Ferrari 500

Ferrari 500

Ferrari 500

The Ferrari 500 , also Ferrari 500 F2 , was a Formula 2 racing car , built and used by Scuderia Ferrari .

Racing history

1952, the conditions under which the World Cup races of the biggest changed seater race series were played. Ferrari reacted quickly and had Aurelio Lampredi develop new four-cylinder engines . The 2-liter variant was used in the new Ferrari 500, a racing car that dominated Formula 2 races for two years. At the debut, the Gran Premio di Siracusa in 1952, four 500s took the first four places. In 1953 Mike Hawthorn celebrated his first victory in a Grand Prix race in France, also in a Ferrari 500.

The engine was straightforward. The factory engines, with double overhead camshafts, developed up to 180 hp. In order to achieve better weight distribution, the engine was moved further back in the tubular frame. The suspension was taken from the Ferrari 375F1 . With a wheelbase of 2160 mm, a length of almost four meters and a height of 1050 mm, the 500 was an extremely manoeuvrable monoposto with an empty weight of 560 kg. Alberto Ascari won the Drivers' World Championship twice, in 1952 and 1953, with the Ferrari 500 . Only the private drivers were opponents. However, their 500s were delivered with a speed limiter and the engines had significantly less power than the factory cars. It was not until the end of the 1953 season that Juan Manuel Fangio ended the winning streak of the Ferrari 500 with his victory in a Maserati A6GCM at the Italian Grand Prix .

A copy of the Ferrari 500 is on display in the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile in Turin .

Further development to type 625 F1

→ Main article : Ferrari 625F1

For the 1954 season and the return to Formula 1 engine regulations, the Ferrari 500 chassis were adapted to the new conditions and equipped with the 2.5 liter 625 engine. In this configuration, two more races could be won: one each in the 1954 season and one in 1955 . Although the cars were n't fast enough compared to the Mercedes-Benz W 196 and Maserati 250F , the Type 625 wasn't fully replaced until 1956 when Ferrari began using the D50 chassis, which Ferrari along with the Formula 1 team of Lancia had bought. In May 1955, Maurice Trintignant won the Monaco Grand Prix for Ferrari.

The inline four-cylinder engine "625 F1 Lampredi " had a displacement of 2498 cm³. With two “ Weber 50DCO” carburettors , it had an output in the range between 210 and 230 hp (154–169 kW) at 7000 rpm, depending on the configuration.

gallery

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  Cockpit of the Ferrari 500, built in 1953 at the Oldtimer Grand Prix des AvD (1975)

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  2.5 liter engine for the 1954 season at the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring

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  a 500F2 in the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile in Turin (2009)

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  The “wings” mounted here behind the front wheels were not intended as aerodynamic aids, but primarily served as rainwater and dirt deflectors

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  Ferrari Tipo 500 from 1952, exhibited at the salon Rétromobile 2017

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  Alberto Ascari at the 1953 Dutch Grand Prix

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  Alberto Ascari at the 1953 Dutch Grand Prix

Race results

Ferrari factory team

This table contains the results of Scuderia Ferrari .

year	Type	engine	tires	driver	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	Points
1952	500	500 2.0	P											n / a 1
				Giuseppe Farina	DNF / DNF 2		2	2	6th	2	2	4th
				Piero Taruffi	1		DNF	3	2	4th		7th
				André Simon	DNF 2							6th
				Alberto Ascari			1	1	1	1	1	1
				Luigi Villoresi							3	3
1953	500	500 2.0	P											n / a 1
				Giuseppe Farina	DNF		2	DNF	5	3	1	2	2
				Alberto Ascari	1		1	1	4th	1	8 2	1	DNF
				Mike Hawthorn	4th		4th	6th	1	5	3	3	4th
				Luigi Villoresi	2		DNF	2	6th	DNF	8 2	6th	3

Private driver

The Ferrari 500 was also used by various customer teams and private drivers. This table shows the results of the Type 500 in the configuration with the 2-liter engine.

year	team	tires	driver	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	Points
1952													n / a 1
	Ecurie espadon	P	Rudi Fischer	2			11 2	13	3		DNF
	Ecurie Francorchamps	E.	Charles de Tornaco			7th				DNF	NQ
			Roger Laurent						6th
	G Caprara	D.	Roy Salvadori					8th
	Ecurie Rosier	D.	Louis Rosier	DNF		DNF	DNF				10
1953													n / a 1
	Ecurie espadon	P	Peter Hirt								DNF
	Ecurie Francorchamps	E.	Charles de Tornaco				DNS
			Jacques Swaters							7th	DNF
	Ecurie Rosier	D.	Louis Rosier			7th	8th	8th	10	10	DNF	16

Legend
colour	abbreviation	meaning
gold	-	victory
silver	-	2nd place
bronze	-	3rd place
green	-	Placement in the points
blue	-	Classified outside the point ranks
violet	DNF	Race not finished (did not finish)
	NC	not classified
red	DNQ	did not qualify
	DNPQ	failed in pre-qualification (did not pre-qualify)
black	DSQ	disqualified
White	DNS	not at the start (did not start)
	WD	withdrawn
Light Blue	PO	only participated in the training (practiced only)
	TD	Friday test driver
without	DNP	did not participate in the training (did not practice)
	INJ	injured or sick
	EX	excluded
	DNA	did not arrive
	C.	Race canceled
		no participation in the World Cup
other	P / bold	Pole position
	SR / italic	Fastest race lap
	*	not at the finish, but counted due to the distance covered
	()	Streak results
	underlined	Leader in the overall standings

¹ The constructors' rating was only introduced in 1958

² "Shared Drive" (possible sharing of points by changing drivers on the same vehicle)

Technical specifications

Basic technical information on the Ferrari 500 F2

500	Year of construction 1952; used in 1952 and 1953
engine	Four-cylinder in - line engine
Bore × stroke	90 × 78 mm
Displacement	1985 cc
compression	13: 1
power	185 hp at 7500 rpm
Engine control	DOHC , gear , 2 valves per cylinder
Charging	2 × Weber 50DCO or 4 × Weber 45 DOE
fuel	Gasoline ( shell )
Tank capacity	150 liters
cooling	Water (with pump)
transmission	Transaxle 4 gear, 1 return gear, multi-disc clutch
landing gear	Tubular frame, 2 oval side members
Suspension in front	Double wishbone , transverse leaf spring
Rear suspension	De Dion axle , transverse leaf spring
Shock absorbers	Lever shock absorbers front and rear
Brakes	four hydraulic drum brakes
wheelbase	2160 mm
track	1270/1250 mm
External dimensions	Length: 3800 mm / width: 1400 mm / height: 1050 mm
Dry weight	560 kg (including water and oil)
Top speed	approx. 240 km / h

Web links

Commons : Ferrari 500  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• FERRARI.com information about the 500 F2
• Museo Ferrari - F2 500 - 1951 Video about the 500 F2 with "walk around" and detailed shots

Individual evidence

1. ^ According to the official Ferrari website
2. ↑ FERRARI MOD. 500 F2. www.museoauto.com, accessed May 11, 2020 (Italian).