Automobile World Championship 1959

Automobile World Championship 1959

World Champion
Driver:	Jack Brabham
Constructor:	Cooper-Climax
Season dates
Number of races:	9
<1958 season	1960 season>

The 1959 Automobile World Championship was the 10th season of the Automobile World Championship, which is now known as the Formula 1 World Championship . The drivers' world championship and the International Cup of Formula 1 Constructors were held within nine races from May 10, 1959 to December 12, 1959 .

The FIA honorary title Grand Prix of Europe was awarded to the Grand Prix of France in 1959 .

Jack Brabham won the drivers' championship for the first time. Cooper became world constructors champions for the first time.

The 1958 world champion, Mike Hawthorn , resigned and had a fatal accident in a traffic accident that winter. The Vanwall team , designer world champion in 1958, no longer started as a works team.

The Ferrari team with drivers Tony Brooks , Phil Hill , Dan Gurney and others continued to rely on the concept of the front engine, which could only show its class on high-speed tracks. On other courses, however, the Ferrari was inferior to the new mid-engine car. Stirling Moss in Rob Walker's private Cooper was also one of the favorites, while the Cooper works team with Jack Brabham , Bruce McLaren and others was not considered a favorite.

The world championship runs

GP Monaco - Monte-Carlo (May 10, 1959)

→ Main article : 1959 Monaco Grand Prix

space	driver	team	time
1	Jack Brabham	Cooper - Climax	2: 55: 51.3
2	Tony Brooks	Ferrari	+ 20.4
3	Maurice Trintignant	Cooper - Climax	+ 2 rounds
4th	Phil Hill	Ferrari	+ 3 rounds
5	Bruce McLaren	Cooper - Climax	+ 4 rounds

16 drivers qualified for the season opener in Monaco . Pole position was taken by Stirling Moss in his private Cooper , although Jean Behra was in the lead until his engine went out on lap 21. Then Moss dominated the race, but retired 20 laps before the end due to problems with the power transmission. So the way was clear for Jack Brabham , who celebrated his first victory in a World Championship on Cooper-Climax.

500 Miles from Indianapolis - Indianapolis (May 30, 1959)

→ Main article : Indianapolis 500 1959

space	driver	team	time
1	Rodger Ward	Watson - Offenhauser	3: 40: 49.20
2	Jim Rathmann	Watson - Offenhauser	+ 23.28
3	Johnny Thomson	Lesovsky - Offenhauser	+ 50.64
4th	Tony Bettenhausen	Epperly - Offenhauser	+1: 47.09
5	Paul Goldsmith	Epperly - Offenhauser	+ 2: 06.44

There were two fatal accidents during training with Jerry Unser and Bob Cortner . The race itself is considered one of the best Indianapolis 500 , as four drivers dueled for victory for a long time. In the end, Rodger Ward was ahead in the new Watson . Europeans were not at the start, and how little consideration the organizers showed for each other is shown by the fact that the Dutch GP took place on the very next day.

GP Netherlands - Zandvoort (May 31, 1959)

→ Main article : 1959 Dutch Grand Prix

space	driver	team	time
1	Joakim Bonnier	BRM	2: 05: 26.8
2	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	+ 14.2
3	Masts Gregory	Cooper-Climax	+1: 23.8
4th	Innes Ireland	lotus	+ 1 lap
5	Jean Behra	Ferrari	+ 1 lap

Joakim Bonnier celebrated his only victory in a Formula 1 World Championship race with BRM . The Scot Innes Ireland made a promising debut as he drove straight up to 4th place in a Lotus . On the other hand, the debut of Aston Martin , whose front engine concept was technically outdated, turned into a fiasco .

French GP / European GP - Reims (5th July 1959)

→ Main article : 1959 French Grand Prix

space	driver	team	time
1	Tony Brooks	Ferrari	2: 01: 26.5
2	Phil Hill	Ferrari	+ 27.5
3	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	+1: 37.7
4th	Olivier Gendebien	Ferrari	+1: 47.5
5	Bruce McLaren	Cooper-Climax	+1: 47.7

The Ferraris dominated the Reims high-speed circuit in the heat; Tony Brooks and Phil Hill achieved an undisputed double victory. Dan Gurney made his F1 debut in a Ferrari, but he had to retire on lap 20 due to damage to the radiator. Even Jean Behras Ferrari fell out; the angry Behra was violent towards the team manager and was fired. World Cup stand: Brabham 19 points, Brooks 14 points, P. Hill 9 points

British GP - Aintree (July 18, 1959)

→ Main article : 1959 British Grand Prix

space	driver	team	time
1	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	2: 30: 11.6
2	Stirling Moss	BRM	+ 22.2
3	Bruce McLaren	Cooper-Climax	+ 22.4
4th	Harry Schell	BRM	+ 1 lap
5	Maurice Trintignant	Cooper-Climax	+ 1 lap

Because of a strike in Italy, Ferrari and its drivers Phil Hill and Dan Gurney could not take part in this Grand Prix. Ferrari driver Tony Brooks switched to a Vanwall , but retired after 14 laps with engine problems. With his win, Jack Brabham increased his lead. World Cup stand: Brabham 27 points, Brooks 14 points, P. Hill 9 points

