F1WRCR 1952 season - driver ratings up!

[tommykl]

Looks like Mike Hawthorn isn't under contract. I'll snag him if that's the case.

He's been resigned by Bentley, I believe

[pi314159]

Maria Teresa de Filippis will most likely continue with her 1952-spec Alfa and enter as many of the European races as possible.

[pasta_maldonado]

Looks like Mike Hawthorn isn't under contract. I'll snag him if that's the case.

He's been resigned by Bentley, I believe

Yes, indeed he has

[TomWazzleshaw]

With Trintignant finishing 8th for Jaguar-Aston Martin, he does one place better than he did for Maserati previous race. As promised, he will choose the team that gave him the best result, namely JAMR. (but it has been close)

With that announcement, JAMR will likely sign Trintignant, Bettenhausen and Gonzalez, leaving one car left remaining for Wizzie to choose, and for him to confirm all other entrants. I presume he would allow them all to be signed.

Now we aim for the top spot in the constructors! And the entrants

You don't have to wait for me to make driver decisions any more. You're taking over the JAMR team full-time, while I'll be running the Jaguar engine program instead. Jaguar will be more than happy to continue our works deal with the team though as our partnership has proved fruitful so far, and we'll let you negotiate what terms and conditions you want for the engines.

With that being said, Jaguar is also interested in supplying customer engines to other privateers, but we'll wait until we find out what our budget is to make concrete plans.

[tommykl]

With Trintignant finishing 8th for Jaguar-Aston Martin, he does one place better than he did for Maserati previous race. As promised, he will choose the team that gave him the best result, namely JAMR. (but it has been close)

With that announcement, JAMR will likely sign Trintignant, Bettenhausen and Gonzalez, leaving one car left remaining for Wizzie to choose, and for him to confirm all other entrants. I presume he would allow them all to be signed.

Now we aim for the top spot in the constructors! And the entrants

You don't have to wait for me to make driver decisions any more. You're taking over the JAMR team full-time, while I'll be running the Jaguar engine program instead. Jaguar will be more than happy to continue our works deal with the team though as our partnership has proved fruitful so far, and we'll let you negotiate what terms and conditions you want for the engines.

With that being said, Jaguar is also interested in supplying customer engines to other privateers, but we'll wait until we find out what our budget is to make concrete plans.

Technically, you can both own the team and pool your resources together

[TomWazzleshaw]

With that announcement, JAMR will likely sign Trintignant, Bettenhausen and Gonzalez, leaving one car left remaining for Wizzie to choose, and for him to confirm all other entrants. I presume he would allow them all to be signed.

Now we aim for the top spot in the constructors! And the entrants

You don't have to wait for me to make driver decisions any more. You're taking over the JAMR team full-time, while I'll be running the Jaguar engine program instead. Jaguar will be more than happy to continue our works deal with the team though as our partnership has proved fruitful so far, and we'll let you negotiate what terms and conditions you want for the engines.

With that being said, Jaguar is also interested in supplying customer engines to other privateers, but we'll wait until we find out what our budget is to make concrete plans.

Technically, you can both own the team and pool your resources together

Ah, works for me then. Might as well put gentlemen drivers willing to stump up some cash and live the racing dream in the fourth car then

[tommykl]

I've just finished the full standings for the championship on the wiki

http://f1alternate.shoutwiki.com/wiki/1952_Alternate_Formula_One_Season

[tommykl]

Here are driver ratings for 1953, as well as the teams they are tied with:
Giuseppe Farina - 30,5 (Alfa Romeo full-time)
Dorino Serafini - 29,3 (Ferrari full-time)
B. Bira - 28,7 (Motorsport Bleu full-time)
Toulo de Graffenried - 28,6 (likely to leave Ferrari, linked to Ferrari America)
Consalvo Sanesi - 27,5 (ART full-time)
Juan Manuel Fangio - 26,5 (free agent, linked to Ferrari or JAMR)
Reg Parnell - 26,1 (Ferrari full-time)
Robert Manzon - 26,0 (ART full-time)
Alberto Ascari - 25,9 (Phoenix full-time)
Peter Whitehead - 25,4 (free agent, linked to Alfa Romeo and ART)
Troy Ruttman - 24,1 (Ferrari America full-time)
Giovanni Bracco - 23,5 (No plans for Ambrosiana)
Piero Taruffi - 23,5 (JAMR, schedule TBA)
José Froilan Gonzalez - 23,4 (JAMR, schedule TBA)
Manfred von Brauchitsch - 23,3 (BBRM, schedule TBA)
André Simon - 23,1 (Motorsport Bleu full-time)
Nello Pagani - 22,9 (Redman full-time)
Harry Schell - 22,7 (Ferrari America full-time)
Stirling Moss - 22,4 (Alfa Romeo, uncertain, linked to ART)
Tony Bettenhausen - 21,2 (JAMR, schedule TBA)
Eric Brandon - 20,6 (Mercedes full-time)
André Pilette - 19,3 (ENB part-time)
Maurice Trintignant - 18,9 (JAMR, schedule TBA)
Johnny Claes - 18,8 (likely to continue next season)
Stan Jones - 18,0 (Redman full-time, uncertain)
Porfirio Rubirosa - 16,6 (No plans for Ambrosiana)
Louis Chiron - 15,8 (BBRM, schedule TBA)
Maria Teresa de Filipppis - 15,7 (privateer)
Aldo Gordini - 15,5 (No plans for ART)
Edgar Barth - 14,9 (Team Ultimate full-time)
Jacques Swaters - 14,8 (ENB part-time)
Rudi Fischer - 14,8 (No plans for IRG, linked to a part-time Maserati seat)
David Hampshire - 14,1 (still a privateer, may or may not be switching to HWMs)
Charles de Tornaco - 14,0 (ENB part-time)
John Fitch - 14,0 (linked to a part-time OSCA seat)
Lance Macklin - 13,8 (No plans for Claes)
Gunther Bechem - 13,0 (linked to Aqua)
Roberto Mieres - 12,0 (Erne full-time)
Paul Frère - 10,7 (Maserati full-time or part-time)
Clemente Biondetti - 10,3 (retiring from ill health)
Dries van der Lof - 9,0 (linked to BBRM, ENB and Asso di Fiori)
Lex Davison - 9,0 (free agent)
Roger Laurent - 8,0 (ENB part-time)
John McMillan - 7,0 (free agent)
Joe Kelly - 6,0 (No plans for AIM)
Piero Carini - 6,0 (likely to leave Aqua)
Jan Flinterman - 6,0 (ENB part-time)
Geoff Richardson - 6,0 (BBRM, schedule TBA)
David McKay - 6,0 (free agent)
Felice Bonetto - 5,7 (OSCA, schedule TBA)
Chico Landi - 5,5 (Maserati part-time)
Eugène Chaboud - 5,5 (likely to retire)
Ken Wharton - 5,3 (free agent)
Mike Hawthorn - 5,2 (BBRM, schedule TBA)
Luigi Villoresi - 5,0 (No plans for Leader)
Tony Rolt - 5,0 (free agent)
Toni Ulmen - 5,0 (No plans for Riess)
Tony Gaze - 5,0 (free agent)
Marcel Balsa - 4,0 (Maserati part-time)
Warwick Pratley - 4,0 (free agent)
Onofre Marimon - 3,8 (Maserati full-time or part-time)
Ken Downing - 3,5 (Birmingham Motorsport part-time)
John Riseley-Prichard - 3,5 (free agent)
Jean Behra - 3,3 (No plans for the Fighting Mongooses)
Giovanni Lurani - 3,0 (No plans for Ambrosiana)
Helmut Niedermayr - 3,0 (No plans for Riess)
Jack Brabham - 3,0 (Maserati part-time)
Roy Salvadori - 2,8 (BBRM, schedule TBA)
Charles Van Acker - 2,0 (likely to retire)
Doug Whiteford - 2,0 (free agent)
Fritz Riess - 1,0 (No plans for Riess)

