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Maserati 250F Battles Ferrari Once Again

A prestigious and special Race was held last week at the Melbourne Grand Prix to celebrate the new Ferrari and Maserati dealership. The unique race has brought Sir Stirling Moss and his Maserati 250F, the car in which he won the 1956 Melbourne Grand Prix, to the racetrack once again to battle Ferrari. Sir Stirling is recognized as the greatest driver never to win the world championship.

Aside from the race in Melbourne, perhaps the most famous race for the Maserati 250F was in the 1957 German Grand Prix at Nurburgring. In the middle of the race, Juan Fangio was trailing the Ferraris of Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins. After a pitstop, he set off in pursuit and over the following 22 laps of what is probably the most difficult Grand Prix track in the world, Fangio reeled in the Ferraris broke the lap record 10 times.

Although total production of the Maserati 250F was just 26 cars, it was the backbone of the Formula One championship from 1954 to 1960, when it made its last appearance in a Formula One event. Powered by a 2.5-litre straight-six cylinder engine, power output rose from 180kW (240bhp) to 210kW (280bhp) during its lifetime, sufficient to provide the 630kg car with a top speed of over 290km/h (180bhp). Later versions were powered by 2.5-litre V12 with 230kW (310bhp).

The place of the Maserati 250F in racing history has been secured not just by its success or its performance, but also by the fact that during the 1950s it was the epitome of a Formula One car, especially when it was bright red.