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.