GP Germany - Berlin / AVUS (August 2, 1959)

→ Main article : 1959 German Grand Prix

space	driver	team	time
1	Tony Brooks	Ferrari	2: 09: 31.6
2	Dan Gurney	Ferrari	+ 1.9
3	Phil Hill	Ferrari	+1: 04.8
4th	Maurice Trintignant	Cooper-Climax	+ 1 lap
5	Joakim Bonnier	BRM	+ 2 round

For the first time since the 1920s, the German Grand Prix was held at the AVUS in Berlin . To avoid punctures on the narrow track, the race was held for the first time in Formula 1 in two runs of 30 laps each. Jack Brabham retired with his Cooper in the first run due to clutch damage. Adding the two runs showed that the Ferrari drivers were dominant. All three drivers achieved podium positions. But this race also had a tragic side: the day before, Jean Behra had a fatal accident in a supporting race with a Porsche. As a result, Porsche withdrew Wolfgang von Trips' participation. World Cup stand: Brabham 27 points, Brooks 23 points, P. Hill 13 points

GP Portugal - Monsanto (23 August 1959)

→ Main article : 1959 Portuguese Grand Prix

space	driver	team	time
1	Stirling Moss	Cooper-Climax	2: 11: 55.41
2	Masts Gregory	Cooper-Climax	+ 1 lap
3	Dan Gurney	Ferrari	+ 1 lap
4th	Maurice Trintignant	Cooper-Climax	+ 2 rounds
5	Harry Schell	BRM	+ 3 rounds

Stirling Moss was "in a class of its own" in Portugal. He dominated the practice session, was more than 2 seconds faster than the runner-up and lapped the entire field in the race. World Cup stand: Brabham 27 points, Brooks 23 points, Moss 17.5 points

Italian GP - Monza (September 13, 1959)

→ Main article : 1959 Italian Grand Prix

space	driver	team	time
1	Stirling Moss	Cooper-Climax	2: 04: 05.4
2	Phil Hill	Ferrari	+ 46.7
3	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	+1: 12.5
4th	Dan Gurney	Ferrari	+1: 19.6
5	Cliff Allison	Ferrari	+ 1 lap

The duel between Cooper and Ferrari continued in Italy. Stirling Moss took pole and was also able to leave the Italian racing cars behind in the race. After the Italian GP, ​​the World Cup was as follows: Brabham 31 points, Moss 25.5 points, Brooks 23 points. Before the season finale in the USA, only these pilots were considered for the world title. Moss or Brooks had to win; if either of them should win, Brabham had to finish second.

US GP - Sebring (December 12, 1959)

→ Main article : 1959 US Grand Prix

space	driver	team	time
1	Bruce McLaren	Cooper-Climax	2: 12: 35.7
2	Maurice Trintignant	Cooper-Climax	+ 0.6
3	Tony Brooks	Ferrari	+ 3: 00.9
4th	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	+ 4: 57.3
5	Innes Ireland	lotus	+ 3 rounds

For the first time, another US Grand Prix was held alongside Indianapolis. After Stirling Moss , who had started from pole, had to retire in the 6th lap due to gearbox damage, only Brabham and Brooks were eligible for the world title. However, Brooks also had considerable difficulties during the race to keep up with the two Cooper drivers McLaren and Trintignant , so Brabham only drove on safety and always stayed behind Brooks. In the end it got exciting again when Brabham ran out of gas on the last lap. He pushed his car 800 meters to the finish. Brooks only finished 3rd, and Brabham was fourth to become the new F1 World Champion. Bruce McLaren, on the other hand, achieved his first GP victory and was the youngest winner of a world championship run at the age of 22 years and 3 months.

World championship ratings

Driver ranking

1	Jack Brabham	cooper	31 (34)
2	Tony Brooks	Ferrari / Vanwall	27
3	Stirling Moss	Cooper / BRM	25.5
4th	Phil Hill	Ferrari	20th
5	Maurice Trintignant	cooper	19th
6th	Bruce McLaren	cooper	16.5
7th	Dan Gurney	Ferrari	13
8th	Joakim Bonnier	BRM	10
9	Masts Gregory	cooper	10
10	Rodger Ward	Watson	8th
11	Jim Rathmann	Watson	6th
12	Johnny Thomson	Lesovsky	5
13	Harry Schell	BRM	5
14th	Innes Ireland	lotus	5
15th	Olivier Gendebien	Ferrari	3
16	Tony Bettenhausen	Epperly	3
17th	Cliff Allison	Ferrari	2
18th	Jean Behra	Ferrari	2
19th	Paul Goldsmith	Epperly	2

The first five of each race received 8, 6, 4, 3 and 2 points, respectively, and another point was awarded for the fastest race lap. The best five results were evaluated.

Constructors' championship

1	Cooper-Climax	40 (53)
2	Ferrari	32 (40)
3	BRM	19th
4th	Lotus Climax	5

The best five results were evaluated. Points were only awarded to the best-ranked driver of each team.

Web links

Commons : 1959 Automobile World Championship  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

• Official Formula 1 website Results Season 1959 (English)