Maserati 250F: the Racing Icon

__Why.__ To be the best, to outperform its local rival, Ferrari, and it did just that. Maserati’s first triumph was in 1954, winning the Argentine Grand Prix with Fangio. Its performance was so formidable that Fangio, while driving the Maserati 250F, secured enough points to win that year’s world championship, intriguingly, behind the wheel of a Mercedes! But how was this possible? It was possible because Mercedes was late in rolling out its new Formula 1 cars. Fangio, not wanting to miss any races, arranged to start the season with Maserati. The points he gathered with Maserati helped him secure the title. It’s important to remember that in those years, Formula 1 gave the title to the drivers, while constructors competed in the Sports category for their World Title. It wasn’t until 1957 that Maserati, with Fangio behind the wheel, would clinch its own World Championship, remarkably with the same 250F model.

__Who.__ Maserati had changed ownership and city: the Maserati brothers, founders of the company, sold their Bologna-based business to the industrialist from Modena, Adolfo Orsi. Maserati’s racing tradition was well known - a Maserati had even won the famous Indianapolis 500 in 1939 and 1940 - and Orsi wanted to reaffirm the excellence of the Trident brand. He had two engineers who marked the history of racing cars: Gioachino Colombo and Vittorio Bellentani, who gave life to the project for a new and highly-competitive Formula 1 car. They were joined by the talented Giulio Alfieri, who later became a key technical leader in Maserati’s growth and was responsible for the 3500GT and the unforgettable Birdcage. This team ensured their cars won right from their debut.