1955 Argentine GP

## Track Facts

* Name – Buenos Aires
* Location – Argentina
* Corners – 8
* Laps – 96
* Base (Worst) Lap Time – 2:30.000
* Lap Record (Real Life) – 1:43.100 (José Froilán González)
* Lap Record (F1R) – 1:33.895 (Hans Herrmann – Victor Drăguşanu)
* Pit Lane Length – 15 seconds
* Fuel Consumption – Medium
* Tyre Wear – Medium

## Qualifying

In an action-packed session Salvadori hit the front early on for Mercedes, who again looked strong here - but with several hard laps early on he ate through his tyres and wasn't able to sustain the performance. He does however finish as top Mercedes in 3rd, given that Trintignant could manage only 5th and Kling couldn't quite make the top 10 as he was beaten by Bayol in the Vanwall.

The British marque had a great start to the season proper, in stark contrast to their exploits at the non-championship Indy 500 race where they couldn't even get one car to the finish! Bayol is actually their lowest placed driver in 10th, with Collins a respectable 4th and with the ultimate Pole Position holder Menditeguy the only man to break the 1:30 barrier in the session in front of his home fans!

Ferrari had a quiet session by their standards; Farina will be pleased with 2nd place, with Moss 9th and newcomer Iglesias still finding the going a little tougher in 11th place. Maserati are finding things tougher than last season, and Herrmann may yet regret his decision to commit his future to the team - as last season's champion can only manage 6th place here.

However it's far worse for his less experienced team-mate, as Castellotti will line up in 13th and Perdisa will start in 20th after a session blighted by incident and accident for the young Italian.

Lancia are the only other team really on the pace here, with Taruffi and Maglioli ensconced within the top 10 in 7th and 8th respectively, whilst Brabham is a lowly 18th as he struggles to get to grips with the more sensitive handling of the Lancia.

HWM produce a decent account of themselves; McAlpine looks eager and does well to get ahead of Wharton late on to take 14th place away from his more senior team-mate. Fitch lines up 17th, with Manzon 22nd and Lucas down in 30th place after he was unable to complete all his laps. Watch out for him gaining ground in the race!

Cooper would have been hoping for more from this qualifying session than just 2 cars inside the top 20 - but that is where they find themselves, with Fairman 16th and Hawthorn 19th. Villoresi (23rd) and Mieres (31st) will be despondent, but at least will start the race - unlike Gonzalez who disappoints his home fans by failing to turn up for the session.

Connaught have always been a plucky, back-marker team and little looks to have changed this season - da Silva Ramos leads their charge in 21st, with Rolt 28th, Claes 29th and Sparken 32nd, whilst Fangio is another to let his home fans down, with Rosier also not making the trip out to Argentina.

Arzani-Volpini continue to defy the odds - despite the smallest budget on the grid they manage to get all 5 cars onto the grid, with Frere leading Bucci, Piotti and Whiteaway in positions 24th through to 27th and Uria down in 34th after the stewards adjudged he was cutting the corners on his laps.

Gordini though, are the team really in trouble; of their 6 registered drivers only 1 actually makes the grid thanks to in-fighting within the team - and so we will see Andre Simon start from 33rd place, with messieurs Birger, Mantovani, Pollet, Ascari and Schell all on the sidelines for what promises to be a fascinating Argentine Grand Prix!!!

## Grid

An exciting race is surely in prospect here in Argentina; Farina will be looking to repeat his lights to flag victory at Indianapolis here, but Menditeguy looks strong on his home patch and will offer some tough resistance you would expect.

The Mercedes have a fast package this season, and Salvadori and Trintignant are well placed to take advantage of that - with the Vanwall and Lancia teams sure to be in the shake-up for points near the end.

And then throw in the variables of the other Ferrari drivers, reigning champion Herrmann and the oh-so-consistent HWMs and we have all the ingredients for a thrilling race - with the lights about to go out to signal the start of the 1st round proper of the 1955 F1R season!

## Race Commentary

*Lap 1* - Farina gets the best get-away, as he manages to slip up the inside of Menditeguy at Curva Uno and roar into the lead - it's a decent get-away though for the top 4 as they are all in order without incident through the 1st sequence of turns.

Meanwhile Trintignant stalls on the grid…though he does get going eventually, but too slowly for Taruffi, as the Lancia steams into the back of him on the starting grid - launching over the rear wheel of the Mercedes and causing both to careen into the middle of the track at the start of Curva Uno.

This carnage in the middle of the track causes many drivers to swerve - Maglioli in particular elects to really back out and simply pull to the side to ensure he gets through, which he ultimately does, albeit down in only 18th position.