Next: a full season review

[pasta_maldonado]

BBRM will confirm the re-signings of all our 1952 drivers, and would like to thank them for their services by presenting all of them with a top-of-the-range luxury flat-cap and the latest Bentley road car. Well done chaps!

We would also like to offer Manfred von Brauchitsch, Louis Chiron, and Dries van der Lof contracts for next season alongside our British trio, with all schedules TBA until we know how many entries we will be receiving this year.

[DemocalypseNow]

Our of curiosity, who is running Scuderia Ambrosiana at the moment?

[FantometteBR]

Along with Frére and Marimon, Maserati would like to count with the services of Chico Landi, Marcel Balsa, Rudi Fischer (if he doesn't sign with his team) and Jack Brabham for selected races

[pi314159]

I didn't know that Bonetto's rating is that bad. I might replace him with John Fitch for some races.

[takagi_for_the_win]

Erne will gladly retain Mieres for 1953

[Aerospeed]

With Trintignant finishing 8th for Jaguar-Aston Martin, he does one place better than he did for Maserati previous race. As promised, he will choose the team that gave him the best result, namely JAMR. (but it has been close)

With that announcement, JAMR will likely sign Trintignant, Bettenhausen and Gonzalez, leaving one car left remaining for Wizzie to choose, and for him to confirm all other entrants. I presume he would allow them all to be signed.

Now we aim for the top spot in the constructors! And the entrants

You don't have to wait for me to make driver decisions any more. You're taking over the JAMR team full-time, while I'll be running the Jaguar engine program instead. Jaguar will be more than happy to continue our works deal with the team though as our partnership has proved fruitful so far, and we'll let you negotiate what terms and conditions you want for the engines.

With that being said, Jaguar is also interested in supplying customer engines to other privateers, but we'll wait until we find out what our budget is to make concrete plans.

JAMR will certainly make an engine deal with Jaguar to keep our partnership intact. The only conditions we'll ask for is that that if the engines are powerful and if the engines last to the end of the race on a consistent basis, we won't go as much as to whittle more out of the deal. In terms of money, I don't have any idea what the budget is, so I'll have to wait for that.

Tommy, how many entries do I have for the 1953 season?

[Nessafox]

Dries van der Lof - 9,0 (free agent following Commesso's withdrawal)

In that case, ENB is interested to help our Dutch neighbors out him out for their home races!
Considering our good relations with both Maserati And JAMR, it's very likely ENB is going to buy a customer car from both manufacturers, if they can sell it for an affordable price. The plan is trying to run 2 cars in the closest races. With plenty of reject drivers from the lowlands!

[HawkAussie]

Riess motorsport will change to Germany Racing for all Germans that will compete in F1.

[tommykl]

We would also like to offer Manfred von Brauchitsch, Louis Chiron, and Dries van der Lof contracts for next season alongside our British trio, with all schedules TBA until we know how many entries we will be receiving this year.

Along with Frére and Marimon, Maserati would like to count with the services of Chico Landi, Marcel Balsa, Rudi Fischer (if he doesn't sign with his team) and Jack Brabham for selected races

Tommy, how many entries do I have for the 1953 season?

You don't have a set number of entries, remember? You get a budget which will be determined at a later date, and you'll have to design and build your cars, maybe have to upgrade them, but also enter the races and travel from your base to the tracks

You decide how many cars you wish to enter and how many times you wish to do so, just as long as you stick with the budget (which will be updated after every transaction).

Our of curiosity, who is running Scuderia Ambrosiana at the moment?

Samster, I believe.

Riess motorsport will change to Germany Racing for all Germans that will compete in F1.

