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| 1953 FIA Formula One World Championship |
1953 Drivers Championship
1. Alberto Ascari - 34,5
2. Juan Manuel Fangio - 28
3. Nino Farina - 12
(Constructors title not introduced until 1958)
As anticipated, the 1953 championship was a battle between Ferrari and Maserati. Fangio made a full recovery and led the Maserati team, supported by Gonzalez and the man he regarded as his protege, Onofre Marimon. At Ferrari Ascari, Farina and Villoresi were joined by Hawthorn, who had impressed Enzo Ferrari the previous year. He took his place as the circus moved to Buenos Aires for Argentina's first championship race. As in 1952, the series was a Formula Two competition...
"Ascari and Fangio battle it out"
The Argentine Grand Prix made it a nine-event championship eight, if the Indianapolis 500 was discounted — with the best four finishes counting. A new Maserati was in the pipeline but not quite ready, so Fangio drove the 1952 model. He was chasing Ascari when his engine blew up, leaving Ascari with an easy win ahead of his team-mate Villoresi. Hawthorn came in fourth, and it was only Marimon's Maserati in third which stopped another Ferrari clean sweep. The race was marred by tragedy; Farina swerved, trying to avoid a boy who ran in front of him and careered into the crowd, killing ten spectators.
In the Dutch Grand Prix Ascari was also a comfortable winner, while Fangio failed to finish again, this time because of an axle problem. Farina made it another one-two for Ferrari, but Gonzalez's third place was the highlight. When his Maserati's rear axle broke, he took over team-mate Felice Bonetto's car and chased the Ferraris hard.
"Superb Hawthorn"
Initially it looked as though Spa might see a change. Gonzalez and Fangio, finally in their new Maseratis, stormed away — then both hit trouble. Gonzalez's accelerator pedal broke and Fangio's engine died, but he continued in the car of one of Maserati's junior drivers. He skidded on a patch of oil and crashed out of the race, escaping with minor injuries. Ascari had yet another success — his ninth win in a row — but he was outpaced at Reims, where he came in fourth. The race turned into a duel between Fangio and Hawthorn, who raced wheel to wheel. Hawthorn squeaked home by a car's length. At Silverstone things returned to normal; Ascari led the whole way and Fangio had to be content with second. It was becoming clear that the Maseratis' extra power was decisive on faster tracks; on slower ones, like Silverstone, the superior handling of the Ferraris gave them the advantage.
"Farina's last victory"
Ascari drove one of his finest races at the German Grand Prix. He started well but lost a wheel and made it to the pits on three wheels and a brake drum. He took over Villoresi's car and gave chase, setting a Formula Two record for the Nurburgring circuit; however, this car expired in a pall of smoke. Farina won, keeping up Ferrari's record. It was his final victory. Ascari and Fangio were vying for the lead in the Swiss Grand Prix at Bremgarten when both were forced into the pits. Fangio took over Bonetto's Maserati and drove the car so hard that it expired in a cloud of heavy smoke. Ascari had only needed a change of plugs and rejoined in fourth place; he eventually took the lead from team-mates Farina and Hawthorn.
"Champion Ascari in a spin"
Maserati and Fangio got it right in the final race, at Monza. Fangio battled for the lead with Ascari and Farina, and it was still anybody's race going into the last lap. Then Ascari finally made a mistake, spinning his Ferrari after 313 miles of close slipstreaming. Farina mounted the grass to avoid a collision, but Fangio coolly avoided trouble, winning his only race of the season. He finished runner-up, on 28 points; the championship went to Ascari, with 34.5.