The Maserati 250F was a racing car made by Maserati of Italy used in '2.5 litre' Formula One racing between January 1954 and November 1960. Twenty-six examples were made.

Maserati 250F
CategoryFormula One
ConstructorMaserati
Designer(s)Gioacchino Colombo
Valerio Colotti
Production1954–1958
PredecessorMaserati A6GCM
SuccessorMaserati 300S
Technical specifications
ChassisAluminium tubular ladder frame
Suspension (front)Independent wishbone
Suspension (rear)De Dion tube
EngineMaserati
1954 – 2,493 cc (152.1 cu in), straight 6
1957 – 2,491 cc (152.0 cu in) works cars V12, naturally aspirated,
All models:front engine, longitudinally mounted
Transmission1954: Maserati 4 speed manual
1956: Stirnsi 5 speed manual
Fuel50% methanol, 35% petrol, 10% acetone, 4% benzol, 1% castor oil
TyresPirelli
Competition history
Notable entrantsOfficine Alfieri Maserati, Owen Racing Organisation, Equipe Moss/Stirling Moss Ltd
Notable driversArgentina Juan Manuel Fangio,
United Kingdom Stirling Moss
Debut1954 Argentine Grand Prix, J.M. Fangio, 1st
RacesWinsPolesF/Laps
468810
Constructors' Championships0 (Note that the Constructors' Championship was first awarded in 1958)
Drivers' Championships2
n.b. Unless otherwise stated, all data refer to
Formula One World Championship Grands Prix only.
Maserati 250 F 1955

Mechanical details

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The 250F principally used the SSG, 220 bhp (at 7400rpm) 2,493 cc (152.1 cu in) capacity 84 mm × 75 mm (3.31 in × 2.95 in) Maserati A6 straight-six engine, ribbed 13.4" drum brakes, wishbone independent front suspension, a De Dion tube axle, Borrani 16" & 17" wheels and Pirelli Stella Bianca tyres. It was built by Gioacchino Colombo, Vittorio Bellentani and Alberto Massimino; the tubular work was by Valerio Colotti. A streamlined version with bodywork which partially enclosed the wheels (similar to the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 "Typ Monza") was used in the 1956 French Grand Prix.[1]

Technical data 250F 250F T2
Engine:  Front mounted 6-cylinder in-line engine Front mounted 60° 12 cylinder V engine
displacement 2493 cc 2491 cc
Bore x stroke:  84 x 75 mm 68.7 x 56 mm
Max power at rpm:  270 hp (199 kW) at 8,000 rpm 310 hp (228 kW) at 9,300 rpm
Valve control:  2 overhead camshafts, 2 valves per cylinder
Carburetor 3 Weber 45DCO3 6 Weber 35IDM
Gearbox 4/5-speed manual, transaxle
suspension front:  Double wishbones, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers
suspension rear:  De Dion axle, transverse leaf springs, hydraulic shock absorbers
Brakes Hydraulic drum brakes
Chassis & body Fackverk frame with aluminum body steel tubular spaceframe
wheelbase 2,280 mm (90 in)
Dry weight About 630 kg (1,400 lb) About 650 kg (1,400 lb)
Top speed:  290 km/h (180 mph) 305 km/h (190 mph)

Images

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Racing history

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The 250F first raced in the 1954 Argentine Grand Prix where Juan Manuel Fangio won the first of his two victories before he left for the new Mercedes-Benz team. Fangio won the 1954 Drivers' World Championship, with points gained with both Maserati and Mercedes-Benz; Stirling Moss raced his own privately owned 250F for the full 1954 season. Prince Bira was another driver favouring the 250F.

In 1955 a 5-speed gearbox; SU fuel injection (240 bhp) and Dunlop disc brakes were introduced. Jean Behra drove this in a five-member works team which included Luigi Musso.

In 1956 Stirling Moss won the Monaco and Italian Grands Prix, both in a works car.