You still haven't quite understood... This is 1952, if you want a German team, I'd prefer you gave it a German name...

[TomWazzleshaw]

With that announcement, JAMR will likely sign Trintignant, Bettenhausen and Gonzalez, leaving one car left remaining for Wizzie to choose, and for him to confirm all other entrants. I presume he would allow them all to be signed.

Now we aim for the top spot in the constructors! And the entrants

You don't have to wait for me to make driver decisions any more. You're taking over the JAMR team full-time, while I'll be running the Jaguar engine program instead. Jaguar will be more than happy to continue our works deal with the team though as our partnership has proved fruitful so far, and we'll let you negotiate what terms and conditions you want for the engines.

With that being said, Jaguar is also interested in supplying customer engines to other privateers, but we'll wait until we find out what our budget is to make concrete plans.

JAMR will certainly make an engine deal with Jaguar to keep our partnership intact. The only conditions we'll ask for is that that if the engines are powerful and if the engines last to the end of the race on a consistent basis, we won't go as much as to whittle more out of the deal. In terms of money, I don't have any idea what the budget is, so I'll have to wait for that.

Well, if what Tommy says about us pooling our resources together gives us an advantage, then I'd be more than happy to give JAMR the engines for free.

And since Eurobrun's account still hasn't been unlocked yet, he wants to run an ex-JAMR car part-time next year under the 'Asso di Fiori' name with Dries van der Lof as the driver.

[dr-baker]

Any chance I could have an occasional entry for Pat Moss (sister of Stirling Moss) for 1953, or would it still be too early in her career to be here?

[pi314159]

Any chance I could have an occasional entry for Pat Moss (sister of Stirling Moss) for 1953, or would it still be too early in her career to be here?

She started racing in 1953, so maybe a one-off at the British GP would be possible.

[dr-baker]

Any chance I could have an occasional entry for Pat Moss (sister of Stirling Moss) for 1953, or would it still be too early in her career to be here?

She started racing in 1953, so maybe a one-off at the British GP would be possible.

Great!

[pi314159]

Any chance I could have an occasional entry for Pat Moss (sister of Stirling Moss) for 1953, or would it still be too early in her career to be here?

She started racing in 1953, so maybe a one-off at the British GP would be possible.

Great!

Wait, I'm not tommykl. I just said it might be possible.

[dr-baker]

She started racing in 1953, so maybe a one-off at the British GP would be possible.

Great!

Wait, I'm not tommykl. I just said it might be possible.

Whoops, didn't double-check. Still hope you're right.

[Aerospeed]

And since Eurobrun's account still hasn't been unlocked yet, he wants to run an ex-JAMR car part-time next year under the 'Asso di Fiori' name with Dries van der Lof as the driver.

You mean cars from previous seasons? Sure, he can gladly have those.

You decide how many cars you wish to enter and how many times you wish to do so, just as long as you stick with the budget (which will be updated after every transaction).

So I will wait until the budgets come out so that I can plan around the said budget.

Riess motorsport will change to Germany Racing for all Germans that will compete in F1.

You still haven't quite understood... This is 1952, if you want a German team, I'd prefer you gave it a German name...

West German, to be exact... unless you want to be East German and run a Trabant

[pasta_maldonado]

You don't have a set number of entries, remember? You get a budget which will be determined at a later date, and you'll have to design and build your cars, maybe have to upgrade them, but also enter the races and travel from your base to the tracks

In which case Bentley will be waiting until we have a complete understanding of our budget before any schedules are confirmed. Also, we would be quite happy to sell some of our finest Bentley engines or our spiffing chassis to anyone who wants one. Tally-ho 1953!

[AdrianSutil]

Well Manzon and Sanesi will remain at ART for 1953, no question about that. Being a half English team, we would like to offer Stirling Moss or Peter Whitehead part-time drives when their own team do not wish to run them. Unless either can be signed to a full-time drive.

[Phoenix]

Well, I want to resign Alberto Ascari for 1953. I think he'll again be our only driver for the season.

[tommykl]

Great!

Wait, I'm not tommykl. I just said it might be possible.

Whoops, didn't double-check. Still hope you're right.

Well, in 1953, she was still only 18, and a couple of club rallies aren't enough at this point. I think she'll be ready for a one-off British GP from 1955 onwards.

Riess motorsport will change to Germany Racing for all Germans that will compete in F1.

You still haven't quite understood... This is 1952, if you want a German team, I'd prefer you gave it a German name...

West German, to be exact... unless you want to be East German and run a Trabant

Riess is West German, so I suppose the team will be West German, but whether he's East or West German doesn't change the fact that the name should be in German

Oh, and the Team Ultimate branch of Group Ultimate is technically East German, causing an interesting political situation

[Ataxia]

Quick question, is it possible for me to enter a car or two for some 1953 races? It's no problem if not, but I wouldn't mind entering this sometime...

[FMecha]

Can I replace Carini with Gunter Bechem for next year?

[tommykl]

1952: The long-ass season review
Part One: Drivers

1. B. Bira
At the start of the season, Bira wasn't supposed to even be a championship threat. Sure, he'd won the Belgian Grand Prix in 1951, but hadn't scored any other points. He barely made the grid at Monaco, but managed to finish in fifth place. He picked up the pace in England, but retired in the first-lap pile-up, and then fought for the podium in Belgium before settling for fifth. He continued to qualify regularly well, and easily won the French and British Grands Prix. After a horrid race in Germany, he fought for the podium at Zandvoort and again in Italy, which should have easily gifted him the title, but he retired both times. In the USA, a weak qualifying performance ended his chances of points, and left him with an almost unsurmountable gap to Farina. Bira eventually won the final race in a hard-fought battle while Farina retired, and while some will put Bira's title down to luck, others will point to his three convincing wins and other good performances. A deserved title.

