The Ferrari 500 was a

Formula 2 Formula Two (F2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009 to 2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name returned aga ...

racing car designed by Aurelio Lampredi and used by

Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...

in and , when the World Championship was run to F2 regulations.

Racing history

For 1952, the FIA announced that Grand Prix races counting towards the World Championship of Drivers would be run to Formula 2 specification rather than to

Formula 1 Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

, after the withdrawal of

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian carmaker known for its sports-oriented vehicles, strong auto racing heritage, and iconic design. Headquartered in Turin, Italy, it is a subsidiary of Stellantis Europe and one of 14 brands of mu ...

from the sport. Ferrari were the only team to have a car specifically designed for the new formula. The car was powered by an inline four-cylinder engine which was mounted behind the front axle, improving

weight distribution Weight distribution is the apportioning of weight within a vehicle, especially cars, airplanes, and trains. Typically, it is written in the form ''x''/''y'', where ''x'' is the percentage of weight in the front, and ''y'' is the percentage in t ...

Alberto Ascari Alberto Ascari (13 July 1918 – 26 May 1955) was an Italian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Ascari won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with Ferrari, and won 13 Grands Prix across ...

used the car to win his first world championship, winning all but one race with the simple 500. The race he missed was because he was driving the 4.5-litre Ferrari at the

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...

, however Ferrari won the race he was absent from as well. The following season, Ascari won his second world championship, and Ferrari won all but the final race, which was won by

Juan Manuel Fangio Juan Manuel Fangio (, ; 24 June 1911 – 17 July 1995) was an Argentine racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "el Chueco" and "el Maestro", Fangio won five Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles and—at the ti ...

, back in racing after an accident which had damaged his neck. Ascari won seven consecutive World Championship races in the 500, a record which stood until

Sebastian Vettel Sebastian Vettel (; born 3 July 1987) is a German racing driver who most recently competed in Formula One from to . Vettel won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won consecutively from to with Red Bull, and rema ...

broke it in 2013. If the

1953 Indianapolis 500 The 37th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 30, 1953. The event was part of the 1953 AAA National Championship, and was race 2 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers. Bill V ...

(which was run to a different formula, and in which Ascari was not entered) is discounted, the run is extended to nine.

625 F1

For the 1954 season and the return to Formula One engine regulations, Ferrari 500 chassis were modified for the new regulations with the 2.5-litre 625 engine and would win two more races, one each in 1954 and 1955, although it was not quite fast enough compared to the

Mercedes-Benz W196 The Mercedes-Benz W196 (sometimes written as the Mercedes-Benz W 196 R) was a Formula One racing car produced by Mercedes-Benz for the and F1 seasons. Successor to the W194, in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss it won 9 of ...

and

Maserati 250F The Maserati 250F was a racing car made by Maserati of Italy used in '2.5 litre' Formula One racing between January 1954 and November 1960. Twenty-six examples were made. Mechanical details The 250F principally used the SSG, 220 bhp (at 7400r ...

. Despite two new models appearing during this period the 625 was not completely replaced until when Ferrari began using the D50 chassis Ferrari purchased along with the

Lancia Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis Europe, which is the European subsidiary of Stellantis. The present legal entity of Lancia was formed in January 2007 when its corporate parent reorganise ...

Formula One team. In May 1955,

Maurice Trintignant Maurice Bienvenu Jean Paul Trintignant (; 30 October 1917 – 13 February 2005) was a French racing driver and winemaker, who competed in Formula One from to . Trintignant won two Formula One Grands Prix across 15 seasons. In endurance raci ...

had won the Monte Carlo GP for the first time for Ferrari. The 625 F1 '' Lampredi''

inline-four A straight-four engine (also referred to as an inline-four engine) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout ( ...

engine displaced 2498.32 cc and could produce between at 7000 rpm with two Weber 50DCO carburettors. The car had an independent front suspension and de Dion axle at the rear. Transverse leaf-springs and Houdaille hydraulic shock absorbers were used on both ends. File:Ferrari Formel 2,Bj.1953.jpg, alt=Ferrari 500 File:Ferrari 625 Donington pits.jpg, alt= Ferrari 625F1 bei einem Oldtimer-Rennen in Donington 2007 File:1954 Ferrari 625 F1 front.jpg, alt=Ferrari 625 F1 front view File:1954 Ferrari 625 F1 rear.jpg, alt=Ferrari 625 F1 rear view File:Ferrari 500 (Motor, 2480 cm³), Bj. 1954.jpg, alt= engine Ferrari 625F1 File:1954 Ferrari 625 F1 interior.jpg, alt=Ferrari 625 F1 interior view

Technical data

Partial Formula One World Championship results

(This table contains results of

works cars; privateer results can be found Ferrari Grand Prix results#Privately entered Ferrari cars, here) ( key) (results in bold indicate pole position; results in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) *1 – The Constructors' World Championship did not exist before 1958. *2 – Shared Drive.

References

External links

Ferrari 500 at www.ddavid.com

Ferrari 500 F2: Ferrari History

Ferrari 625 F1: Ferrari History
{{F1 cars 1957 Tipo 500 Formula Two cars Formula One championship–winning cars