Others are not so lucky, including Manzon's HWM, the Arzani's of Frere, Bucci and Uria, Rolt's Connaught and Mieres in the Cooper as well - all end up stationary at the outside of the 1st turn. All of which means Herrmann moves up to 5th, Moss up to 6th for Ferrari and Bayol into 7th. Castellotti really capitalises on the chaos, as he slips past Kling and Iglesias to claim 8th ahead of the Mercedes.

Iglesias in the Ferrari lets his inexperience tell, as he is swamped at the start and loses places to McAlpine (who does brilliantly to get his HWM inside the top 10) and Villoresi as well. Wharton is up to 13th, from Fairman, Brabham's Lancia, Fitch, Perdisa and the aforementioned Maglioli.

Rounding out the top 20 are Lucas (who gains some 11 positions in the ensuing melee!) and Hawthorn, with da Silva Ramos holding station in 21st for Cooper ahead of the 5 remaining drivers in the race who are now guaranteed at least 26th overall - they are Whiteaway, Claes, Piotti, Sparken and Andres Simon in the lone Gordini.

*Lap 2* - Farina begins to pull away, and there is real fear in the paddock that we are looking at another procession led by the talented Italian up-front. Meanwhile Collins edges past Salvadori at Horquilla to make it 2 Vanwall drivers on the podium, which causes the Mercedes to drift wide and gifts 4th place to Herrmann as well.

Villoresi claims a top 10 spot, with a deft move up the inside of McAlpine at the tricky Viborita corner. It's not all good news for Cooper though, as Brabham claims 14th from Fairman, who loses 15th to Fitch as well - though Lancia are not having it all their own way either, given that Lucas continues his rise up the order with a strong move past Maglioli for 18th.

Also on this lap Piotti takes Claes, who seems very heavy on fuel at this point - so heavy in fact that he struggles to get out of the slow Ombu corner and is subsequently overhauled by his team-mate Sparken too.

*Lap 3* - Villoresi is really moving quickly at this point, as he surprisingly has no difficulties in despatching Kling for 9th place. Still the other Cooper's struggle though, as Fairman loses another place - this time to Perdisa in the Maserati.

*Lap 4* - Menditeguy is managing to peg the gap to Farina, who is not yet over 3 seconds ahead. However, the Vanwall is under big pressure from those behind him. Further back Brabham takes 13th place from Wharton, in an otherwise cagey lap.

*Lap 5* - Salvadori re-takes Herrmann, as he opens up the full power of the Mercedes down the back-straight to re-claim 4th position. That top 5 are now moving away from Moss and Bayol, the latter of whom has a real train forming behind him at this stage!

*Lap 6* - Farina breaks the 1:32 barrier as he moves out to 4.5 seconds ahead of Menditeguy. Otherwise it's a relatively quiet lap with Bayol continuing to hold up a whole queue of cars behind him.

*Lap 7* - Perdisa moves past Fitch for 15th place, as the Maserati continues to make his way through the field. Meanwhile Farina's lead at the front is over 5 seconds.

*Lap 8* - A quieter lap here, with little to report.

*Lap 9* - Farina breaks his own fastest lap, and now has 7 seconds advantage back to Menditeguy. Meanwhile Kling is beginning to drop back from Villoresi, with gaps opening up behind the Mercedes too.

*Lap 10* - Farina does it again to increase his lead to nearly 8 seconds - but attention is on the Maserati garage, as the mechanics have their heads in their hands thanks to another issue with fuel - Castellotti pulls to the side of the road with nothing left in the tank, which is unforgivable at this level of racing!

It's not all bad news for Maserati though, as Perdisa makes an impressive switch-back at Mixtos to overtake Wharton for what is now 13th place. And for those at the back they are guaranteed to be at least in the top 25 for this race!

*Lap 11* - Farina is unstoppable - another fastest lap here and the gap is now 9.1 seconds, though Menditeguy is keeping ahead of Collins and Salvadori without too much issue at this stage. Bayol is holding up Villoresi, whilst Kling is dropping further back with the HWM of McAlpine still in 10th place at this stage.

*Lap 12* - At last Villoresi manages to get past Bayol, with an inventive move keeping his foot in around the outside at Horquilla! The Cooper now has a 7 second gap to Moss in 6th to make up.

*Lap 13* - Farina breaks the 1:31 barrier! Domination seems to be the order of the day for the Italian - meanwhile Collins is putting Menditeguy under real pressure as he seeks to move into 2nd place. Meanwhile Maglioli gets it all wrong at Tobogan and damages his under-body running over the grass - this incident loses him 18th to Hawthorn.

