Juan-Manuel Fangio had dominated the Formula 1 World Championship in 1957, driving a Maserati 250F. Maserati withdrew their works team for 1958 because of financial difficulties, but Fangio persevered with a private 250F. Stirling Moss, Stuart Lewis-Evans and Tony Brooks remained with Vanwall, although their cars were not ready for the opening race of the year in Argentina. Ferrari had Luigi Musso, Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins.
Moss Wins Argentine Grand Prix for Cooper
With his Vanwall not yet ready Moss drove a small rear-engined Cooper in Argentina, entered by veteran team owner Rob Walker. He qualified well back, in seventh position, and did not appear to be a threat to the big Italian cars which made up the rest of the field.
Fangio was on pole, but from fourth on the grid Jean Behra made his usual good start to take the lead. Hawthorn found a way past Behra’s Maserati on lap two, and then Fangio found a way past both of them. It was not to be the defending World Champion’s day, however, as he pitted with a misfire and dropped back.
While others pitted the lead passed to Moss in the Cooper, with Musso his nearest challenger. Ferrari fully expected Moss to stop, but the Englishman had other ideas. In addition to nursing his tyres Moss also had to contend with blurred vision, due to an eye injury which saw him driving in practice with an eye patch. By the time Musso realised that Moss would not be stopping it was too late. The tiny Cooper crossed the line to become the first rear-engined car to win a Formula 1 World Championship Grand Prix. Musso trailed home second, followed by Hawthorn, Fangio, Behra and Harry Schell.
Monaco Grand Prix Goes to Trintignant
Behra was in the cockpit of a BRM for the Monaco Grand Prix, and duly qualified second behind the pole-sitting Vanwall of Brooks. Behra passed Brooks early in the race, but both drivers struck trouble. Behra pitted with a brake problem and Brooks withdrew from the race with a misfire.
Hawthorn and Moss were left out front, but they also retired from the Grand Prix. Moss’s engine failed and Hawthorn’s fuel pump broke. This left Maurice Trintignant in the lead, driving a Cooper. For the second race in succession a small rear-engined car had defeated the more powerful front-engined machines. It was a portent of things to come.
Musso was again second, over 20 seconds behind Trintignant. Collins was third in another Ferrari, ahead of Jack Brabham’s Cooper and Schell’s BRM. Sixth position was credited to Cliff Allison who, along with Graham Hill, gave the Lotus team their Formula 1 debut in the race.
Kevin Guthrie - Kevin is based in Fife, Scotland, where he works as a music teacher, professional drummer and freelance writer. At an early age he ...
