1959 British Grand Prix Explained

Type:F1
Previous Round:1959 French Grand Prix
Next Round:1959 German Grand Prix
Country:United Kingdom
Grand Prix:British
Official Name:12th RAC British Grand Prix
Date:18 July
Year:1959
Location:Aintree Circuit, Liverpool, England
Course:Permanent road course
Course Mi:3.000
Course Km:4.828
Distance Laps:75
Distance Mi:225.00
Distance Km:362.10
Weather:Dry and sunny.
Pole Driver: Jack Brabham
Pole Team:Cooper-Climax
Pole Time:1:58.0
Fast Driver:Stirling Moss
Fast Country:Great Britain
Fast Team:BRM
Fast Time:1:57.0
Fast Lap:69
Fast Driver2:Bruce McLaren
Fast Country2:New Zealand
Fast Team2:Cooper-Climax
Fast Lap2:75
First Driver: Jack Brabham
First Team:Cooper-Climax
Second Driver: Stirling Moss
Second Team:BRM
Third Driver: Bruce McLaren
Third Team:Cooper-Climax

The 1959 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Aintree Circuit on 18 July 1959. It was race 5 of 9 in the 1959 World Championship of Drivers and race 4 of 8 in the 1959 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. It was the 14th British Grand Prix and the third to be held at the Aintree Motor Racing Circuit, a circuit mapped out in the grounds of the Aintree Racecourse horse racing venue. The race was held over 75 laps of the four kilometre circuit for a race distance of 362 kilometres.

The race was won by Australian Jack Brabham taking his second Grand Prix victory in a works Cooper T51. Brabham dominated the race, leading all 75 laps to win by 22 seconds over British driver Stirling Moss driving a British Racing Partnership entered BRM P25. It was the first time a BRP entry finished in the top three. Brabham's Cooper Car Company teammate, New Zealander Bruce McLaren finished in third place, just 0.2 seconds behind Moss, having lost second place late in the race. Harry Schell finished fourth for the Owen Racing Organisation BRM team a lap behind Brabham.

The British Grand Prix had the biggest entry of the season outside the Indianapolis 500 with 30 cars competing and 24 starting the race, all despite the absence of Ferrari. Strikes in Italy trapped the team at home,[1] leaving the British teams to fight over the race. Ferrari's new lead driver Tony Brooks was given a release and started the race in a Vanwall but was the first to retire with misfire after 13 laps having started in a lowly 17th after winning the French Grand Prix a few weeks earlier.

The win saw Brabham expand his points lead over Brooks to 13 points. Moss and McLaren moved into fourth place just half a point behind the absent Phil Hill.

On the last lap of this race, McLaren became the youngest driver to set a fastest lap in Formula One, aged 21 years and 322 days. It was another 44 years before Fernando Alonso relieved him of that achievement with fastest lap in the 2003 Canadian Grand Prix. He was a day younger aged 21 years and 321 days.

Classification

Qualifying

PosNoDriverConstructorTimeGap
112 Jack BrabhamCooper-Climax1:58.0
22 Roy SalvadoriAston Martin1:58.0+0.0
38 Harry SchellBRM1:59.2+1.2
418 Maurice TrintignantCooper-Climax1:59.2+1.2
514 Masten GregoryCooper-Climax1:59.4+1.4
64 Carroll ShelbyAston Martin1:59.6+1.6
76 Stirling MossBRM1:59.6+1.6
816 Bruce McLarenCooper-Climax1:59.6+1.6
928 Graham HillLotus-Climax2:00.0+2.0
1010 Jo BonnierBRM2:00.0+2.0
1142 Ron FlockhartBRM2:00.2+2.2
1230 Alan StaceyLotus-Climax2:02.8+4.8
1322 Ian BurgessCooper-Maserati2:03.0+5.0
1436 Brian NaylorJBW-Maserati2:03.0+5.0
1538 Jack FairmanCooper-Climax2:04.2+6.2
1648 Chris BristowCooper-Borgward2:04.4+6.4
1720 Tony BrooksVanwall2:04.6+6.6
1846 Ivor BuebCooper-Borgward2:04.8+6.8
1924 Hans HerrmannCooper-Maserati2:05.6+7.6
2040 Fritz d'OreyMaserati2:05.6+7.6
2158 Henry TaylorCooper-Climax2:05.6+7.6
2264 David PiperLotus-Climax2:06.0+8.0
2352 Peter AshdownCooper-Climax2:06.2+8.2
2450 Mike TaylorCooper-Climax2:07.0+9.0
DNQ56 Bill MossCooper-Climax2:07.2+9.2
DNQ60 Mike ParkesFry-Climax2:07.6+9.6
DNQ44 Trevor TaylorCooper-Climax2:08.2+10.2
DNQ54 Keith GreeneCooper-Climax2:09.8+11.6
DNQ62 Dennis TaylorLotus-Climax
DNQ66 Tim ParnellCooper-Climax
Source:[2]

Race

Pos No Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
112 Jack BrabhamCooper-Climax752:30:11.618
26 Stirling MossBRM75+ 22.276.5
316 Bruce McLarenCooper-Climax75+ 22.484.5
48 Harry SchellBRM74+ 1 Lap33
518 Maurice TrintignantCooper-Climax74+ 1 Lap42
62 Roy SalvadoriAston Martin74+ 1 Lap2 
714 Masten GregoryCooper-Climax73+ 2 Laps5 
830 Alan StaceyLotus-Climax71+ 4 Laps12 
928 Graham HillLotus-Climax70+ 5 Laps9 
1048 Chris BristowCooper-Borgward70+ 5 Laps16 
1158 Henry TaylorCooper-Climax69+ 6 Laps21 
1252 Peter AshdownCooper-Climax69+ 6 Laps23 
1346 Ivor BuebCooper-Borgward69+ 6 Laps18 
Ret4 Carroll ShelbyAston Martin69Ignition6 
Ret40 Fritz d'OreyMaserati57Accident20 
Ret42 Ron FlockhartBRM53Spun Off11 
Ret38 Jack FairmanCooper-Climax39Gearbox15 
Ret10 Jo BonnierBRM37Brakes10 
Ret22 Ian BurgessCooper-Maserati31Transmission13 
Ret24 Hans HerrmannCooper-Maserati21Gearbox19 
Ret64 David PiperLotus-Climax19Overheating22 
Ret36 Brian NaylorJBW-Maserati18Transmission14 
Ret50 Mike TaylorCooper-Climax17Transmission24 
Ret20 Tony BrooksVanwall13Ignition17 
DNQ54 Keith GreeneCooper-Climax    
DNQ56 Bill MossCooper-Climax    
DNQ60 Mike ParkesFry-Climax    
DNQ62 Dennis TaylorLotus-Climax    
DNQ44 Trevor TaylorCooper-Climax    
DNQ66 Tim ParnellCooper-Climax    
Notes

Notes

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1 Jack Brabham27
2 Tony Brooks14
3 Phil Hill9
124 Stirling Moss8.5
55 Bruce McLaren8.5
Source: [3]
Constructors' Championship standings
PosConstructorPoints
1 Cooper-Climax26
2 Ferrari16
3 BRM14
4 Lotus-Climax3
Source:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hope-Frost . Henry . Top 12: Ferrari‑free Grands Prix . www.goodwood.com . 25 October 2023.
  2. Web site: 1959 British GP Qualification. www.chicanef1.com. 25 July 2020.
  3. Web site: Britain 1959 - Championship • STATS F1. www.statsf1.com. 13 March 2019.