Fitch pits for the 1st scheduled stop of the race on this lap, and such is the deficit back to Hawthorn and Maglioli that he only loses positions to Fairman and Lucas.

*Lap 14* - McAlpine pits on this lap, as the HWM's pace becomes apparent as a lack of fuel on board. He emerges in 16th place, with Iglesias inheriting the top 10 spot as a result. Maglioli also comes in on this lap to fix the damage to his car, dropping behind da Silva Ramos and Whiteaway as a result - meaning Arzani yet again have a car inside the top 20 this season!

*Lap 15* - Farina's lead is now 12 seconds, and at this pace he is looking set to lap the field again. Villoresi is pulling away from Bayol, but not by much, and both Brabham and Perdisa are closing in on Iglesias for the final top 10 position.

*Lap 16* - Farina pits from the lead, along with a whole plethora of other cars as the pit-lane - that makes it a Vanwall 1-2 with Menditeguy leading the way from Collins. Farina emerges in 3rd place, some 10 seconds down on the pair of them.

Bayol is up to 4th for Vanwall, with Salvadori out in 5th ahead of team-mate Kling 6th who is yet to make a stop. Herrmann is 7th after pitting, with Iglesias 8th who has not stopped. Moss comes out in 9th place with Wharton up to 10th place thanks in no small part to the fact that the Cooper mechanics look completely unprepared for Villoresi as he enters the pit-lane!

Lucas is up to 11th place, with Brabham emerging in 12th ahead of McAlpine 13th and Perdisa just behind in 14th after his own pit-stop. Fitch is 15th, with Villoresi out in a lowly 16th place - ahead of team-mate Hawthorn.

Similar issues for Fairman drop him down the order, behind da Silva Ramos into 19th position. Maglioli is back up to 20th place with Piotti a little way further back in 21st overall. Also pitting on this lap are Whiteaway, Sparken and Simon - with both the Arzani and Gordini mechanics seemingly asleep at their posts for their stops!

*Lap 17* - Collins pits from 2nd place, coming out in 4th behind team-mate Bayol to ensure we still have 2 Vanwall drivers in the top 3. Meanwhile both Iglesias and Wharton pit on this lap, coming out in 10th and 14th respectively as they now have Brabham, McAlpine and Perdisa in-between them.

Maglioli comes in on this lap but retains his top 20 place, such is his lead over the pursuing Arzani and Connaught drivers behind.

*Lap 18* - Farina doesn't seem to have the same pace at this stage of the race, as Menditeguy moves almost a full second further ahead on this lap! Kling has a look at Salvadori for 5th place, albeit with no luck this time around.

Hawthorn and Piotti both pit, with both Cooper and Arzani pit-crews once again failing to respond effectively - Hawthorn drops from 17th place to 19th behind da Silva Ramos and Fairman, whilst Piotti drops behind all others besides Simon in the Gordini. Also on this lap Whiteaway uses his fresh tyres to easily pass Claes in the Connaught.

*Lap 19* - Menditeguy and Farina are now level on pace - with the home fans loving their man being at the front of the pack! Bayol pits on this lap, as do Kling and Lucas - meaning the top 10 is now Menditeguy, Farina, Collins, Salvadori, Herrmann, Moss, Bayol, Kling, Iglesias and Brabham.

Lucas comes out behind McAlpine, Perdisa and Wharton in 14th position overall. Meanwhile Villoresi is making up for his mechanics incompetence with a strong pass on Fitch to move back into contention for a top 10 spot. Fairman is another Cooper doing the same, as he glides past da Silva Ramos, who is clearly struggling with his tyres at this point.

*Lap 20* - Farina is now noticeably faster than Menditeguy, whose tyres seem to slowly be giving up. Villoresi takes Lucas for 14th place, as his comeback continues here.

*Lap 21* - Farina closes 2 seconds on Menditeguy, with the Vanwall beginning to struggle on its worn-out tyres…

*Lap 22* - …and the gap is then halved to the Vanwall as it's clear the Argentine is really finding the going tough, with Farina now exerting real pressure on the leader.

*Lap 23* - Farina makes the pass on Menditeguy with ease as he silences the home crowd in 1 fell swoop. Iglesias is holding up Brabham and McAlpine, with Perdisa, Wharton and Villoresi all gaining ground too.

Fitch is pressuring Lucas, whilst Claes spins and taps the fence meaning he drops behind team-mate Sparken and now looks likely to lose ground to both Piotti and Simon.

*Lap 24* - Menditeguy is bleeding time, and surely must pit soon! Fitch does get past Lucas, with an opportunistic dive up the inside of Ombu. Da Silva Ramos pits on this lap, dropping behind both Hawthorn and Maglioli - but remaining inside the top 20 at least.

