Dates 18 May 1952 – 7 Sep 1952 | ||
 | ||
Similar 1953 Formula One seas, 1951 Formula One seas, 1956 Formula One seas, 1955 Formula One seas, 1950 Formula One seas | ||
The 1952 Formula One season was the third season of FIA Formula One motor racing. In comparison to previous seasons, the 1952 season consisted of a relatively small number of Formula One races, following the FIA's decision to run all the Grand Prix events counting towards the World Championship of Drivers to Formula Two regulations rather than Formula One.
Contents
- World Championship season summary
- World Championship season review
- Teams and drivers
- 1952 Drivers Championship final standings
- Non Championship race results
- References
The 3rd FIA World Championship of Drivers, which commenced on 18 May and ended on 7 September after eight races, was won by Alberto Ascari, driving for Scuderia Ferrari.
In addition to the Formula One races and the World Championship Formula Two races, numerous other Formula Two races, which did not count towards the Championship, were also held during the year.
World Championship season summary
Alfa Romeo, unable to fund a new car, withdrew from racing, while BRM had been preparing two V16-powered cars for the season but withdrew them before an April race at Valentino Park, Turin, whilst attempting to enlist Juan Manuel Fangio as teammate to Stirling Moss, leaving Ferrari as the only serious Formula One contender. This led World Championship organizers to run their races for Formula Two, utilising 2-litre naturally aspirated engines, which meant larger fields and a greater variety of cars, even if the victories all went to Ferrari. Ascari won the six Grands Prix he entered, missing the Swiss race because he was at Indianapolis qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 – the first European to do so in the World Championship era. Maserati and Gordini offered little challenge, but Mike Hawthorn's drives in his Cooper would earn him a works Ferrari drive in 1953. Reigning champion Fangio, badly injured in an early season crash at Monza, took no part in the championship, but was to go on to drive for BRM.
World Championship season review
The 1952 World Championship of Drivers was contested over an eight race series.
All 1952 World Championship Grand Prix events were restricted to Formula Two cars and the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race was contested by AAA National Championship cars. There was originally supposed to be a Spanish Grand Prix at the Pedralbes Circuit in Barcelona on October 26, but there was no money for the race to be held, so the race was cancelled.
Teams and drivers
The following teams and drivers competed in the 1952 FIA World Championship of Drivers. The list does not include those that contested only the Indianapolis 500 event.
* Car entered only in the Indianapolis 500 race
1952 Drivers' Championship final standings
Points were awarded to top five finishers in each race on an 8, 6, 4, 3, 2 basis. One point was awarded for fastest lap. Points for shared drives were divided equally between the drivers, regardless of who had driven more laps. Only the best four of eight scores counted towards the World Championship.
Non-Championship race results
Other Formula One/Formula Two races, which did not count towards the World Championship of Drivers, were also held in 1952.