2. Giuseppe Farina
He was the main force behind the Alfa title challenge, and while the car looked markedly slower than in 1951, Nino was still title favourite thanks to his knack of finishing consistently on the podium. He managed to extract pace from the Alfa where Fangio and Moss failed, and should have won at Monaco if he hadn't cracked under Simon's pressure. His three consecutive podiums gave him an early championship lead. However, from Belgium onwards, Bira's dominant performances seemed to take the motivation away from Nino, and he was outclassed by Fangio until the United States. The low point of his season was in Italy, where he failed to avoid slamming into Consalvo Sanesi's Gordini in the early laps. In the USA, he put out the best performance he could to finish second and put himself almost out of reach. Almost ended up being the key word, and he lost the title, though he scored more podiums than anyone else. Farina deserved the championship as much as Bira, but it ended up differently.

3. Reg Parnell

Reg was supposed to be taking part in only five races from the ten. He started the season on a low note, barely qualifying at Donington, but ended up almost scoring points, scoring the fastest lap in the process. He then replaced the injured de Graffenried in Belgium, where he had a nightmare weekend, qualifying far down the order and retiring on the first lap. In France, though, he was setting the pace in the final laps and was in third before the engine blew up. In Germany, he repeated his 1951 victory, this time after a closely fought race with Fangio. In Italy, Parnell was also very competitive and finished second behind de Graffenried, leaving him as the only Ferrari contender for the title, with 15 points. He competed in the final two races as well, finishing fourth at Sebring after a hard charge from the pack, and scoring a good third place at Leyburn. With 21 points, Parnell was the driver who scored the most points in the final five races, and has deservedly earned a full-time drive next season. However, if he wants to fight for the title, he needs to qualify higher up the grid.

4. Robert Manzon
Like most other contenders, Robert had trouble in Monaco during qualifying, but made up the ground to finish fourth, then dominated the English Grand Prix. He qualified badly at Spa and failed to score. This lack of consistency would prove to be his weakness. He finished second at his home race, then proceeded to be completely lost at Silverstone, fight for the lead in Germany (before having to retire), be nowhere at Zandvoort or Monza, fail to fight for the lead at Sebring and then barely scrape into the points at Leyburn. Robert had the pace to be champion, but failed to keep up his early-season momentum. Consistency is key, and he needs to be on the pace week in week out if he wants to challenge for the title.

5. Dorino Serafini
Dorino once again had the pace to win the title for Ferrari. Unlike Manzon though, what he didn't have was reliability. He had a miserable weekend in Monaco, only managing eighth place, but fought for the win at Donington before retiring. He then dominated the Belgian Grand Prix to take his third career victory. In France, he was in second place when his car let him down, and could have won at Silverstone had the car not failed. In Germany, he had a dismal qualifying session, but made up for it by finishing sixth and scoring the fastest lap for good measure. He was also on the way to a podium at Zandvoort before retiring. After a disappointing home race, he easily won the United States Grand Prix, but by this point, the championship was out of his reach. He also had the pace to win in Australia, but span off early on after an over-opportunistic move by Farina. If Ferrari becomes more reliable next season, Dorino will definitely be a threat for the championship.

6. Alberto Ascari
Truly one of the season's success stories. Alberto had to pre-qualify for the first two races, but managed a surprise podium at the high-attrition Monaco Grand Prix, before a spin in his qualifying lap left him on the sidelines at Donington. He carried the momentum for the rest of the year, fighting for lower points in Belgium before scoring a career-best second place at Silverstone, again in a high-attrition race. He was up front the whole race in Germany and finished third again, then was on course for more points in Zandvoort and a possible podium at Sebring, but retired both times. Alberto led part of the Australian Grand Prix, but eventually had to settle for fourth position. Alberto was definitely one of the revelations of the season, and if Phoenix manage to build a quicker car, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

7. Consalvo Sanesi
Another driver who got the lion's share of the bad luck. He span out of a points battle in Monaco, made up an impressive number of positions to finish fourth at Donington, then fourth again at Rouen after also spinning out at Spa. He missed out on second place at Silverstone with an engine failure (although he was classified third) where he also lost the victory in 1951, then blew his engine on lap 1 in Germany, where points were definitely accessible. At Zandvoort, he qualified on pole, but was taken out on lap 1 by an over-eager Johnny Claes, when he could have won the race, and he was also taken out by Farina at Monza, where points were also possible. His car gave up on him at Sebring, where he also could have scored well, and finally ended his retirement streak at Leyburn, by breaking away at the right moment to secure a fine second place. Adding to his lack of good luck, Consalvo also has a tendency to be faster in the races than in qualifying, so an improvement in qualifying pace should see him score more podiums.

8. Toulo de Graffenried
Toulo's season was probably the roughest amongst the top drivers. He retired from fifth place in Monaco, then was injured in the first-lap accident at Donington, missing the Belgian Grand Prix. The Swiss recovered his pace very quickly, but while he was a consistent front-runner, he suffered from horrible reliability, meaning that he had to face pre-qualifying from the British Grand Prix onwards, and while he was always in the mix for the usual minor points battle, he failed to finish until the Italian Grand Prix, where he dominated the entire weekend, from pre-qualifying to the chequered flag, only failing to lead the first lap. He then scored an easy third place before retiring from the race lead in Australia. His tendency to have cars break down on him was seen as a flaw in his driving style, and his seat is now uncertain, but it is undoubteable that Toulo is one of the best drivers Formula One has to offer.

