Complete calendar with 7 races
The 1955 Formula 1 season was forever marked by tragedy, as the sport's greatest disaster at Le Mans cast a dark shadow over Juan Manuel Fangio's third World Championship. While Fangio and Mercedes-Benz continued their technical dominance, claiming five victories from six championship races, the season would be remembered primarily for the catastrophic accident that killed driver Pierre Levegh and 83 spectators at Le Mans in June. The tragedy prompted Switzerland to ban motorsport, led to Mercedes' withdrawal from racing, and sparked soul-searching about the sport's safety that continues to this day.
Fangio's championship campaign was a masterclass in consistency and speed. Driving the exquisite Mercedes W196, he won in Argentina, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy, dominating the season with a combination of supreme skill and superior machinery. His only defeat came at Monaco, where Maurice Trintignant claimed an emotional victory for Ferrari after Fangio crashed out while leading. The Argentine's supremacy was such that the championship was effectively decided by mid-season, allowing him to cruise to the title with races to spare.
The Mercedes-Benz W196 reached its peak development in 1955, with the car's fuel-injected straight-eight engine delivering around 290 horsepower with remarkable reliability. Mercedes' engineering excellence extended beyond pure performance to include innovative features like inboard brakes, desmodromic valve gear, and lightweight construction. The team's methodical approach, professional organization, and technical resources set new standards that rivals struggled to match. Their dominance was so complete that only mechanical failure or driver error could prevent victory.
Stirling Moss emerged as a genuine star in his first full season with Mercedes, winning the British Grand Prix at Aintree in commanding fashion. The young Englishman's victory made him a national hero and established him as Fangio's natural heir. The partnership between the experienced Argentine maestro and the brilliant British talent created one of the great driver pairings in F1 history. Mercedes' team orders generally favored Fangio in championship-deciding moments, but Moss' performances proved he had the raw speed to match anyone on the grid.
The Le Mans tragedy on June 11 fundamentally altered motorsport's trajectory. Pierre Levegh's Mercedes 300 SLR launched into the crowd after a collision, disintegrating and scattering burning debris into the packed grandstands. The resulting inferno killed Levegh and 83 spectators, with over 120 injured in the worst accident in motorsport history. The disaster prompted immediate consequences: Switzerland banned motorsport entirely, France and Spain briefly considered similar measures, and Mercedes-Benz withdrew from all racing at season's end despite their dominance. The shadow of Le Mans would influence safety discussions for decades.
Ferrari struggled to match Mercedes' pace but provided the primary opposition throughout the season. Maurice Trintignant's victory at Monaco represented Ferrari's sole championship win, though the Scuderia remained competitive at most circuits. The Italian team's willingness to support multiple drivers sometimes created internal tension, but their passionate approach contrasted sharply with Mercedes' clinical professionalism. Alberto Ascari, attempting a comeback with Lancia, tragically lost his life in a testing accident at Monza just days after miraculously surviving a crash into Monaco harbor during the race.
The deaths of Ascari and the Le Mans victims made 1955 the deadliest season in Formula 1 history and prompted serious questions about safety standards. Circuits built decades earlier for much slower cars were proving inadequate for modern Grand Prix machinery. The lack of proper barriers, run-off areas, and safety equipment meant that any significant accident carried potentially catastrophic consequences. While circuit modifications would come gradually over subsequent years, the fundamental dangers of 1950s racing remained largely unaddressed.
Fangio clinched his third World Championship at Monza, matching the tally of his idol Juan Manuel Fangio. At 44 years old, the Argentine had now won three of the six World Championships contested, establishing himself as the sport's dominant figure. His points total of 40 from seven races represented another comfortable margin over rivals, with Moss finishing second on 23 points and Eugenio Castellotti third with 12 points. The season concluded with Mercedes' announcement of their withdrawal from racing, ending one of the most successful but ultimately tragic campaigns in motorsport history. Fangio would need to find new employment for 1956, but his status as the sport's premier driver was secure.