without a win ahead of Villoresi
* Schell up to 4th and Flockhart up to 5th in most races without points ahead of Manzon
* Because Musso scored points Piotti moves into Top 10 for most races without points
* Musso becomes the 50th driver in F1R history to score a point!
* Points finish for Gerard would equal his own PB of 8 consecutive Top 5 finishes
* Gerard moves up to 2nd in most % poles, ahead of Cabantous with 33%
* Podium for Collins moves him into 5th most podiums of all time at Farina’s expense