9. Juan Manuel Fangio
The Argentine's season was full of ups and downs. He led the Monaco Grand Prix before losing his pace (although he scored the fastest lap) and caused the lap 1 collision at Donington, then took pole and fourth place at Spa. After a race to forget in France, he fought for points in Silverstone, then briefly led the German Grand Prix, although he ended up being no match for the imperial Parnell. A fourth place (after startin 19th) in Zandvoort turned out to be his final points finish of the season. In Italy, he crashed out of second place, then blew his engine at Sebring. By Zandvoort, his relationship with the team, and Farina in particular, had deteriorated, culminating in his leaving the team before the Australian Grand Prix. He is likely to continue driving for JAMR or Ferrari in 1953.

10. André Simon
After his very surprising victory at Monaco, Simon was seen as a potential title threat, an idea reinforced by his third place at Spa. As it turned out, both drives ended up being the exception, as no other points were scored. He finished eleventh in Donington, six laps down, then crashed out at Rouen, Silverstone and Monza. He was also an innocent victim of the Claes-Sanesi clash at Zandvoort, so he couldn't prove his worth there, but his season was far too erratic, and aside from his two podiums, he showed a complete lack of pace. With a full campaign coming up in 1953, he needs to calm down and focus on consistency.

11. Tony Bettenhausen
Tony had shown flashes of pace in 1950 and 1951, but ended up out of a drive for 1952 after failing to score apart from Germany, and failing to qualify twice. When Gonzalez was injured at Silverstone, JAMR hired Tony as backup second driver for Germany and the Netherlands. He had problems adapting to the car, but eventually proved a handy driver, and finished eighth at the Nürburgring. At Zandvoort, he and Ruttman took advantage of off-days from most of the front-runners, and both of them fought for the race win, with Tony narrowly losing out. He was signed as third driver for the remainder of the season, and promptly drove a brilliant race at Monza to finish third. At his home race, his qualifying lap went horribly wrong, and he started from 24th place, yet clawed his way back up to a points position, only to retire with only two laps remaining. His Australian GP was forgettable at best, but Tony had proven his worth, and he might be a key player in next year's title race.

12. Troy Ruttman
The Indy 500 winner had shown promise in the AAR in 1950, but largely gave up on European racing in 1951. This season was his first full year, and his improvement over the season was very impressive. He was competitive from the start (although his inexperience provoked the first-lap pile-up at Donington), almost scoring at Spa, and fighting for the podium by Rouen! After a couple of uninspiring drives though, he stunned the crowd at Zandvoort by pipping Tony Bettenhausen to the race win, only failing to be youngest ever winner because of his own win at Indianapolis last season. He fought for points again at Monza before spinning off, but ending the season with two disappointing showings. In the end, inconsistency prevented him from better results, but Troy is yet another man to watch.

13. Piero Taruffi
Taruffi came to JAMR following the withdrawal of Metcalf, and initially had difficulties adapting to the car (failing to qualify at Donington), but quickly improved, culminating ina superb weekend at Rouen, where he finished third. He fought for points in Britain, but had to retire, and had his best race at Zandvoort, where he made his way up to third place (behind Bettenhausen) after starting in second last. From then on, though, he lost his momentum, lazily spinning out of the Australian Grand Prix. Ultimately, Piero still has the pace to perform, but may be lacking the motivation to consistently challenge for a championship.

14. Harry Schell
Schell was one of last season's pleasant surprises, and he continued that form in 1952. Although he wasn't especially quick, he was consistently in the mix towards the end of the season. His first races were terrible, but in Rouen, he suddenly became competitive, and he scored a relatively easy fifth position. At the Nürburgring, he sensationally qualified on the front row of the grid, but sadly retired on the race's second lap. He could have scored at Zandvoort, and did so at Monza, with fourth place, and promptly finishing fifth again at Sebring. He capped his season with a brilliant run at Leyburn, where he briefly led before retiring, ending a promising season. If he continues to improve, he could be a future star.

15. Giovanni Bracco
His lucky fifth place at Zandvoort last year gave the team more money, and therefore more to work with. Bracco was able to show his raw pace, especially in qualifying, by qualifying fourth at Monaco, twelfth at Rouen, tenth in Germany, sixth in Italy, and even on pole at Sebring! He also enjoyed taking points off Farina, finishing in fourth place at Silverstone and the Nürburgring, both times ahead of Farina. However, aside from these flashes of pace, Bracco was fairly anonymous, and if he continues this way, he won't be consistent enough to score a large points haul.

16. Eric Brandon
The British F3 champion was one of the surprises of the season. He easily passed pre-qualifying in the two races in which he had to, qualified well in the midfield on début, running well inside the top ten before his car failed on him. At Donington, he qualified in tenth and worked his way up to an excellent third place in just his second Grand Prix. With Maremmana only entering five races, however, Eric lost the momentum he had, and he was thoroughly beaten by von Brauchitsch in Germany before failing to qualify entirely in Italy. He found some pace in Australia and was in the top ten before a mechanical failure knocked him out, but he had already impressed Alfred Neubauer, who offered him the number one spot for 1953. Eric now has a golden opportunity to shine on the world stage.

17. Peter Whitehead
With just five races to work with, Peter did well considering the circumstances. He ended up second-last among the top team drivers (saved by the incompetence of Stirling Moss), but only two points failde to reflect on the quality of Whitehead's driving. He took pole position at Monaco, but a chronic engine issue meant that he didn't have the pace to keep his position, and ended up just outside the points. He drove a good race at Spa, but this time, it was in qualifying that he lost his chance, and he eventually finished eighth. He finished sixth again at his home race in similar circumstances before finally scoring at Zandvoort with a well-deserved fifth place. He retired from the Italian GP after spinning on oil while fighting for lower points. Ultimately, it was Peter's failure to string a good weekend together which prevented him from scoring more points. He should keep his career going at Alfa, where he might regain some motivation by running the whole season.

