Maserati 250F

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Maserati 250F of the factory team in Aintree 1957
Maserati 250F, Juan Manuel Fangio's emergency vehicle in 1957
6 cylinder engine of the Maserati 250F
Maserati 250F at the 1977 Oldtimer-Grand-Prix in the south bend of the Nürburgring
... and in the north bend

The Maserati 250F was a Formula 1 racing car that was built by Maserati from 1954 to 1958 and was used in the world championship. Juan Manuel Fangio became Formula 1 world champion in 1957 on a 250F .

Basics

The Maserati 250F was one of the best and most durable Formula 1 cars in Grand Prix history. Maserati originally planned to develop the car only for private use. Since these teams acted with limited financial and technical resources, the bolide had to be designed simply.

Initially the 250F was referred to as the 6C2500. After the first test drives it was given the designation 250F. The number "250" stood for the engine capacity of 2500 cm³ and the "F" for formula. The basis of the 250F was the Maserati A6GCM . Five of the 33 copies built were derived from this model or the A6GCM was converted into a 250F. 22 pieces were planned from the beginning and were also produced, six 250F were conversions of existing cars that were only renumbered.

technology

Vittorio Bellentani and Gioacchino Colombo agreed on the basic features of the car. The six-cylinder engine was derived from the engine of the A6GCM. The cast-iron cylinder liners were inserted into an aluminum engine block heated to 160 degrees in an oil bath . The compression was 12: 1. Two overhead camshafts moved two valves per cylinder. The four-speed gearbox was in the rear in order to achieve an optimal weight distribution. The tubular space frame carried a front axle with coil springs and lever shock absorbers. The rear of the 250F had a De-Dion axle with transverse leaf springs and lever shock absorbers. The body with a cockpit that offered the driver more space than comparable racing cars of the era was supplied by Fantuzzi .

Colombo could no longer watch the completion of the first 250F as he moved from Maserati to Bugatti to advance their Formula 1 project.

1954

The 250F made its debut at the 1954 Argentina Grand Prix with Juan Manuel Fangio at the wheel. Fangio, who left Maserati soon after to switch to Mercedes-Benz , drove the 250F as an unofficial works car and ensured a perfect maiden win. Fangio was also successful in the second race in Belgium . These successes prompted Maserati to set up an official factory team, which made it difficult for the factory to fulfill all customer orders in the agreed time. Therefore, the five A6GCM were used and converted into 250F. These cars were, however, inferior to the new 250F, mainly because of the outdated chassis. You could recognize the converted A6GCM by the tension struts running outside the body. As a privateer, Stirling Moss drove a 250F in the World Championship for most of the season. The works team included Luigi Musso , Roberto Mieres and Onofre Marimón as well as Harry Schell .

1955

Even before Mercedes-Benz, Maserati tested Bosch injection in 1955 . Although the injection was not used for the time being, the findings flowed into the injection systems that were installed in Maserati sports cars. The transmission was given a fifth gear and the external dimensions were slightly reduced. Fantuzzi designed a new, more aerodynamic body that was used in the car with chassis number 2518. The new works driver Jean Behra finished fourth in the Italian Grand Prix . However, the 250F did not win against the Mercedes-Benz racing cars throughout the season.

1956

The tests with gasoline injection showed the first fruits in 1956 . A pump driven by a chain from the camshaft was built into the 250F. The chassis has also been modified. The motor was rotated by six degrees, so that the cardan shaft could be guided past the driver's seat on the left and the driver's seating position could be lowered. Stirling Moss, now a works driver at Maserati, won the Monaco Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix on the Monza high-speed track .

1957

Maserati 250F, variant with the exhaust drawn backwards, 1957

For the 1957 season, Maserati constructed a new space frame made of thin steel tubes. The exhaust pipes were routed to the left past the driver's windshield to the rear and merged there into a single pipe that led to behind the rear wheels. The drum brakes have also been revised. These improvements made the 250F the extraordinary vehicle with which Juan Manuel Fangio clinched his fifth world title. Maserati was already working on a V12 engine that would further extend the life of the 250F when the team management announced the dissolution of the works team for financial reasons after Fangio had won the title.

1958

In 1958 , Maserati built three more 250Fs with the six-cylinder engine , which were delivered to customers. Without the professional support of the Maserati racing department, these cars were now inferior to the competition. The American Temple Buell team with Carroll Shelby and Masten Gregory had no more success with the 250F.

literature

  • Maurizio Tabucchi: Maserati, All Grand Prix, Sports and GT vehicles from 1926 until today . Heel, Königswinter 2004, ISBN 3-89880-211-6

Web links

Commons : Maserati 250F  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files