At the start of the 1954 Formula 1 season the sport was still dominated by Italian teams. The silver revolution from Germany, in the shape of Mercedes-Benz, lay some months ahead. After two seasons of running to Formula 2 regulations 1954 saw the return of proper Formula 1 cars.
Fangio Wins Home Grand Prix
The season opened in Argentina where Ferrari claimed pole position, second and fourth in qualifying. Their only threat had come from the 1951 champion Juan-Manuel Fangio, who started from third in his Maserati.
Giuseppe Farina led in his Ferrari before being passed by his team-mate, the larger than life Argentinean Jose Froilan Gonzalez. Rain started falling, causing Gonzalez to spin and Farina to pit for a new visor. Fangio assumed the lead but, as the track dried, Gonzalez and Farina both passed his Maserati.
When the rain returned Fangio once again made his way into first position, before stopping for tyres. Ferrari was convinced that his Maserati team had contravened the rules by using too many mechanics during the pit stop. Fangio rejoined, passing Farina and Gonzalez on his way back to the front. He was still ahead at the end and, although Ferrari appealed his victory, it was rejected. Farina finished second and Gonzalez third.
The Indianapolis 500 was once again a curious inclusion on the Formula 1 calendar in 1954. Jack McGrath became the first driver to average 140 mph for a lap of the speedway on his way to pole. In the race Bill Vukovich won, as he had done in 1953. Jimmy Bryan finished second while McGrath had to settle for third.
Fangio and Maserati Win Belgian GP
Fangio was once again the man on form at the Belgian Grand Prix. He was quickest in qualifying, ahead of Gonzalez and Farina. Gonzalez led briefly, only to retire on the opening lap. Farina inherited the lead before Fangio surged past. Struggling with a loose visor he relinquished the lead back to Farina, but the Italian retired on lap 15. Fangio went on to score his second victory of 1954. Maurice Trintignant was a distant second while third place was taken by Mike Hawthorn in a car shared with Gonzalez following the latter’s retirement.
Mercedes-Benz Enter Formula 1
Mercedes-Benz finally made their debut at the French Grand Prix, entering three of their W196 cars for Fangio, Karl Kling and Hans Herrmann. The speed of the silver cars was immediately apparent as Fangio took pole, ahead of his new team-mate Kling. Defending champion Alberto Ascari was the best of the rest but went out of the race on lap one. In a demonstration of supremacy Fangio won from Kling, with Robert Manzon a lap behind in third. He had benefited from Prince Bira’s Maserati running out of fuel on the last lap.
Gonzalez Scores Second British GP Victory
Maserati had an unhappy start to the British Grand Prix weekend. Their late arrival at the circuit saw their cars demoted to the rear of the grid. Fangio once again started from pole, with his countryman Gonzalez alongside. It was the Ferrari driver who took the lead at the start but it was another Argentinean, Onofre Marimon, who provided the best entertainment. The young driver, a protégé of Fangio, overtook 19 cars on the opening lap.
Fangio had an uncharacteristically lacklustre race, struggling to position his W196 for Silverstone’s corners, as the all-enveloping bodywork hindered his view. Stirling Moss was running well until an axle broke, but it was Gonzalez who took the victory, three years after his first British Grand Prix win. Hawthorn finished over a minute behind in second while the astonishing Marimon was third. Fangio’s Mercedes, dented as the result of colliding with oil drums which marked the corners, trailed home in fourth.
1954 Formula 1 season review continues here.