18. Johnny Claes
As in the previous seasons, 1952 was full of ups and downs and almosts for Johnny Claes. He made a dismal start to the season, but picked up the pace in France, where he drove cleanly to a trademark sixth place, and promptly failing to qualify at Silverstone. After a couple of mediocre drives, he qualified in the top ten at Zandvoort, only to collide with pole sitter Sanesi on the first lap, causing a fist fight between the two. He once again qualified in a good position at Monza, where high attrition allowed to finally score his first points with a well-deserved fifth place after a good scrap with Schell. In Australia, he finished with a few tenths of fourth place, but ended up seventh after the closest battle ever seen, with five drivers finishing within a second of each other. All in all, more of the same from Claes, with the occasional exceptional drive, although the relief of having scored points may provide motivation for next season.

19. Nello Pagani
After his surprise second place in Monza in 1951, Pagani was surrounded by much hype going into Monaco. He proceeded to be absolutely nowhere and finish nine laps down. Then, ridiculed, he pulled out a stunning drive to take fifth place at Donington, the first of only two points finishes for a Maserati. From then on, Nello was a consistent performer, regularly qualifying well and providing as much opposition as he could with his Maserati. He was seventh at the time of his retirement in Belgium, fighting for points in Germany before spinning off and sixth at Monza before retiring. Of course, he had his off races, but they were few and far between and he (as well as Claes and Trintignant) almost scored at Leyburn, as he was involved in the five-car brawl responsible for the main entertainment. Performance wise, Nello was the best Maserati driver of the lot, and should Maserati finally build a decent car, Nello could work wonders.

20. Manfred von Brauchitsch
Despite his short schedule and all the controversy surrounding the ex-NSKK officer, Brauchitsch was unlucky not to score. He was in the points and could have potentially finished on the podium at Monaco before crashing out at Tabac and was within a shout of points in the closely fought English Grand Prix, only to eventually finish eighth, within a few seconds of Pagani. In his home race, he was hampered by a mediocre qualifying lap, but drove a decent race to finish sixth, not far behind Farina. In Italy though, the Jaguar engine was extremely underpowered, and although Manfred barely qualified, he had no chance in the race and retired early on. There is still life in the 47-year-old, and he is rumoured to bring his driving skill to Bentley for 1953.

21. Jacques Swaters
Jacques alerady had a lot to deal with, due to the lack of pace from his Bugattis, but having driving duties on the side was always going to be difficult. The English and Belgian GPs were catastrophic, although attrition allowed him to gain ten places in Belgium. His pace improved at Silverstone, but the short grid prevented him from qualifying. Yet more improvement got him on the grid in Germany, but he retired after three laps. He had to pre-qualify at Monza, easily making the cut and driving superbly in qualifying to start the race in twelfth position. He then proceeded to finish in a fantastic sixth place, his best result to date. Swaters has the potential to be a great driver, but he can't drive and manage at the same time.

22. Maurice Trintignant
Easily one of the more consistant drivers of the season, Maurice had a dreadful race at Monaco, where ENB have traditionally been dreadful, but spent the rest of the season finishing very close to the points. He finished seventh at Donington, then fifteenth at Spa after barely making the grid in the first place, then eighth at Rouen. All of those times, he had been hampered by horrible qualifying. At Silverstone, he qualified in a respectable seventh place, but crashed out of eighth position and injured his wrist, missing the German Grand Prix. At his comeback race at Zandvoort, he had his best performance, qualifying in the top ten and fighting for points only to retire with less than twenty laps remaining. He then returned to his bad habits, failing to qualify at Monza in what would turn out to be his final race for ENB. He turned to Maserati for Sebring, relishing the challenge of helping hapless teams. He gave the team its best weekend with ninth places in qualifying and the race before going back to JAMR for Leyburn, the team to whom he gave its first podium. He qualified tenth and was involved in the almighty battle for fourth, where he finished eighth. Next season, he'll drive for JAMR, where he is likely to thrive.

23. José Froilan Gonzalez
Gonzalez was the main sensation in Monaco, qualifying on the front row and fighting for the win before having to retire halfway through the race. He continued to impress in qualifying, but this pace never translated into race results. He was fighting for points in Donington, but had to retire, then was simply unable to match the blinding speed of the leaders at Spa. He was hampered by an unusual bad qualifying performance in France and could only manage seventh place from ten finishers. At Silverstone, he qualified twelfth and was making his way up the field, but crashed out and broke his collarbone, missing the two following races. On comeback in Italy, he was satisfied at making the grid and finished ninth in the race, just behind teammate Piero Taruffi. He crashed out at Sebring before he could show any pace and qualified sixth at Leyburn, only to retire early on with mechanical problems. He continues at JAMR in 1953, hoping for better luck with the car.

24. Porfirio Rubirosa
Ambrosiana's decision to sign the Dominican for the full season turned many heads in the paddock, after Rubirosa's dismal performance at Monza in 1951, and the critics were initially proved right at Monaco where Porfirio was dead last in pre-qualifying. He then barely made the grid at Donington, also making it to the end of the race. His form escalated very quickly indeed, and he qualified and finished in the middle of the pack at Spa, only to return to Donington form for the French Grand Prix. He had two tenth places by this point, and this gave him much more confidence in the following races. He was relatively competitive (though not as much as Bracco) at Silverstone and the Nürburgring, only to retire. Attrition helped him to a season-best seventh place at Zandvoort. He failed to qualify in Italy, then continued to be a regular midfield presence. Rubirosa has steadily improved over the season and could score his first points next season.

25. Stirling Moss
Stirling was absolutely horrendous. He started off the season badly, by failing to qualify at Monaco (the only top driver to do so all year). He made up for that by taking pole position at Donington, although that would remain his season's high point. He retired from the race while running in second place. He would almost never get an other opportunity. He proved a mediocre qualifyer and failed to gain any ground buring the races, with the exception of Silverstone, where he qualified third, only to finish a staggering five laps down. He managed to fight over third place at Monza, but was forced to retire. His future at Alfa Romeo is uncertain, and he is rumoured to be moving to Alexander Racing Team for 1953.

