By Score
The 1952 Formula One Season was the third season of the FIA Formula One World Championship. The season saw a total of eight races held across Europe, with the championship being dominated by the Italian team, Scuderia Ferrari.
The season kicked off on May 18th, with the Swiss Grand Prix being held at Bremgarten circuit. Ferrari driver Piero Taruffi took the checkered flag, with his teammate, Luigi Villoresi, coming in second place. The second race of the season was the Indianapolis 500, which was not part of the championship, and was won by Troy Ruttman driving a Kuzma-Offenhauser.
The third race of the season was the Belgian Grand Prix, held at Spa-Francorchamps. This race saw Ferrari’s Alberto Ascari take the win, with his teammate Taruffi coming in second place. Ascari went on to win the next two races, the French Grand Prix at Rouen and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
The sixth race of the season, the German Grand Prix, was held at the legendary Nürburgring circuit. The race saw a close battle between Ferrari’s Ascari and the Alfa Romeo team’s Nino Farina. In the end, Ascari emerged victorious, winning by just 0.2 seconds.
The championship concluded with two races in Italy, the Pescara Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix. The Pescara Grand Prix was held on August 15th, and was won by Taruffi, with Ascari finishing in second place. The Italian Grand Prix was held at Monza on September 7th, and was won by Ascari, securing his first World Championship title.
Overall, the 1952 Formula One Season was a dominant year for the Ferrari team. They won six out of the eight races held, with Ascari winning five of those races. The Italian team’s success in this season set the stage for their continued dominance in the following years. The 1952 season also saw the debut of the Mercedes-Benz team, who would go on to become a major force in Formula One racing in the coming years.
The 1952 Formula One season consisted of eight races held across Europe. Here is a list of the races held during the 1952 season:
- Swiss Grand Prix – Bremgarten circuit, May 18th – won by Piero Taruffi (Ferrari)
- Indianapolis 500 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway, May 30th – won by Troy Ruttman (Kuzma-Offenhauser)*
- Belgian Grand Prix – Spa-Francorchamps, June 22nd – won by Alberto Ascari (Ferrari)
- French Grand Prix – Rouen-Les-Essarts, July 6th – won by Alberto Ascari (Ferrari)
- British Grand Prix – Silverstone, July 19th – won by Alberto Ascari (Ferrari)
- German Grand Prix – Nürburgring, August 3rd – won by Alberto Ascari (Ferrari)
- Pescara Grand Prix – Pescara Circuit, August 15th – won by Piero Taruffi (Ferrari)
- Italian Grand Prix – Monza, September 7th – won by Alberto Ascari (Ferrari)
*Note: The Indianapolis 500 was not part of the Formula One championship at the time, but is now recognized as a race that counted towards the 1952 championship.
The final championship standings for the 1952 Formula One season were as follows:
- Alberto Ascari – Ferrari – 36 points (5 wins)
- Nino Farina – Alfa Romeo – 24 points (1 win)
- Piero Taruffi – Ferrari – 19 points (2 wins)
- Luigi Fagioli – Ferrari – 18 points
- Toulo de Graffenried – Maserati – 9 points
- Mike Hawthorn – Cooper-Bristol – 8 points
- Felice Bonetto – Ferrari – 6 points
- Emmanuel de Graffenried – Maserati – 5 points
- Jean Behra – Gordini – 4 points
- Rudolf Fischer – Ferrari – 4 points
Ferrari dominated the season, winning six out of the eight races held. Alberto Ascari won the championship with five victories, including a run of four consecutive wins from the Belgian Grand Prix to the German Grand Prix. The Alfa Romeo team also had a strong showing, with Nino Farina finishing as the runner-up in the championship with one win.