Fangio masterclass 25 June 1954

ESTABLISHED 1895

MANY MIGHT BE unaware of this, given it has now been absent for 61 years, but Maserati has a strong grand prix racing record.

The firm made its debut in 1931 and raced until the outbreak of war, returning for the inaugural Formula 1 World Championship in 1950 and winning its first grand prix in 1953, thanks to Juan Manuel Fangio.

For 1954, it introduced the 250F, which made a great start as Fangio won in Argentina. Autocar then went to Belgium for round two, to see if Ferrari had caught up in the 22-week interlude (imagine that!).

Fangio duly qualified on pole, more than a second ahead of the Scuderia’s José Froilán González.

He made a poor start, almost stalling as the flag official hesitated, but recovered to third behind the Ferraris of Giuseppe Farina and Mike Hawthorn.

González limped into the pit lane after just that first lap, his engine gone.

Hawthorn was passed on lap two, likewise Farina on lap three, before Fangio pulled out seven seconds.

Farina wasn’t going to submit, though, and the two swapped positions several times in just a few laps – before the Ferrari, pushed too hard, gave up.

Hawthorn then retired as well, the exhaust pipe in front of his cockpit having broken and gassed him.

Fangio could now relax in P1 – and did right up to lap 36, ending 24 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Maurice Trintignant and a lap up on team-mate Stirling Moss.

Yet to great surprise, Fangio immediately left Maserati for Mercedes – where he took the title. He returned in 1957, though, to win Modena that most valued motorsport trophy.