Piotti takes Claes here, as the damaged Connaught is dropping backwards at an alarming rate!!!

*Lap 25* - Menditeguy finally pits, elevating Collins into 2nd, Salvadori into 3rd and Herrmann into 4th place with the Vanwall coming out in 5th. Villoresi takes Wharton for 13th position, as the Cooper continues to make up for lost time.

*Lap 26* - Brabham at last manages to move past Iglesias, who will now have to worry about McAlpine's advances.

*Lap 27* - A small slip from Menditeguy allows Moss to capitalise, as he gets a better exit out of Curva Uno. Fitch comes into the pits on this lap, dropping behind Lucas as a result. Meanwhile Claes' damaged Connaught is slower than even Simon's Gordini, as the Frenchman moves out of last place on this lap.

*Lap 28* - Villoresi takes Perdisa, and is now right on the back of McAlpine and putting serious pressure on the HWM. Brabham is still holding up the drivers behind him, and if he isn't careful Villoresi will pass the entire group given his current pace!

*Lap 29* - Villoresi continues to advance, with a well-executed pass on McAlpine to claim 11th place.

*Lap 30* - And again the Cooper moves forwards, as Iglesias loses his top 10 position to Villoresi thanks to a brilliant move at Tobogan to put the Ferrari behind him. McAlpine pits on this lap, and emerges behind Perdisa, Wharton and Lucas with fresh tyres.

*Lap 31* - Villoresi claims 9th from Brabham, as he continues to make up for his pit-crew's poor showing. Meanwhile Fairman is putting pressure on Fitch for 16th place, but looks to be nearly out of ideas.

*Lap 32* - A whole host of cars come into the pits this time around; led by Farina, who comes out in the lead just 1.9 seconds ahead of Collins. Menditeguy is up to 3rd now, with Salvadori out in 4th around 7 seconds behind. Herrmann is 5th, Bayol is still out on track in 6th and Moss emerges in 7th position.

Kling is still 8th, with Iglesias 9th, Perdisa 10th and Wharton 11th. Brabham pits and comes out in 12th place, just ahead of Lucas in the HWM. McAlpine is 14th, Fitch is 15th and Villoresi comes out in 16th position. Several other drivers pit on this lap, including Fairman, Whiteaway, Sparken and Simon - all of which allows Piotti to move ahead of Sparken and into 22nd overall.

*Lap 33* - Perdisa and Wharton come in to promote Brabham back inside the top with Lucas still putting real pressure on the Lancia.

*Lap 34* - Collins pits on this lap, coming out right on the tail of Menditeguy as the Vanwall drivers scrap it out for 2nd place some 20+ seconds down on the leader. Iglesias pits on this lap, and as Lucas manages to squeeze past Brabham it is the HWM who inherits 9th place ahead of the Lancia. Villoresi also eases past Fitch for 15th place on this lap.

*Lap 35* - A relatively quiet lap, as Iglesias pressures Brabham for his top 10 spot, though the driver really cutting his way through is Villoresi in the Cooper, who is gaining hand over fist on Wharton in 14th.

*Lap 36* - Brabham is under real pressure from both Iglesias and Perdisa, but the weaving of the Lancia is enough to keep the pair of them behind. Hawthorn pits and drops behind Maglioli and da Silva Ramos, whilst Piotti pits to move Sparken back into 22nd place.

*Lap 37* - A much quieter lap - while Villoresi is now less than 10 seconds down on Wharton.

*Lap 38* - Bayol pits this lap, moving Moss up to 6th - and Kling also comes in but emerges in 8th behind the Vanwall. Lucas comes in and drops behind Villoresi in 15th position, which moves Iglesias back inside the top 10.

*Lap 39* - Lucas doesn't look to have the same pace, as he's weighed down with fuel and he has Fitch crawling all over the back of him.

*Lap 40* - Fitch does get the better of Lucas this time around, with a well-executed move at Viborita. Elsewhere the race has certainly settled down to a rhythm at this point.

*Lap 41* - Villoresi is hauling Wharton in for 13th place, but still has a little way further to go to close the gap. Behind him Fitch comes into the pits, and after another decent stop by the HWM pit-crew he comes out in 16th just behind team-mate Lucas.

*Lap 42* - Perdisa has Iglesias under real pressure here, but is unable to finish the move off…

*Lap 43* - …and despite another effort around the outside at Tobogan he still cannot get past! Behind him Villoresi is now just 2.5 seconds behind Wharton…though they almost come undone at Viborita, as da Silva Ramos spins in front of them as they come up to lap him, and it's clear the Connaught has sustained some damage as a result of that.