26. Edgar Barth
In a way, Edgar was lucky that his début was delayed to Spa, where the grid was long. This allowed him to make the grid, while he would have had no chance at the other races. Edgar finished in dead last, but at least he finished. In fact, he was one of only two drivers with multiple starts to have finished every time. The Ultimate was uncompetitive for most of the season, but still fast enough to easily pre-qualify. Edgar managed the occasional good performance, for example by qualifying in twelfth at Silverstone and eleventh in Germany (where he finished ninth out of 18 finishers), and after a couple of top ten finishes, the car ended up being a solid back-of-the-midfield challenger. They should be able to consistently qualify in 1953.

27. André Pilette
After failing to qualify the Maserati at Monaco, André had to spend the rest of the year in the underpowered Bugatti, although he managed to surprise the paddock by qualifying the wretched thing fourth at Donington and battling for a podium before breaking down. This would be Pilette's high point, and although he failed to score impressive results, he was a solid midfield runner, as expected for the Bugatti. He ended his season like he started it, however, with slow pace. With an improved Bugatti next season, points are on the cards again.

28. David Hampshire
This season was undoubtedly Hampshire's best. As expected, he failed to qualify for the Monaco Grand Prix, but after making the grid at Donington, he drove a fantastic race to finish a career-best ninth, ahead of Harry Schell! He avoided pre-qualifying for the rest of the season and managed the occasional qualifying upset, with 21st place out of 37 at Spa (where a broken transmission ended his race too early). Despite this, qualifying was no easy task, and he barely failed to qualify in three consecutive races in mid-season before he delivered his best performance at Zandvoort, qualifying in a scarcely believable eleventh position and running seventh in the race before yet another transmission failure ended his race with eight laps remaining (although he was still classified tenth). He qualified in a brilliant 18th place at Monza, but spun off early on, ending his season. Hampshire is improving, but indecision over his car may prove a setback.

29. Rudi Fischer
Rudi initially failed to secure a drive, and eventually had to content himself with being Porsche's development driver. The engine was completely new and the team inexperienced, yet Rudi almost put the car on the grid at Monaco, and did so at Spa (in 29th position), where he also gave the engine its first finish, a lowly 21st position. In France, he easily qualified, and thanks to attrition, he finished in ninth position. He was then hired as replacement for Volonterio by Commesso in Germany, where he finished in an anonymous twelfth position, the second driver to finish every race he started (with multiple entries). Rudi is a dependable driver, but he is unlikely to find a top drive.

30. Louis Chiron
This season was far from the best for Chiron. He spun the car in pre-qualifying at Monaco and failed to pre-qualify at his home race, but made up for it with impressive qualifying pace in later races, qualifying third at Donington, for example, only to drop down the order in the race and retiring from eighth place. His performances varied greatly, from regular midfield pace to failures to qualify. He failed to finish a single race until the United States Grand Prix, where he finished in tenth position, then fifteenth after a dreadful race in Australia. Despite the odd flash of brilliance, the 53-year-old seems to be losing his touch.

31. Geoff Richardson
Considering the fact that Geoff had to spearhead to Bentley challenge, his season was pretty good. He failed to pre-qualify at Donington, but made it to qualifying at Silverstone with a quick time. He was unable to improve in qualifying proper, however, and didn't make the grid. He qualified in Germany, where the grid was larger, but crashed out with five laps remaining. Then came the costly trip to America, where Geoff qualified last, but drove a staggering race considering the expectations, finishing in eleventh position out of seventeen finishers! In Australia, he initially failed to qualify but was bumped onto the grid with the withdrawal of the Alfas. He drove a clean race to 14th position. Bentley are on the rise, and may turn out to be one of the leading British teams in the next few years.

32. Paul Frère
Paul's season was doomed the moment he signed for Maserati. After failing to pre-qualify in Monaco, he managed to improve steadily, although not nearly enough. He made the grid six times in nine attempts (he was absent at Sebring), but failed to take any advantage. He was involved in the first lap crash at Donington, for example. His season highlight came at Silverstone, where the close race allowed him to run in the top ten for a few laps, but he retired shortly afterwards. Despite his best efforts, he never found pace. He finally finished a race in Germany, where he was fifteenth, and then again in Australia, where he ended the race in a respectable twelfth place. If Maserati can build a decent car next year, he might pull off the odd surprise or two.

33. Lance Macklin
The lowest ranked driver to have completed the full season. Macklin failed to qualify four times, including an embarrassing DNPQ at his home race. When he managed to find a bit of pace and qualify for the race, he usually didn't manage anything. He was an unlucky bystander in the Donington pile-up and retired from 18th place at Spa. He had a decent weekend in Germany, qualifying 18th and finishing 13th, but his best was by far in the USA, where he took advantage of disppointing laps by the frontrunners to set a blinder, putting him in third place on the grid, only to retire out of sixth place with just twelve laps remaining. He ended the year on a good note with a solid 13th place in Australia. Lance has potential, but he needs to figure out how to unlock it. He has no current plans for 1953, and it would be a shame to see him without a drive.

34. John Fitch
In his first Grand Prix, Fitch managed a respectable sixteenth place on the grid with a solid lap, but fell back in the race, beating only Rubirosa, Barth and Van Acker. He has pace, however, and should the OSCA deal come to fruition, he'll have an opportunity to make a name for himself.