In 1956 three 250F T2 cars first appeared for the works drivers. Developed by Giulio Alfieri using lighter steel tubes they sported a slimmer, stiffer body and sometimes the new 315 bhp (235 kW) V12 engine of 2,491 cc (152.0 cu in) capacity 68.7 mm × 56 mm (2.70 in × 2.20 in), although it offered little or no real advantage over the older straight 6. It was later developed into the 3 litre V12 that won two races powering the Cooper T81 and T86 from 1966 to 1969,[2] the final "Tipo 10" variant of the engine having three valves and two spark plugs per cylinder.

In 1957 Juan Manuel Fangio drove to four more championship victories, including his final win at German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring (Aug. 4, 1957), where he overcame a 48-second deficit in 22 laps, passing the race leader, Mike Hawthorn, on the final lap to take the win. In doing so he broke the lap record at the Nürburgring, 10 times.

By the 1958 season, the 250F was totally outclassed by the new rear engined F1 cars. However, the car remained a favourite with the privateers, including Maria Teresa de Filippis, and was used by back markers through the 1960 F1 season, the last for the 2.5 litre formula.

In total, the 250F competed in 46 Formula One championship races with 277 entries, leading to eight wins. Success was not limited to World Championship events with 250F drivers winning many non-championship races around the world.

Stirling Moss later said that the 250F was the best front-engined F1 car he drove.[3]

World Championship wins

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Year Race Circuit Driver
1954   Argentine Grand Prix Autódromo 17 de Octubre   Juan Manuel Fangio
  Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps   Juan Manuel Fangio
1956   Monaco Grand Prix Monte Carlo   Stirling Moss
  Italian Grand Prix Monza   Stirling Moss
1957   Argentine Grand Prix Autódromo 17 de Octubre   Juan Manuel Fangio
  Monaco Grand Prix Monte Carlo   Juan Manuel Fangio
  French Grand Prix Rouen-Les-Essarts   Juan Manuel Fangio
  German Grand Prix Nürburgring   Juan Manuel Fangio

Non-World Championship wins

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Year Race Circuit Driver
Non-World Championship wins
1954   II Curtis Trophy Snetterton   Roy Salvadori
  XIII Rome Grand Prix Castelfusano   Onofre Marimón
  I International Gold Cup Goodwood   Stirling Moss
  XXIII Pescara Grand Prix Pescara   Luigi Musso
  VII Goodwood Trophy Goodwood   Stirling Moss
  I Daily Telegraph Trophy Goodwood   Stirling Moss
1955   XVI Pau Grand Prix Pau   Jean Behra
  I Glover Trophy Goodwood   Roy Salvadori
  IV Bordeaux Grand Prix Bordeaux   Jean Behra
  VII BRDC International Trophy Goodwood   Peter Collins
  XVII Albi Grand Prix Albi   André Simon
  III Curtis Trophy Snetterton   Roy Salvadori
  III London Trophy Crystal Palace   Mike Hawthorn
  III Daily Record Trophy Charterhall   Bob Gerard
  II Daily Telegraph Trophy Aintree   Roy Salvadori
  II International Gold Cup Oulton Park   Stirling Moss
1956   IV Glover Trophy Goodwood   Stirling Moss
  XI BARC Aintree 200 Aintree   Stirling Moss
  I Aintree 100 Aintree   Horace Gould
  I Vanwall Trophy Snetterton   Horace Gould
  IV Caen Grand Prix Circuit de la Prairie   Harry Schell
1957   XI Buenos Aires Grand Prix Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez   Juan Manuel Fangio
  XVII Pau Grand Prix Pau   Jean Behra
  V Modena Grand Prix Modena   Jean Behra
  VI Grand Prix de Maroc Ain-Diab Circuit   Jean Behra

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Grand Prix Data Book, David Hayhoe & David Holland, 2006
  2. ^ https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/4752/Cooper-T81-Maserati.html
  3. ^ bitsmartuk (13 May 2008). "Martin Brundle drives a Maserati 250f". Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 13 April 2018 – via YouTube.

Bibliography

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  • Hall, Andy (1990). Maserati 250F: A Technical Appraisal. Foulis motoring book series. Sparkford, Somerset, England; Newbury Park, CA, USA: Haynes Publishing. ISBN 0854298037.
  • David McKinney, Maserati 250F,
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