*Lap 44* - Villoresi is now right on the back of Wharton, but is as yet unable to get past the HWM. Meanwhile da Silva Ramos is powerless to prevent Hawthorn from taking 19th place.

*Lap 45* - Menditeguy's tyres seem to have reached a cliff, and he is beginning to lose ground to Collins. And Perdisa gets SO close to the back of Iglesias, but just cannot make the pass on the Ferrari!

Meanwhile Villoresi takes advantage of the element of surprise, as he slings a move down the inside at Mixtos to take 13th position - and he will now target McAlpine's HWM for 12th overall.

*Lap 46* - Collins is within 2 seconds of Menditeguy now, as the latter is really starting to struggle on his tyres. Perdisa is still moving around behind Iglesias, whilst McAlpine pits and emerges behind Villoresi and Wharton, with Lucas in close contention too.

*Lap 47* - Another fastest lap from Farina, who is stamping his authority all over the 1st half of the race! Collins takes Menditeguy for 2nd place, as the latter is sliding right off the pace. Whiteaway is now within 15 seconds of da Silva Ramos and closing quickly.

*Lap 48* - The latest raft of pit-stops sees Farina come in first, and emerges in 1st place still - meaning he now has a pit-stop in hand over those behind him. Salvadori, Herrmann and Moss come in…and leave the pits in the same places as they had such an advantage over Bayol.

Brabham is not so lucky, as he loses 9th and 10th to Iglesias and Perdisa respectively. He even slips behind Wharton to drop into 12th place overall.

Villoresi also comes in, with the usual lacklustre display by his mechanics he comes out in 16th place just behind Fitch. meanwhile another set of cars pitting without changing position include Fairman, da Silva Ramos (who fixes his car in time to prevent losing any places), Whiteaway, Sparken and Simon.

*Lap 49* - Bayol is closing ground to Moss, as the Ferrari is clearly struggling on colder tyres and a heavier fuel load. Perdisa and Wharton both pits on this lap, with the former coming out JUST behind Brabham, who looks really slow on this set of tyres. Meanwhile Wharton emerges between Lucas and Fitch, though much closer to the former.

Villoresi is right behind Fitch, and pushing hard to get by - though he's not having the same luck as he was before. Also on this lap we bid farewell to Claes, as the Connaught slows to a stop out of fuel and out of the race.

*Lap 50* - Menditeguy and Collins both pit on this lap - the Brit retains 2nd place, whilst the home-favourite is made to pay for those laps on his worn-out tyres as he slips behind both Salvadori and Herrmann, who he will now have to pass on track to get ahead of!

Iglesias pits here too, and comes out a single second ahead of Brabham in 9th place. In the HWM battle, Lucas moves into the #1 slot with a deft pass on McAlpine at Curva Uno to claim 12th position.

*Lap 51* - Farina's lead is 37 seconds, and it looks almost unassailable - the most his rivals can hope for is to avoid being lapped at this point it seems! Brabham and Perdisa are pressuring Iglesias, and Wharton is right on the back of McAlpine who is in turn gaining on team-mate Lucas.

Villoresi could NOT be any closer to Fitch, as he crosses the line right alongside the HWM. Meanwhile Maglioli pits and comes out just behind Hawthorn.

*Lap 52* - Still Iglesias continues to hold off Brabham and Perdisa, whilst Villoresi uses his superior momentum into Curva Uno to claim track position and 15th ahead of Fitch.

*Lap 53* - Brabham gets ahead of Iglesias…but he overshoots the corner!!! The Ferrari re-takes the place and Brabham is forced to go on the defensive against Perdisa to keep hold of his own position.

*Lap 54* - Brabham makes the same move on Iglesias at Horquilla…but this time he makes it stick to claim 9th place. Perdisa doesn't manage to follow him through into 10th though. Hawthorn pits on this lap to ensure Maglioli reclaims 18th position.

*Lap 55* - A quieter lap, as the race settles back into its rhythm - the main action is Bayol pressuring Moss for 6th place.

*Lap 56* - Iglesias and Perdisa on the back of Brabham are pushing hard, but with no luck at this stage. McAlpine is also gaining ground on Lucas too.

*Lap 57* - Both Bayol and Kling come in this time around, with very similar pit-stops, and they come out in the same places, such is their lead over the likes of Brabham etc. Further back Lucas is not so lucky, as he pits and emerges behind McAlpine, Wharton and the fast-moving Villoresi.

Piotti also comes in from 23rd, but such is his lead over Simon that he's still over a lap ahead of the lone Gordini!

