1958 French Grand Prix Explained

Type:F1
Previous Round:1958 Belgian Grand Prix
Next Round:1958 British Grand Prix
Country:France
Grand Prix:French
Date:6 July
Year:1958
Official Name:XLIV Grand Prix de l'ACF
Location:Reims circuit, Reims, France
Course:Temporary road course
Course Mi:5.159
Course Km:8.302
Distance Laps:50
Distance Mi:257.95
Distance Km:415.1
Pole Driver:Mike Hawthorn
Pole Team:Ferrari
Pole Time:2:21.7
Pole Country:UK
Fast Driver:Mike Hawthorn
Fast Team:Ferrari
Fast Time:2:24.9
Fast Country:UK
First Driver:Mike Hawthorn
First Team:Ferrari
First Country:UK
Second Driver:Stirling Moss
Second Team:Vanwall
Second Country:UK
Third Driver:Wolfgang von Trips
Third Team:Ferrari
Third Country:Germany

The 1958 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims on 6 July 1958. It was race 6 of 11 in the 1958 World Championship of Drivers and race 5 of 10 in the 1958 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers.

The race was won by Mike Hawthorn driving a Ferrari 246 F1; it was his first Formula One victory since the 1954 Spanish Grand Prix and would prove to be his last. It was also the last Formula One race for five-time World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio. On the final lap, Hawthorn eased up to let Fangio, running fifth at the time, finish on the lead lap of his last race. When Peter Collins then crashed on the final lap, Fangio secured fourth place.

Ferrari driver Luigi Musso suffered a fatal accident at the Courbe du Calvaire. His car hurtled off course and crashed into a ditch. Musso was thrown out of the car, was critically injured and died later that day at a hospital near the track.

Of the 21 starters, six died in racing cars within the next three years. Musso died in the race itself, while Peter Collins died in that year's German Grand Prix, Lewis-Evans at the Moroccan Grand Prix, Jean Behra in a support race for the 1959 German Grand Prix, Harry Schell in practice for the 1960 BRDC International Trophy, and Wolfgang von Trips and a dozen spectators died at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix.

Classification

Qualifying

PosNoDriverConstructorTimeGap
14 Mike HawthornFerrari2:21.7
22 Luigi MussoFerrari2:22.4+0.7
316 Harry SchellBRM2:23.1+1.4
442 Peter CollinsFerrari2:23.3+1.6
510 Tony BrooksVanwall2:23.4+1.7
68 Stirling MossVanwall2:23.7+2.0
718 Maurice TrintignantBRM2:23.7+2.0
834 Juan Manuel FangioMaserati2:24.0+2.3
914 Jean BehraBRM2:24.2+2.5
1012 Stuart Lewis-EvansVanwall2:25.3+3.6
1140 Paco GodiaMaserati2:27.1+5.4
1222 Jack BrabhamCooper-Climax2:27.3+5.6
1336 Phil HillMaserati2:29.5+7.8
1420 Roy SalvadoriCooper-Climax2:30.0+8.3
1532 Gerino GeriniMaserati2:30.7+9.0
1638 Jo BonnierMaserati2:30.9+9.2
1728 Carroll ShelbyMaserati2:32.0+10.3
1830 Troy RuttmanMaserati2:36.0+14.3
1924 Graham HillLotus-Climax2:40.9+19.2
2026 Cliff AllisonLotus-Climax2:49.7+28.0
216 Wolfgang von TripsFerrari
Source:[1]

Race

Pos No Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
14 Mike HawthornFerrari502:03:21.319
28 Stirling MossVanwall50+ 24.666
36 Wolfgang von TripsFerrari50+ 59.7214
434 Juan Manuel FangioMaserati50+ 2:30.683
542 Peter CollinsFerrari50+ 5:24.9 (crashed)42
622 Jack BrabhamCooper-Climax49+ 1 Lap12 
736 Phil HillMaserati49+ 1 Lap13 
838 Jo BonnierMaserati48+ 2 Laps16 
932 Gerino GeriniMaserati47+ 3 Laps15 
1030 Troy RuttmanMaserati45+ 5 Laps18 
1120 Roy SalvadoriCooper-Climax37+ 13 Laps14 
Ret16 Harry SchellBRM41Overheating3 
Ret14 Jean BehraBRM41Fuel Pump9 
Ret12 Stuart Lewis-Evans
Tony Brooks
Vanwall35Engine10 
Ret24 Graham HillLotus-Climax33Overheating19 
Ret40 Paco GodiaMaserati28Accident11 
Ret18 Maurice TrintignantBRM23Fuel Pump7 
Ret10 Tony BrooksVanwall16Engine5 
Ret2 Luigi MussoFerrari9Fatal Accident2 
Ret28 Carroll ShelbyMaserati9Engine17 
Ret26 Cliff AllisonLotus-Climax6Engine20 
Notes

Additional information

This was the debut World Championship Formula One race for future world champion Phil Hill.

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1 Stirling Moss23
2 Mike Hawthorn23
3 Luigi Musso12
4 Harry Schell10
5 Maurice Trintignant8
Source: [2]
Constructors' Championship standings
PosConstructorPoints
1 Ferrari28
12 Vanwall22
13 Cooper-Climax19
4 BRM10
15 Maserati6
Source:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1958 ACF GP Qualification. www.chicanef1.com. 23 July 2020.
  2. Web site: France 1958 - Championship • STATS F1. www.statsf1.com. 15 March 2019.