1959 British Grand Prix

1959 British Grand Prix
1959 British Grand Prix
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Race details
Date	18 July 1959
Official name	12th RAC British Grand Prix
Location	Aintree Circuit, Liverpool, England
Course	Permanent road course
Course length	4.828 km (3.000 miles)
Distance	75 laps, 362.10 km (225.00 miles)
Weather	Dry and sunny.
Pole position
Driver	Jack Brabham;
Time	1:58.0
Fastest lap
Drivers	Stirling Moss (lap 69)
	Bruce McLaren (lap 75)
Time	1:57.0
Podium
First	Jack Brabham;
Second	Stirling Moss;
Third	Bruce McLaren;
	Lap leaders ;

The 1959 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Aintree Circuit on 18 July 1959. It was race 5 of 9 in the 1959 World Championship of Drivers and race 4 of 8 in the 1959 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. It was the 14th British Grand Prix and the third to be held at the Aintree Motor Racing Circuit, a circuit mapped out in the grounds of the Aintree Racecourse horse racing venue. The race was held over 75 laps of the four kilometre circuit for a race distance of 362 kilometres.

The race was won by Australian Jack Brabham taking his second Grand Prix victory in a works Cooper T51. Brabham dominated the race, leading all 75 laps to win by 22 seconds over British driver Stirling Moss driving a British Racing Partnership entered BRM P25. It was the first time a BRP entry finished in the top three. Brabham's Cooper Car Company teammate, New Zealander Bruce McLaren finished in third place, just 0.2 seconds behind Moss, having lost second place late in the race. Harry Schell finished fourth for the Owen Racing Organisation BRM team a lap behind Brabham.

The British Grand Prix had the biggest entry of the season outside the Indianapolis 500 with 30 cars competing and 24 starting the race, all despite the absence of Ferrari. Strikes in Italy trapped the team at home,^[1] leaving the British teams to fight over the race. Ferrari's new lead driver Tony Brooks was given a release and started the race in a Vanwall but was the first to retire with misfire after 13 laps having started in a lowly 17th after winning the French Grand Prix a few weeks earlier.

The win saw Brabham expand his points lead over Brooks to 13 points. Moss and McLaren moved into fourth place just half a point behind the absent Phil Hill.

On the last lap of this race, McLaren became the youngest driver to set a fastest lap in Formula One, aged 21 years and 322 days. It was another 44 years before Fernando Alonso relieved him of that achievement with fastest lap in the 2003 Canadian Grand Prix. He was a day younger aged 21 years and 321 days.

The BRP-entered BRM P25 which Stirling Moss drove to second place in the 1959 British Grand Prix, BRP's first podium finish.

Classification

Qualifying

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Time	Gap
1	12	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	1:58.0	—
2	2	Roy Salvadori	Aston Martin	1:58.0	+0.0
3	8	Harry Schell	BRM	1:59.2	+1.2
4	18	Maurice Trintignant	Cooper-Climax	1:59.2	+1.2
5	14	Masten Gregory	Cooper-Climax	1:59.4	+1.4
6	4	Carroll Shelby	Aston Martin	1:59.6	+1.6
7	6	Stirling Moss	BRM	1:59.6	+1.6
8	16	Bruce McLaren	Cooper-Climax	1:59.6	+1.6
9	28	Graham Hill	Lotus-Climax	2:00.0	+2.0
10	10	Jo Bonnier	BRM	2:00.0	+2.0
11	42	Ron Flockhart	BRM	2:00.2	+2.2
12	30	Alan Stacey	Lotus-Climax	2:02.8	+4.8
13	22	Ian Burgess	Cooper-Maserati	2:03.0	+5.0
14	36	Brian Naylor	JBW-Maserati	2:03.0	+5.0
15	38	Jack Fairman	Cooper-Climax	2:04.2	+6.2
16	48	Chris Bristow	Cooper-Borgward	2:04.4	+6.4
17	20	Tony Brooks	Vanwall	2:04.6	+6.6
18	46	Ivor Bueb	Cooper-Borgward	2:04.8	+6.8
19	24	Hans Herrmann	Cooper-Maserati	2:05.6	+7.6
20	40	Fritz d'Orey	Maserati	2:05.6	+7.6
21	58	Henry Taylor	Cooper-Climax	2:05.6	+7.6
22	64	David Piper	Lotus-Climax	2:06.0	+8.0
23	52	Peter Ashdown	Cooper-Climax	2:06.2	+8.2
24	50	Mike Taylor	Cooper-Climax	2:07.0	+9.0
DNQ	56	Bill Moss	Cooper-Climax	2:07.2	+9.2
DNQ	60	Mike Parkes	Fry-Climax	2:07.6	+9.6
DNQ	44	Trevor Taylor	Cooper-Climax	2:08.2	+10.2
DNQ	54	Keith Greene	Cooper-Climax	2:09.8	+11.6
DNQ	62	Dennis Taylor	Lotus-Climax
DNQ	66	Tim Parnell	Cooper-Climax
Source:^[2]