*Lap 58* - Brabham is starting to stretch the legs of his Lancia, and is putting a little bit of distance between Iglesias and Perdisa - who have a gap opening up between them as well. Villoresi is less than 10 seconds behind Wharton now in the pursuit of 13th position.

*Lap 59* - A big incident for Maglioli!!! The Italian comes into Horquilla and gets it all wrong and hits the barriers with some force - he gets it going again, but his car looks severely damaged at this point…

*Lap 60* - Maglioli does come straight into the pits, and loses a place to Hawthorn while the Lancia mechanics work on his car - but he does get out ahead of da Silva Ramos and so retains his top 20 place at least.

*Lap 61* - Villoresi has the gap down to under 5 seconds to Wharton, with the race certainly settling into a rhythm now.

*Lap 62* - Brabham is gaining on Kling, but is still over 10 seconds down on the Mercedes despite his superior pace. Perdisa has a run at Iglesias on this lap, but is unable to get past the Ferrari. McAlpine pits on this lap, coming out in 14th place behind Wharton and Villoresi - meaning the Cooper is now charging towards 12th position.

*Lap 63* - Again Perdisa tries to force his way past Iglesias, but just cannot find a gap to get past the Ferrari.

*Lap 64* - It's time for pit-stops again, and Farina once more comes in, pits and exits in 1st position. Collins stays out in 2nd, and Menditeguy is back up to 3rd as he of course doesn't pit. Salvadori, Hermann and Moss are out in positions 4 through 6, with Bayol and Kling staying out in 7th and 8th respectively.

Brabham pits and loses 9th to Iglesias, 10th to Perdisa and even 11th to Wharton. Villoresi comes in for another woeful stop from the Cooper mechanics, but such is his pace that he now emerges from the pits ahead of Fitch in 15th place! Also pitting on this lap are Fairman, Whiteaway, Sparken and Simon - without losing any positions.

*Lap 65* - Wharton pits on this lap, coming out behind Brabham and McAlpine in an otherwise quiet lap.

*Lap 66* - Collins pits and comes out 5 seconds ahead of Menditeguy - as he retains 2nd place. Iglesias and Perdisa both come into the pits on this lap, the Maserati mechanics are quicker - but the Ferrari remains ahead…but as they both exit the pits neither can get out in front of Brabham, who re-assumes 9th position.

Maglioi is gaining on Hawthorn at the moment, and likewise Piotti is taking chunks out of Sparken's advantage - though neither are close enough to do anything as yet.

*Lap 67* - Menditeguy is gaining ground on Collins, but attention is on Perdisa who slings a move up the inside of Iglesias…but overcooks it and cannot keep hold of the position. Thankfully for the Maserati McAlpine is around 13 seconds down.

*Lap 68* - Another move from Perdisa, and another strong piece of defensive driving from Iglesias shuts the door on another overtaking chance. Maglioli pits on this lap as well, just when he was in touching distance of Hawthorn.

*Lap 69* - Villoresi is once again closing the gap to Lucas and those in front, by around 1 second per lap at the moment - he may need more than that given that there is another round of pit-stops to come for most drivers though!

Fitch pits but maintains position - and da Silva Ramos' tyres look incredibly worn, meaning he is now losing 3 seconds a lap to Whiteaway - his lead is sufficient that it will be a while before the Arzani driver can capitalise though.

*Lap 70* - Menditeguy's tyres have also clearly reached the cliff, and he is now starting to bleed time to Salvadori and those chasing. Perdisa elects to sit on the back of Iglesias this lap, and doesn't try an overtake in an effort to maximise his opportunity.

Piotti pits on this lap, and maintains position.

*Lap 71* - Menditeguy is dropping back into the clutches of Salvadori, but still has around 10 seconds over the Mercedes as it stands. Perdisa again follows Iglesias this lap, and bides his time for a chance to pass…

*Lap 72* - Menditeguy loses 6 seconds on that lap to Salvadori, as the Argentine's tyres are clearly almost completely worn away! He will surely be overhauled next time around. Perdisa remains behind Iglesias, and Lucas has a lunge at Wharton, but unfortunately for him to no avail.

Meanwhile further back Hawthorn comes into the pits, and is there for so long with the mechanics lacking any urgency that he loses a place to Maglioli here. Da Silva Ramos also pits this time around.

*Lap 73* - Salvadori is passed Menditeguy without issue, with Herrmann next to capitalise very soon indeed. Perdisa has a go at Iglesias, but some superb defensive driving by the Ferrari keeps him inside the top 10. Likewise Lucas is frustrated by Wharton again on this lap.

