1958 French Grand Prix

1958 French Grand Prix
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Reims-Gueux layout
Race details
Date	6 July 1958
Official name	XLIV Grand Prix de l'ACF
Location	Reims circuit, Reims, France
Course	Temporary road course
Course length	8.302 km (5.159 miles)
Distance	50 laps, 415.1 km (257.95 miles)
Pole position
Driver	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari
Time	2:21.7
Fastest lap
Driver	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari
Time	2:24.9
Podium
First	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari
Second	Stirling Moss	Vanwall
Third	Wolfgang von Trips	Ferrari
Lap leaders

The 1958 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims on 6 July 1958. It was race 6 of 11 in the 1958 World Championship of Drivers and race 5 of 10 in the 1958 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers.

The race was won by Mike Hawthorn driving a Ferrari 246 F1; it was his first Formula One victory since the 1954 Spanish Grand Prix and would prove to be his last. It was also the last Formula One race for five-time World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio. On the final lap, Hawthorn eased up to let Fangio, running fifth at the time, finish on the lead lap of his last race. This turned out to be a blessing, as Peter Collins ran out of fuel on the final lap, allowing Fangio to secure fourth. Collins managed to push his car to finish fifth. Finishing in tenth was Indianapolis 500 winner, American Troy Ruttman driving a Maserati 250F for Scuderia Centro Sud in what would be his only Grand Prix appearance outside of the 500. Ruttman had qualified 15 seconds away from pole position and finished five laps down on Hawthorn.

The F1 race was marred by Ferrari driver Luigi Musso's fatal accident at the Courbe du Calvaire. His car hurtled off course and crashed into a ditch. Musso was thrown out of the car, was critically injured and died later that day at a hospital near the track.

Of the 21 starters, six died in racing cars within the next three years. Musso died in the race itself, while Peter Collins died four weeks later in the 1958 German Grand Prix, Lewis-Evans at the Moroccan Grand Prix, Jean Behra in a support race for the 1959 German Grand Prix, Harry Schell in practice for the 1960 BRDC International Trophy, and Wolfgang von Trips and a dozen spectators died at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix.

The "II Coupe Internationale de Vitesse 1958"^[1][2] 1500cc Formula Two race was held on the same day, over 30 laps. Several current and future F1 pilots entered both events, with F2 already using Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout cars from Cooper, and even sportscars with enveloping bodywork ^[3] from Porsche and OSCA that were heavier but seemingly made up time on the long straights of Reims, a circuit similar to Le Mans. Pole (2'34.1") and victory by Jean Behra in a Porsche 718 RSK (converted central seat sportscar) ahead of Collins in a front engine Ferrari Dino 156 F2.

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Time	Gap
1	4	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari	2:21.7	—
2	2	Luigi Musso	Ferrari	2:22.4	+0.7
3	16	Harry Schell	BRM	2:23.1	+1.4
4	42	Peter Collins	Ferrari	2:23.3	+1.6
5	10	Tony Brooks	Vanwall	2:23.4	+1.7
6	8	Stirling Moss	Vanwall	2:23.7	+2.0
7	18	Maurice Trintignant	BRM	2:23.7	+2.0
8	34	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati	2:24.0	+2.3
9	14	Jean Behra	BRM	2:24.2	+2.5
10	12	Stuart Lewis-Evans	Vanwall	2:25.3	+3.6
11	40	Paco Godia	Maserati	2:27.1	+5.4
12	22	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	2:27.3	+5.6
13	36	Phil Hill	Maserati	2:29.5	+7.8
14	20	Roy Salvadori	Cooper-Climax	2:30.0	+8.3
15	32	Gerino Gerini	Maserati	2:30.7	+9.0
16	38	Jo Bonnier	Maserati	2:30.9	+9.2
17	28	Carroll Shelby	Maserati	2:32.0	+10.3
18	30	Troy Ruttman	Maserati	2:36.0	+14.3
19	24	Graham Hill	Lotus-Climax	2:40.9	+19.2
20	26	Cliff Allison	Lotus-Climax	2:49.7	+28.0
21	6	Wolfgang von Trips	Ferrari
Source:[4]

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid	Points
1	4	Mike Hawthorn	Ferrari	50	2:03:21.3	1	91
2	8	Stirling Moss	Vanwall	50	+ 24.6	6	6
3	6	Wolfgang von Trips	Ferrari	50	+ 59.7	21	4
4	34	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maserati	50	+ 2:30.6	8	3
5	42	Peter Collins	Ferrari	50	+ 5:24.9	4	2
6	22	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	49	+ 1 Lap	12
7	36	Phil Hill	Maserati	49	+ 1 Lap	13
8	38	Jo Bonnier	Maserati	48	+ 2 Laps	16
9	32	Gerino Gerini	Maserati	47	+ 3 Laps	15
10	30	Troy Ruttman	Maserati	45	+ 5 Laps	18
11	20	Roy Salvadori	Cooper-Climax	37	+ 13 Laps	14
Ret	16	Harry Schell	BRM	41	Overheating	3
Ret	14	Jean Behra	BRM	41	Fuel Pump	9
Ret	12	Stuart Lewis-Evans Tony Brooks	Vanwall	35	Engine	10
Ret	24	Graham Hill	Lotus-Climax	33	Overheating	19
Ret	40	Paco Godia	Maserati	28	Accident	11
Ret	18	Maurice Trintignant	BRM	23	Fuel Pump	7
Ret	10	Tony Brooks	Vanwall	16	Engine	5
Ret	2	Luigi Musso	Ferrari	9	Fatal Accident	2
Ret	28	Carroll Shelby	Maserati	9	Engine	17
Ret	26	Cliff Allison	Lotus-Climax	6	Engine	20
Source:[5]

Notes

• ^1 – Includes 1 point for fastest lap

This was the debut World Championship Formula One race for future world champion Phil Hill.

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Stirling Moss 23 2 Mike Hawthorn 23 3 Luigi Musso 12 4 Harry Schell 10 5 Maurice Trintignant 8 Source: [6]

Constructors' Championship standings Pos Constructor Points 1 Ferrari 28 1 2 Vanwall 22 1 3 Cooper-Climax 19 4 BRM 10 1 5 Maserati 6 Source: [6]

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