The 1952 Formula One Season was the 3rd FIA World Drivers' Championship, which commenced on May 18, 1952, and ended on September 7 after eight races, was won by Alberto Ascari, driving for Scuderia Ferrari who scored the maximum 36 World Championship points for the season.
In comparison to previous seasons, the 1952 Formula One season consisted of a relatively small number of Formula One races, following the FIA's decision to run the World Drivers' Championship to Formula Two regulations rather than Formula One.
In addition to the Formula One races and the World Championship Formula Two races, numerous other Formula Two races, which did not count towards the Championship, were also held during the year.
Formula One saw the first fatality since its formation. Cameron Earl was killed after his car overturned while he was testing as an English Racing Automobiles team technical consultant.
World Championship season summary
Alfa Romeo, unable to fund a new car, withdrew from racing, leaving Ferrari as the only serious Formula 1 contender. This led organizers to run their races for Formula 2, for 2 litre unsupercharged engines, which meant larger fields and a greater variety of cars, even if the victories all went to Ferrari. Ascari won the six grand prix he entered, missing the Swiss because he was at Indianapolis qualifying. Maserati and Gordini offered little challenge, but Mike Hawthorn's drives in his Cooper would earn him a works Ferrari drive in 1953. Fangio, badly injured in an early season crash, took no part in the championship.
Points were given to top 5 finishers (8, 6, 4, 3, 2). 1 point was given for fastest lap. Only the best four of eight scores counted towards the world championship. Points for shared drives were divided equally between the drivers, regardless of who had driven more laps. In 1952, all World Championship events were run under Formula 2 regulations.
World Championship season review
| Round | Event | Report | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grid | Result | ||||
| 1 |  Swiss Grand Prix
|
Report | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 [[Nino Farina]]Ferrari |
1 | [[Piero Taruffi]] Ferrari |
Fastest Lap | ||
| [[Piero Taruffi]] Ferrari |
2 | [[Rudi Fischer]] Ferrari |
[[Piero Taruffi]] Ferrari | ||
 [[Robert Manzon]]Gordini |
3 | [[Jean Behra]] Gordini |
2:49.1 on Lap 46 | ||
| 2 |  Indianapolis 500
|
Report | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[Chet Miller]] Kurtis Kraft-Novi |
1 | [[Troy Ruttman]] Kuzma-Offenhauser |
Fastest Lap | ||
| [[Bill Vukovich]] Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser |
2 | [[Jim Rathman]] Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser |
[[Bill Vukovich]] Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | ||
| [[Fred Agabashian]] Template:Kurtis Kraft-Cummins Diesel |
3 | [[Sam Hanks]] Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser |
1:06.60 on Lap 8 | ||
| 3 |  Belgian Grand Prix
|
Report | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari |
1 | [[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari |
Fastest Lap | ||
| [[Nino Farina]] Ferrari |
2 | [[Nino Farina]] Ferrari |
[[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari | ||
| [[Piero Taruffi]] Ferrari |
3 | [[Robert Manzon]] Gordini |
4:54.0 on Lap 2 | ||
| 4 | French Grand Prix
|
Report | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari |
1 | [[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari |
Fastest Lap | ||
| [[Nino Farina]] Ferrari |
2 | [[Nino Farina]] Ferrari |
[[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari | ||
| [[Piero Taruffi]] Ferrari |
3 | [[Piero Taruffi]] Ferrari |
2:17.3 on Lap 28 | ||
| 5 |  British Grand Prix
|
Report | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[Nino Farina]] Ferrari |
1 | [[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari |
Fastest Lap | ||
| [[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari |
2 | [[Piero Taruffi]] Ferrari |
[[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari | ||
| [[Piero Taruffi]] Ferrari |
3 | [[Mike Hawthorn]] Cooper-Bristol |
1:52.0 on Lap 9 | ||
| 6 |  German Grand Prix
|
Report | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari |
1 | [[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari |
Fastest Lap | ||
| [[Nino Farina]] Ferrari |
2 | [[Nino Farina]] Ferrari |
[[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari | ||
| [[Maurice Trintigant]] Gordini |
3 | [[Rudi Fischer]] Ferrari |
10:05.1 on Lap 5 | ||
| 7 |  Dutch Grand Prix
|
Report | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari |
1 | [[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari |
Fastest Lap | ||
| [[Nino Farina]] Ferrari |
2 | [[Nino Farina]] Ferrari |
[[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari | ||
| [[Mike Hawthorn]] Cooper-Bristol |
3 | [[Luigi Villoresi]] Ferrari |
1:49.8 on Lap 89 | ||
| 8 | Italian Grand Prix
|
Report | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari |
1 | [[Alberto Ascari]] Ferrari |
Fastest Lap | ||
| [[Luigi Villoresi]] Ferrari |
2 |  [[José Froilán González]]Maserati |
[[Alberto Ascari José Froilán González]] Ferrari, Maserati | ||
| [[Nino Farina]] Ferrari |
3 | [[Luigi Villoresi]] Ferrari |
2:06.1 on Lap 56, 57,60 | ||
Teams and Drivers
The following teams and drivers competed in the 1952 FIA World Championship.
