Argentine GP 1953

Argentine GP, 1953

The World Championship - still being run to Formula 2 regulations - started early in 1953 with the major teams gathering in Argentina in January. Maserati had shown signs at the end of 1952 that it was going to have a competitive package in 1953 and there were four of the A6GCM chassis for Juan-Manuel Fangio (back in action after being out for most of 1952), Froilan Gonzalez, Felice Bonetto and local hero Oscar Galvez.

Ferrari had Alberto Ascari, Giuseppe Farina and Gigi Villoresi with a fourth car for its new signing Mike Hawthorn. Gordini had its usual trio of Jean Behra, Maurice Trintignant and Robert Manzon and a fourth car for Carlos Menditeguy while the Cooper Car Company made an official entry with cars for Alan Brown, John Barber and Adolfo Cruz.

Ascari, the reigning World Champion, was fastest in qualifying but Fangio was alongside him with the front row being completed by the Ferraris of Villoresi and Farina. Gonzalez, Hawthorn and Trintignant shared the second row with the third comprising of Manzon, Galvez, Menditeguy and Behra.

President Juan Peron turned up for the race and, having decreed that there would be free access to the circuit, discovered that there were far too many people to be controlled. They were lining the race track when the Grand Prix began. It was a recipe for disaster and as Ascari drove away to victory being chased by Fangio, third-placed Farina had to swerve to avoid a spectator who had wandered onto the circuit. He lost control and crashed into the crowd. At least one spectator (and probably more) was killed. Manzon was lucky not to hurt anyone else when his car lost a wheel at two-thirds distance. Hawthorn moved up to third but a counterattack by Gonzalez put him back up to third. Galvez was fifth and Behra sixth.

POS	NO	DRIVER	ENTRANT	LAPS	TIME/RETIREMENT	QUAL POS
1	10	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari 500	97	3h01m04.600s	1
2	14	Luigi Villoresi	Ferrari 500	96		3
3	4	Froilan Gonzalez	Maserati A6GCM	96		5
4	16	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari 500	96		6
5	8	Oscar Galvez	Maserati A6GCM	96		9
6	30	Jean Behra	Gordini T16	94		11
7=	28	Maurice Trintignant	Gordini T16			7
7=	28	Harry Schell	Gordini T16	91
8	22	John Barber	Cooper-Bristol T23	90		16
9	20	Alan Brown	Cooper-Bristol T20	87		12
r	26	Robert Manzon	Gordini T16	67	Wheel Lost	8
r	2	Juan-Manuel Fangio	Maserati A6GCM	36	Mechanical	2
r	6	Felice Bonetto	Maserati A6GCM	31	Transmission	15
r	12	Giuseppe Farina	Ferrari 500	30	Accident (spectator Killed)	4
r	32	Carlos Menditeguy	Gordini T16	24	Gearbox	10
r	34	Pablo Birger	Simca Gordini-Gordini T15	21	Transmission	14
r	24	Adolfo Schwelm-Cruz	Cooper-Bristol T20	20	Wheel Lost	13