Maserati 250F
The Maserati 250F (first raced January 1954 - last raced November 1960) was a racing car made by Maserati of Italy, used in '2.5 litre' Formula One racing (thus, the '250' and 'F'). 26 examples were made in total. It was introduced for the 1954 Formula One season and remained in use by customer teams until 1960.
Mechanical details
It mainly used the Maserati A6 SSG straight-six 2.5-litre engine (220 bhp @ 7400 rpm), ribbed 13.4" drum brakes, wishbone independent front suspension and a De Dion tube axle. It was built by Gioacchino Colombo, Vittorio Bellentani and Alberto Massimino; the tubular work was by Valerio Colotti, then working for Maserati.
A streamlined version with bodywork which partially enclosed the wheels (similar to the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 "Typ Monza") was used in the 1956 French Grand Prix.
Racing history
The 250F first raced in the 1954 Argentine Grand Prix where Juan Manuel Fangio won the first of his two victories before he and Stirling Moss left for the new Mercedes-Benz team. Fangio won the 1954 Drivers' World Championship, with points gained with both Maserati and Mercedes-Benz.
Although Bellentoni and Massimino left for Ferrari, 1955 saw a setup with 5-speed gearbox as well as SU fuel injection (240 bhp) and Dunlop disc brakes. Jean Behra ran this in a five-member works team which included Luigi Musso.
In 1956 Stirling Moss won at the Italian Grand Prix and the Monaco Grand Prix in his private car.
In 1956 three 250F T2 cars first appeared for the works drivers. Developed by Giulio Alfieri using lighter steel tubes they sported a slimmer, stiffer body and sometimes the new 315 bhp V12 engine, although it offered little or no real advantage over the older straight 6. It was eventually reused in the unsuccessful 1966 F1 Cooper Maserati.
In 1957 Juan Manuel Fangio drove to four more championship victories, including his legendary final win at German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring (Aug. 4, 1957), and his final race at the French Grand Prix.
The Constructors' World Championship was introduced in 1959, by which time the 250F was generally outclassed. However, the car remained a favourite with the privateers, including Maria Teresa de Filippis and was used until 1960.
In total, the 250F competed in 46 Formula One championship races with 277 entries, leading to eight wins.
Recent Media
Jeremy Clarkson had the opportunity of driving a mint condition Maserati 250F on BBC's Top Gear in 2005. He commented that the tyres were more at home on a Raleigh Chopper, and whilst travelling at great speed in the vehicle, with his face visibly contorted from the effect of wind resistance, commented "I've got no seatbelts, no roll bar, and I don't care! Michael Schumacher is dead!". He went on to lose control of the vehicle, nervously commenting "Oh no, I'm spinning in a million pounds. I've just spun a car worth a million pounds. Oh dear..."
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