1952 Driver line-ups
1952 Drivers Championship final standings
- * Fastest lap (1 point awarded)
- ** Multiple drivers set equal fastest lap times, thus sharing the 1 point.
- † Position shared between more drivers of the same car
- Only the best 4 results counted towards the Championship. Numbers without parentheses are Championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.
Non-Championship race results
Formula One/Two Grand Prix races, which did not count towards the World Championship, also held in 1952.
| Race Name | Circuit | Date | Winning driver | Constructor | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 XI Grande Prémio da Cidade de Rio de Janeiro
|
Gávea | January 20 | José Froilán González
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| II Gran Premio di Siracusa
|
Syracuse | March 16 | Alberto Ascari
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| VI Gran Premio del Valentino
|
Valentino Park | April 6 | Luigi Villoresi
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| IV Richmond Trophy
|
Goodwood | April 14 | José Froilán González
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| IV Lavant Cup
|
Goodwood | April 14 | Mike Hawthorn
|
Cooper-Bristol
|
Report |
| XIII Grand Prix de Pau
|
Pau | April 14 | Alberto Ascari
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| I Ibsley Grand Prix
|
Ringwood | April 19 | Mike Hawthorn
|
Cooper-Bristol
|
Report |
| X Grand Prix de Marseille
|
Marseille | April 27 | Alberto Ascari
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| IV BRDC International Trophy
|
Silverstone | May 10 | Lance Macklin
|
HWM-Alta
|
Report |
 XIV Eläintarhanajot
|
Eläintarharata | May 11 | Roger Laurent
|
Talbot-Lago
|
Report |
| V Gran Premio di Napoli
|
Posillipo | May 11 | Giuseppe Farina
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| XVI Internationales ADAC Eifelrennen
|
Nürburgring | May 25 | Rudi Fischer
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| VI Grand Prix de Paris
|
Montlhéry | May 25 | Piero Taruffi
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| XIV Grand Prix de l'Albigeois
|
Albi | June 1 | Louis Rosier
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| XXII Grand Prix des Frontières
|
Chimay | June 1 | Paul Frère
|
HWM-Alta
|
Report |
| VI Ulster Trophy
|
Dundrod | June 7 | Piero Taruffi
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| V Gran Premio dell'Autodromo di Monza
|
Monza | June 8 | Giuseppe Farina
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| IV Aix les Bains Circuit du Lac
|
Aix-les-Bains | June 8 | Jean Behra
|
Gordini
|
Report |
| I West Essex CC Race
|
Boreham | June 21 | Reg Parnell
|
Cooper-Bristol
|
Report |
| XX Grand Prix de la Marne
|
Reims | June 29 | Jean Behra
|
Gordini
|
Report |
| II Grand Prix de Sables d'Olonne
|
Sables | July 13 | Luigi Villoresi
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| I Grand Prix de Caen
|
Caen | July 27 | Maurice Trintignant
|
Gordini
|
Report |
| II Daily Mail Trophy
|
Boreham | August 2 | Luigi Villoresi
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| XVI Grand Prix de Comminges
|
Comminges | August 10 | André Simon
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| I National Trophy
|
Turnberry | August 23 | Mike Hawthorn
|
Connaught
|
Report |
| XI Grand Prix de la Baule
|
La Baule | August 24 | Alberto Ascari
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| III Gran Premio di Modena
|
Modena | September 14 | Luigi Villoresi
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| IV Circuit de Cadours
|
Cadours | September 14 | Louis Rosier
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| V Madgwick Cup
|
Goodwood | September 27 | Ken Downing
|
Connaught
|
Report |
| VIII Internationales Avusrennen
|
AVUS | September 28 | Rudi Fischer
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| Joe Fry Memorial Trophy
|
Castle Combe | October 4 | Roy Salvadori
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
| I Newcastle Journal Trophy
|
Charterhall | October 11 | Dennis Poore
|
Connaught
|
Report |
| XII Grande Prémio da Cidade de Rio de Janeiro
|
Gávea | December 14 | Henrique Casini
|
Ferrari
|
Report |
See Also
| V T E | Formula One Seasons | |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 • 1951 • 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1955 • 1956 • 1957 • 1958 • 1959 • 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018 • 2019 • 2020 • 2021 • 2022 • 2023 • 2024 | ||
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