*Lap 74* - Herrmannn does pass Menditeguy for 4th place - it'll be a couple of laps before Moss can bridge the gap to take advantage though.

*Lap 75* - Moss wont get the chance to pass the Vanwall on track, as Menditeguy comes in to the pits on this lap - he emerges in 6th place, behind Moss and some 7 seconds ahead of Bayol. Perdisa is still pressuring Iglesias, though Wharton has managed to draw out some breathing space ahead of Lucas.

*Lap 76* - Bayol and Kling both pit, but such is their advantage over Brabham that both come out with at least a 15 second advantage over the Lancia! Lucas also pits, and loses 14th to Villoresi in the process.

*Lap 77* - Perdisa is still pressuring Iglesias, though thanks to their in-fighting McAlpine is now within 10 seconds of the pair of them and travelling around 0.5 seconds per lap quicker.

*Lap 78* - McAlpine pits on this lap however, coming out behind both Wharton and Villoresi. And STILL Perdisa pressures Iglesias.

*Lap 79* - A more relaxed lap here, as it's clear that the mechanics are preparing in the pits for the next round of stops…

*Lap 80* - …and so it proves! Farina comes in, leaving in the lead with a 30 second advantage over Collins and the race win surely beckoning! Salvadori, Herrmann and Moss all pit with the Ferrari the only one that Menditeguy is able to get ahead of.

Brabham pits and comes out right between the Perdisa vs Iglesias scrap and the chasing HWM of Wharton. Villoresi must be dreading his stop, and once again it's a slow one - he drops behind McAlpine and Lucas but comes out JUST ahead of Fitch.

Fairman, Whiteaway, Sparken and Simon all also come in as well, but such are the gaps between those nearer the back that there's no danger of any of them losing a place.

*Lap 81* - Collins pits, coming out in 2nd place still some 20 seconds ahead of Salvadori. Indeed the biggest battle the top 5 will see for the rest of the race is likely whether Menditeguy in 5th can get enough pace from his tyres while they are fresh to be able to keep ahead of Moss at the end of the race when they are sure to be worn out.

Wharton pits this time around, and he comes out behind McAlpine - though with only 2 seconds in it now. He has pulled out 11 seconds over Lucas, who was pressuring him before!

*Lap 82* - Brabham is back into 9th after the squabbling Perdisa and Iglesias pit on this lap - and the Maserati mechanics are on real form here! They change the tyres and get the refuelling completed quickly enough to send the Maserati out ahead of the Ferrari! FINALLY he is able to pass his adversary!!!

*Lap 83* - Fitch pulls to the side of the road - seems he is out of fuel! That's a top 20 place that's just opened up for someone like Whiteaway to claim - and what an achievement that would be for Arzani-Volpini if they could have a car finish within the top 20!!!

*Lap 84* - Wharton is pressuring McAlpine, whilst Perdisa now has a 2 second advantage over Iglesias now he can use his pace properly - however he has a 6 second deficit to Brabham to make up.

*Lap 85* - Maglioli pits, and comes out 3 seconds ahead of Hawthorn in the Cooper - will he be able to hold on that advantage for the remaining 11 laps?

*Lap 86* - Wharton is hounding McAline, but with no luck as yet. 4.9 seconds is the gap between Brabham and Perdisa as the Maserati continues to press.

*Lap 87* - 4.7 seconds is the gap - Perdisa needs to move more quickly than that if he is going to challenge the Lancia.

*Lap 88* - Menditeguy is now on the back of Herrmann - the Maserati is unlikely to be concerned given how far the Vanwall's tyres have to last!

*Lap 89* - Herrmann blocks Menditeguy, and it's now a 4.6 second gap between Brabham and Perdisa.

*Lap 90* - Menditeguy gets the better of Herrmann at Tobogan, and how important could that pass be for the Vanwall's ambitions of staying ahead of Moss and the like. Wharton can still not get past McAlpine, and with the gap between Brabham and Perdisa over 5 seconds it looks like that battle may be over before it began.

Hawthorn pits on this lap, but remains 18th - and Piotti's tyres look to have given up the ghost, but he has a 3 lap advantage over Simon, so is unlikely to lose ground to the Gordini.

*Lap 91* - Salvadori is in danger of being lapped; though it looks like Collins will manage to finish on the same lap as the dominant Farina - who is really stamping his authority on this season already!

Wharton is right on the back of McAlpine and pushing hard, whilst Villoresi is nearly down to just 10 seconds behind Lucas.

*Lap 92* - Wharton roars down the inside of McAlpine into Horquilla! He is ahead, but the car fishtails on exit, and though he keeps it under control he is unable to prevent McAlpine from re-taking the place.