Race

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid	Points
1	12	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	75	2:30:11.6	1	8
2	6	Stirling Moss	BRM	75	+ 22.2	7	6.5¹
3	16	Bruce McLaren	Cooper-Climax	75	+ 22.4	8	4.5¹
4	8	Harry Schell	BRM	74	+ 1 Lap	3	3
5	18	Maurice Trintignant	Cooper-Climax	74	+ 1 Lap	4	2
6	2	Roy Salvadori	Aston Martin	74	+ 1 Lap	2
7	14	Masten Gregory	Cooper-Climax	73	+ 2 Laps	5
8	30	Alan Stacey	Lotus-Climax	71	+ 4 Laps	12
9	28	Graham Hill	Lotus-Climax	70	+ 5 Laps	9
10	48	Chris Bristow	Cooper-Borgward	70	+ 5 Laps	16
11	58	Henry Taylor	Cooper-Climax	69	+ 6 Laps	21
12	52	Peter Ashdown	Cooper-Climax	69	+ 6 Laps	23
13	46	Ivor Bueb	Cooper-Borgward	69	+ 6 Laps	18
Ret	4	Carroll Shelby	Aston Martin	69	Ignition	6
Ret	40	Fritz d'Orey	Maserati	57	Accident	20
Ret	42	Ron Flockhart	BRM	53	Spun Off	11
Ret	38	Jack Fairman	Cooper-Climax	39	Gearbox	15
Ret	10	Jo Bonnier	BRM	37	Brakes	10
Ret	22	Ian Burgess	Cooper-Maserati	31	Transmission	13
Ret	24	Hans Herrmann	Cooper-Maserati	21	Gearbox	19
Ret	64	David Piper	Lotus-Climax	19	Overheating	22
Ret	36	Brian Naylor	JBW-Maserati	18	Transmission	14
Ret	50	Mike Taylor	Cooper-Climax	17	Transmission	24
Ret	20	Tony Brooks	Vanwall	13	Ignition	17
DNQ	54	Keith Greene	Cooper-Climax
DNQ	56	Bill Moss	Cooper-Climax
DNQ	60	Mike Parkes	Fry-Climax
DNQ	62	Dennis Taylor	Lotus-Climax
DNQ	44	Trevor Taylor	Cooper-Climax
DNQ	66	Tim Parnell	Cooper-Climax
Source:^[3]

Notes

^1 – Includes 0.5 points for shared fastest lap

Notes

This race marked the first Formula One World Championship Grand Prix pole position for Jack Brabham and for an Australian driver.
This was Bruce McLaren's first fastest lap and podium finish. It also marked the first Formula One World Championship fastest lap and podium finish for a New Zealand driver.

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

	Pos	Driver	Points
	1	Jack Brabham	27
	2	Tony Brooks	14
	3	Phil Hill	9
12	4	Stirling Moss	8.5
5	5	Bruce McLaren	8.5
Source: ^[4]

Constructors' Championship standings

	Pos	Constructor	Points
	1	Cooper-Climax	26
	2	Ferrari	16
	3	BRM	14
	4	Lotus-Climax	3
Source: ^[4]

Notes: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.

References

^ Hope-Frost, Henry. "Top 12: Ferrari‑free Grands Prix". www.goodwood.com. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
^ "1959 British GP Qualification". www.chicanef1.com. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
^ "1959 British Grand Prix". formula1.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Britain 1959 - Championship • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 13 March 2019.

External links

"Brabham presses home his claim on the title". Grand Prix Racing. Archived from the original on 14 August 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
"GRAND PRIX RESULTS: BRITISH GP, 1959". GrandPrix.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
"1959 British GP". ChicaneF1.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007. (Race results and statistics.)

Previous race: 1959 French Grand Prix	FIA Formula One World Championship 1959 season	Next race: 1959 German Grand Prix
Previous race: 1958 British Grand Prix	British Grand Prix	Next race: 1960 British Grand Prix

[1] Hope-Frost, Henry. "Top 12: Ferrari‑free Grands Prix". www.goodwood.com. Retrieved 25 October 2023.

[2] "1959 British GP Qualification". www.chicanef1.com. Retrieved 25 July 2020.

[3] "1959 British Grand Prix". formula1.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2014. Retrieved 16 August 2015.

[champ-4] "Britain 1959 - Championship • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 13 March 2019.

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