Juan Manuel Fangio led Moss home in a commanding Mercedes one-two at the 1955 Belgian Grand Prix. Castellotti had delivered an emotional pole position for Lancia after Ascari’s death, but his retirement left the Silver Arrows clear at the front.
Race Guide
Season: 1955 F1 World Championship
Race date: 5 June 1955
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+01:00)
Circuit: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Laps: 36 laps
Circuit length: 14.120 km
1954 winner: Juan Manuel Fangio
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Eugenio Castellotti | Lancia |
| Pole time | 4:18.100 | |
| Fastest lap | Juan Manuel Fangio | Mercedes |
| Fastest-lap time | 4:20.600 on lap 18 | |
| First | Juan Manuel Fangio | Mercedes |
| Second | Stirling Moss | Mercedes |
| Third | Nino Farina | Ferrari |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2 June 1955 | Thursday timed practice | Start time unconfirmed |
| 3 June 1955 | Friday timed practice | Start time unconfirmed |
| 4 June 1955 | Saturday final qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 5 June 1955 | Race | Start time unconfirmed |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Maurice Trintignant arrived at round 4 leading the 1955 F1 World Championship on 11 1/3 points, with Juan Manuel Fangio on 10.
Race entries
Lancia withdrew its works effort following Ascari’s fatal testing accident, although Castellotti brought a D50 as a private entry. Mercedes returned with Fangio, Moss and Kling. Ferrari included local driver Frère, while Trintignant secured the remaining drive despite lingering injuries. Hawthorn continued with Vanwall.
Thursday timed practice
Mercedes compared different wheelbases and brake arrangements, finding the longer car particularly suitable for Spa. Fangio immediately set a strong pace. Castellotti was still learning the fast circuit, while Hawthorn’s Vanwall encountered cooling trouble after a bird struck its radiator. Ferrari also evaluated its drivers and cars, with Trintignant proving quick enough to retain the race seat.
Friday timed practice
Castellotti completed extensive running and steadily reduced his times until a late 4:18.1 put the Lancia ahead. Mercedes had no time to respond before the session ended. Farina also improved strongly, while Mieres hurt his ankle after falling from a pit counter. Vanwall‘s preparations were interrupted again, this time by gear-selection trouble.
Saturday final qualifying
Continuous rain prevented any improvement on Friday’s times, securing Castellotti’s pole. Fangio, Castellotti and Moss remained closely matched in the wet, while other drivers limited their efforts. Hawthorn lost more running to clutch trouble. The weather left uncertainty for race day, which ultimately dawned dry.
Qualifying Classification
Three timed-practice periods set the grid. Friday’s dry laps remained decisive after Saturday’s rain. The published entries and grid are retained where Ferrari‘s practice car and driver exchanges complicate attribution.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | Eugenio Castellotti | Lancia | 4:18.100 |
| 2 | 10 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Mercedes | 4:18.6 |
| 3 | 14 | Stirling Moss | Mercedes | 4:19.2 |
| 4 | 2 | Nino Farina | Ferrari | 4:20.9 |
| 5 | 24 | Jean Behra | Maserati | 4:23.6 |
| 6 | 12 | Karl Kling | Mercedes | 4:24.0 |
| 7 | 22 | Luigi Musso | Maserati | 4:26.4 |
| 8 | 6 | Paul Frère | Ferrari | 4:29.7 |
| 9 | 4 | Harry Schell | Ferrari | 4:31.0 |
| 10 | 40 | Mike Hawthorn | Vanwall | 4:33.0 |
| 11 | 4 | Maurice Trintignant | Ferrari | 4:33.2 |
| 12 | 26 | Cesare Perdisa | Maserati | 4:50.9 |
| 13 | 28 | Louis Rosier | Maserati | 4:55.4 |
| 14 | 24 | Roberto Mieres | Maserati | 5:09.0 |
| DNS | 8 | Piero Taruffi | Ferrari | No time |
| DNS | 38 | Johnny Claes | Maserati | No time |
What happened in the 1955 Belgian Grand Prix?
Fangio and Moss moved ahead and established control, leaving Castellotti and Farina to contest the next position. Kling’s Mercedes developed an oil leak, while Behra crashed and later took over Mieres’s Maserati.
Castellotti’s Lancia retired after sixteen laps, ending the strongest alternative challenge. Hawthorn also retired with oil trouble. The two leading Mercedes continued at a pace the remaining cars could not match.
Fangio won ahead of Moss, with Farina more than two minutes behind in third. Frère finished fourth, and Behra and Mieres shared fifth. Fangio also set fastest lap, rebuilding his championship advantage after the team’s Monaco disappointment.
After the race, Juan Manuel Fangio headed the drivers’ standings with 19 points, followed by Maurice Trintignant on 11 1/3.
1955 Belgian Grand Prix race results
The 1955 Belgian Grand Prix was held on 5 June 1955.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Mercedes | 36 | 2:39:29.0 | 9 |
| 2 | 14 | Stirling Moss | Mercedes | 36 | +8.1 | 6 |
| 3 | 2 | Nino Farina | Ferrari | 36 | +1:40.5 | 4 |
| 4 | 6 | Paul Frère | Ferrari | 36 | +3:25.5 | 3 |
| 5 | 24 | Roberto Mieres / Jean Behra | Maserati | 35 | +1 Lap | 1 / 1 |
| 6 | 4 | Maurice Trintignant | Ferrari | 35 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 7 | 22 | Luigi Musso | Maserati | 34 | +2 Laps | 0 |
| 8 | 26 | Cesare Perdisa | Maserati | 33 | +3 Laps | 0 |
| 9 | 28 | Louis Rosier | Maserati | 33 | +3 Laps | 0 |
| Ret | 12 | Karl Kling | Mercedes | 21 | Oil Leak | 0 |
| Ret | 30 | Eugenio Castellotti | Lancia | 16 | Gearbox | 0 |
| Ret | 40 | Mike Hawthorn | Vanwall | 8 | Gearbox | 0 |
| Ret | 20 | Jean Behra | Maserati | 3 | Spun Off | 0 |
| DNS | 38 | Johnny Claes | Maserati | Engine | 0 | |
| DNS | 48 | Piero Taruffi | Ferrari | 0 | ||
| DNS | 4 | Harry Schell | Ferrari | 0 |
Includes 1 point for fastest lap
1955 Belgian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Mercedes | 18 | 4:20.600 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. One championship point was awarded for fastest lap, divided equally when shared.
1955 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1955 Belgian Grand Prix.
1955 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
There was no constructors’ championship in this season; the manufacturers’ competition began in 1958.
Drivers counted their best 5 results. The first five places earned 8–6–4–3–2 points, with one further point for fastest lap, shared equally when necessary. Points from shared drives were divided between the eligible drivers; individual allocations are shown in driver order.
1955 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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