*Lap 93* - Wharton is right on the back of McAlpine - and he even pulls out level with his team-mate over the line!!! Meanwhile it's the end of the road for Piotti, who just doesn't have enough fuel on board to make it to the end of the race in these surprisingly hot conditions. And it's now a question of whether Simon will be able to do enough laps to overhaul him.

*Lap 94* - Villoresi has the gap down to 6.8 seconds - while at long last Menditeguy's tyres seem to be giving up again and Herrmann is now just 0.5 seconds behind. Looks like the Vanwall is safe from Moss though who is a further 19 seconds behind. Wharton is still on the back of McAlpine after another failed attempt, this time at Ombu.

*Lap 95* - Herrmann passes Menditeguy - the Maserati claims 4th place and looks set to hold on to it as well with only a single lap remaining. Wharton is still just 0.2 seconds down on McAlpine, and Villoresi is 4.3 behind Lucas and now looks unlikely to be able to overhaul the HWM unless he spins.

*Lap 96* - Confusion reigns on the pit-wall in several teams, as lap 96 gets under-way with no chequered flag - lap charts, programmes and stewards are consulted and the conclusion is clear, much to the dismay of many a mechanic down the pit-lane! This is a 96 lap race - not 95 laps, and many drivers are not fuelled to the finish!!! What a furore this will cause once those who are affected get back to the pits!

Farina elects to choose the last lap to show how dominant he is by breaking the 1:30 second barrier on the final lap to take an incredible victory - and it would have been the hat-trick had Menditeguy not pipped him to pole position.

Collins takes a solid 2nd place, which he must be delighted with - but behind him the chaos breaks out! Salvadori is first to pull up, out of fuel and out of luck - he gets out of the car and looks furious as a podium he held for most of the race slips out of his grasp.

The Brit is forced to jump out of the way though, as he is joined at the side of the road by none other than defending champion Hans Hermann!!! The Maserati is also out of fuel, and thus must retire from the race - and both are forced to watch as they see the home fans rise to their feet and roar their approval as Menditeguy secures the final podium spot!!!

He is followed home by Moss in 4th and Bayol in 5th place, meaning 2 Ferrari and 3 Vanwall cars finish in the points. Mercedes, Lancia and Maserati must all be kicking themselves now!

That means that Salvadori will take 6th place just outside the points with Herrmann 7th, as Kling is a further lap down and thus unable to capitalise meaning he finishes 8th. Brabham is next to the line, but as he comes around Horquilla he is out of fuel and sputters to a halt within sight of the line - that means that Perdisa moves into 9th with Iglesias 10th.

On the final lap Wharton has another go at McAlpine at Horquilla - and he makes it stick! He blocks his team-mate on exit and takes 11th place as a result, with McAlpine 12th. Brabham will finish 13th as Lucas and the others are over a lap down.

Villoresi is right on the back of Lucas over the line, but is unable to pass him meaning they take 15th and 14th respectively, with Fairman a lonely 16th place.

Maglioli also comes to a halt before the finish as all Lancia drivers fail to finish the race - he is overhauled by Hawthorn and da Silva Ramos meaning the Lancia finishes in 19th place. And there is celebration in the Arzani-Volpini garage as Whiteaway crosses the line inside the top 20, which is a great achievement for the fledgling team.

Sparken finishes 21st and Simon completes the finishers in 22nd position for Gordini. Failing to finish are Piotti, Fitch, Claes, Castellotti and all the victims of the 1st lap collision between Trintignant, Taruffi, Manzon, Frere, Bucci, Rolt, Mieres and Uria.

## Race Setups

**How close setups were to perfect**

* 0.1624 Cesare Perdisa
* 0.166 Jean Lucas
* 0.18 Kenneth McAlpine
* 0.198 Ken Wharton
* 0.204 Eugenio Castellotti
* 0.20592 Elie Bayol
* 0.227872 Giuseppe Farina
* 0.2652 Jack Brabham
* 0.277408 Stirling Moss
* 0.373632 Karl Kling
* 0.386015999999999 Hans Herrmann
* 0.400864 Roy Salvadori
* 0.421504 Peter Collins
* 0.4768 Jack Fairman
* 0.48992 Luigi Villoresi
* 0.536399999999999 John Fitch
* 0.58304 Carlos Menditeguy
* 1.076976 Jesus Iglesias
* 1.48 Hermano da Silva Ramos
* 1.984 Ted Whiteaway
* 2.633024 Mike Hawthorn
* 2.86888 Johnny Claes
* 2.93808 Umberto Maglioli
* 2.956 Luigi Piotti
* 3.456 Mike Sparken
* 4.9464 André Simon