27

Grand Prix de Belgique Automobile

21 Jun 1953Spa-Francorchamps508.320 km (14120 m x 36 Laps)

 Pole Position: Juan Manuel Fangio, Maserati A6GCM/53, 4:30.0 (188 km/h) Fastest Lap: José Froilán González, Maserati A6GCM/53, 4:34.0 (186 km/h lap 2) Race Results: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 10 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 500 2:48:30.3 181.0 km/h 2 8 Luigi Villoresi Ferrari 500 2:51:18.5 178.0 km/h 6 Johnny Claes/ 13 laps Juan Manuel Fangio Maserati A6GCM/53 35 Accident 22 laps 3 28 Onofre Marimón Maserati A6GCM/53 -1 Lap 4 30 Emmanuel de Graffenried Maserati A6GCM/53 -1 Lap 5 18 Maurice Trintignant Gordini T16 -1 Lap 6 14 Mike Hawthorn Ferrari 500 -1 Lap 7 20 Harry Schell Gordini T16 -3 Laps 8 32 Louis Rosier Ferrari 500 -3 Laps 9 38 Fred Wacker Gordini T16 -4 Laps 10 24 Paul Frère HWM 53-Alta -6 Laps 11 40 André Pilette Connaught A-Lea Francis -7 Laps Did Not Finish: 22 Lance Macklin HWM 53-Alta 19 Engine 12 Giuseppe Farina Ferrari 500 16 Engine 4 Juan Manuel Fangio Maserati A6GCM/53 13 Engine 2 José Froilán González Maserati A6GCM/53 11 Throttle 16 Jean Behra Gordini T16 9 Engine 26 Peter Collins HWM 53-Alta 4 Clutch 34 Georges Berger Simca Gordini T15 3 Engine 36 Arthur Legat Veritas Meteor 0 Transmission Did Not Appear: 42 Jacques Swaters Ferrari 500 44 Charles de Tornaco Ferrari 500 Lap Leaders: Car# Driver Car Laps Total 2 José Froilán González Maserati A6GCM/53 1-11 11 4 Juan Manuel Fangio Maserati A6GCM/53 12-13 2 10 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 500 14-36 23 Qualifying Times: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Entrant 1 4 Juan Manuel Fangio Maserati A6GCM/53 4:30.0 188 Officine Alfieri Maserati 2 10 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 500 4:32.0 187 Scuderia Ferrari 3 2 José Froilán González Maserati A6GCM/53 4:32.0 187 Officine Alfieri Maserati 4 12 Giuseppe Farina Ferrari 500 4:36.0 184 Scuderia Ferrari 5 8 Luigi Villoresi Ferrari 500 4:39.0 182 Scuderia Ferrari 6 28 Onofre Marimón Maserati A6GCM/53 4:40.0 182 Officine Alfieri Maserati 7 14 Mike Hawthorn Ferrari 500 4:42.0 180 Scuderia Ferrari 8 18 Maurice Trintignant Gordini T16 4:45.0 178 Equipe Gordini 9 30 Emmanuel de Graffenried Maserati A6GCM/53 4:49.0 176 Emmanuel de Graffenried 10 6 Johnny Claes Maserati A6GCM/53 4:50.0 175 Officine Alfieri Maserati 11 24 Paul Frère HWM 53-Alta 4:52.0 174 HW Motors Ltd 12 20 Harry Schell Gordini T16 4:53.0 174 Equipe Gordini 13 32 Louis Rosier Ferrari 500 4:56.0 172 Ecurie Rosier 14 16 Jean Behra Gordini T16 4:57.0 171 Equipe Gordini 15 38 Fred Wacker Gordini T16 5:03.0 168 Equipe Gordini 16 26 Peter Collins HWM 53-Alta 5:03.0 168 HW Motors Ltd 17 22 Lance Macklin HWM 53-Alta 5:14.0 162 HW Motors Ltd 18 40 André Pilette Connaught A-Lea Francis 5:23.0 157 Ecurie Belge 19 36 Arthur Legat Veritas Meteor 5:41.0 149 Arthur Legat 20 34 Georges Berger Simca Gordini T15 5:58.0 142 Georges Berger Not Present: 42 Jacques Swaters Ferrari 500 - - Ecurie Francorchamps 44 Charles de Tornaco Ferrari 500 - - Ecurie Francorchamps
Starting Grid:
4 Juan Manuel Fangio
Maserati A6GCM/53
4:30.0
10 Alberto Ascari
Ferrari 500
4:32.0
2 José Froilán González
Maserati A6GCM/53
4:32.0
12 Giuseppe Farina
Ferrari 500
4:36.0
8 Luigi Villoresi
Ferrari 500
4:39.0
28 Onofre Marimón
Maserati A6GCM/53
4:40.0
14 Mike Hawthorn
Ferrari 500
4:42.0
18 Maurice Trintignant
Gordini T16
4:45.0
30 Emmanuel de Graffenried
Maserati A6GCM/53
4:49.0
6 Johnny Claes
Maserati A6GCM/53
4:50.0
24 Paul Frère
HWM 53-Alta
4:52.0
20 Harry Schell
Gordini T16
4:53.0
32 Louis Rosier
Ferrari 500
4:56.0
16 Jean Behra
Gordini T16
4:57.0
38 Fred Wacker
Gordini T16
5:03.0
26 Peter Collins
HWM 53-Alta
5:03.0
22 Lance Macklin
HWM 53-Alta
5:14.0
40 André Pilette
Connaught A-Lea Francis
5:23.0
36 Arthur Legat
Veritas Meteor
5:41.0
34 Georges Berger
Simca Gordini T15
5:58.0
Notes:
  • Weather: Hot, Dry.
    •
    Race Review:

    A fortnight after the Dutch GP the Formula 1 teams were back in action again at Spa-Francorchamps. Johnny Claes was signed up to drive for the Maserati factory alongside José Froilán González, Juan Manuel Fangio and Onofre Marimón. Ferrari ran its usual four drivers with Alberto Ascari teamed with Mike Hawthorn, Giuseppe Farina and Luigi Villoresi. Gordini had three factory cars for Jean Behra, Maurice Trintignant and Harry Schell while HWM ran Paul Frère alongside Peter Collins and Lance Macklin. The field was completed by a few privateers, notably Baron Emmanuel de Graffenried in a Maserati.

    Fangio and González made a Maserati sandwich for Ferrari's Ascari on the front row with Farina and Villoresi on the second.

    At the start the two Maseratis took off into the lead with González ahead of Fangio. But then things started to go wrong. González broke his throttle pedal and stopped at Stavelot and then Fangio suffered an engine failure and so Ascari found himself in the lead with Hawthorn second and Marimón third although he soon dropped behind Villoresi with engine problems. Hawthorn dropped back with a fuel leak in the closing stages. Fangio, who had taken over Claes's car and charged hard, crashed heavily when his steering failed on the final lap and so Marimón was classified third.