35. Felice Bonetto
He was always going to have a hard time in the OSCA. Luckily, the team picked the right races for entry, with the large grid sizes of Spa and the Nürburgring allowing Felice to give the OSCA valuable track time. He barely qualified at Spa, a small victory for the team, then proceeded to outpace the more experience ERA-Maserati of Joe Kelly before retiring, showing promise for OSCA. In Germany, Felice was determined to gain some pace, and easily qualified in 29th place, eventually dropping down the order, but finishing in a solid 16th position, ahead of Kelly and Behra. The team had picked Monza for its third and final race, but pre-qualifying was necessary, and Felice span off on his lap, failing at the first hurdle. He managed to show the OSCA's potential, however, and 1953 should be a good year to further develop the car.

36. Stan Jones
Jones drove the second Redman Maserati at the team's home race, and didn't disappoint by qualifying 18th and starting 17th (after Moss' withdrawal), the quickest Maserati driver. He couldn't keep the pace and quickly lost ground, although he managed to compete with the dismal Louis Chiron. His impressive qualifying performance has led to a full-time deal with Redman, though, and with experience, he could score a few upset results next year.

37. Joe Kelly
Despite the more competitive car, Kelly's season was still a failure, with four failures to make the grid in six attempts. After a DNQ at Donington, Kelly finally started his first race at Spa, 33rd out of 34 starters. He had a miserable race, getting lapped multiple times before retiring with 11 laps remaining. He had to wait until Germany, where an inspired lap took him up to the dizzying heights of 30th position, eventually finishing the race in 17th position, ahead of Jean Behra! This turned out to be his final start, and he ended the season with a DNPQ in Italy. This season was better than last year, but next year should be better if the team keep on improving. Regular qualification is the next step.

38. Dries van der Lof
The decision to let the Dutchman compete in Spa was controversial, as he had next to no racing pedigree, apart from an anonymous performance at Indianapolis in 1951. But not only did he qualify for the race, he proved surprisingly not slow, and finished a solid 17th out of 23. He returned for his home race, yet again for Commesso, but while he pre-qualified, he missed the grid by just two tenths of a second. Dries is no World Champion, but with more experience, he could become a dependable midfield runner.

39. Charles Van Acker
Van Acker's farewell race was one race too much. The Kurtis Kraft was completely outdated, but even then, it looked like he wasn't even trying anymore. He qualified second last, and then ended up finishing last, a distant five laps down.

40. Jean Behra
Behra never had a chance at the Fighting Mongooses. He was new to F1, as were the team, chassis and engine. Yet he almost made the grid first time out at Spa, only to be denied by Bonetto's OSCA. This would be the team's best performance, though, and despite Jean's best efforts, he never made it past pre-qualifying in France and Britain. His big break came in Germany, where he was hired as an emergency replacement for the injured Maurice Trintignant. Getting used to the new car was difficult at first, and he only barely made the grid, but while he didn't disgrace himself, he still finished in stone cold motherless last. Behra looks like an exciting prospect once he gets in a good car. Watch out for him.

41. Roberto Mieres
With a Ferrari to waork with, Roberto shouldn't have had any trouble. He qualified in a solid 22nd place on début at Spa. However, his race pace wasn't as good, and he eventually only finished 20th from 23 finishers. In Great Britain, he made a mistake in pre-qualifying and ended up failing to make the cut. In Germany, he made the grid pretty much by default, in 26th place, but span off on the last lap, therefore unclassified. The jury is still out on Mieres. He has been fairly impressive in qualifying, but seems to be lacking speed over a race distance.

42. Mike Hawthorn
After dominating the club sportscar scene last season, Mike was able to compete regularly this season. In Belgium, he easily put his Bentley on the grid (starting his first European race), then managed to avoid finishing last by beating Edgar Barth. He span off in pre-qualifying at Rouen and lacked the necessary speed at Silverstone, failing to make the cut both times. He pre-qualified in Italy but was knocked out in qualifying proper. At Sebring, he was the top Bentley driver in qualifying, but drove a dismal race, eventually spinning out and injuring his wrist. Mike may have some potential, but it's too early to make predictions on his future.

43. Maria Teresa de Filippis
Maria impressed in Belgium by qualifying in 25th position, making her first start. She failed to improve from there and retired early on. This trend would continue, and she started all of her races. She barely made it through pre-qualifying at Monza, then scraping onto the grid in 24th position. She drove very well indeed, and was in seventh position before her retirement with just ten laps remaining. She started the US Grand Prix in 14th position, and retired from a solid midfield position. Maria showed that she could race with the best, and was unlucky not to finish a race.

44. Clemente Biondetti
Clemente has been fighting cancer since last season, and while the paddock applauded his decision to drive one final season, one can't help but feel that it was one season too many for Biondetti. Apart from Germany, where the grid was so large that a DNQ was next to impossible, Clemente systematically lacked the pace to make the grid, culminating in a failure to pre-qualify in his final attempt at Monza. He will likely retire from Formula One, but does not want to leave sports cars, where he recently won the 10 hours of Messina.

45. Roy Salvadori
Being a rookie in such a competitive season, Roy would always have a hard time. Sadly for him, he usually didn't have the pace to consistently outdo his machinery or his lack of experience. There were times where he showed his talent, with third place in pre-qualifying at Zandvoort, or by running a solid race in the United States (his only start) before a mechanical failure. Bentley have given him a second chance though, so he'll get to prove himself.

46. Aldo Gordini
Aldo was one of the disappointments of 1951, and many were seeing him as just being there because of his dad. He sort of proved those people wrong this year. He made it through pre-qualifying in Monaco, but expectedly failed to make the grid. Then, in France, he easily passed pre-qualifying and qualified in a surprising sixteenth position. He never had the opportunity to build upon it due to a car failure, but at least he showed that he had at least a fraction of pace. His family ties will probably grant him a few more stabs at F1 next year, and he may be a pleasant surprise.

47. Günther Bechem
One of Motorsport Bleu's local drivers, he took part in the German Grand Prix. With the competitive Talbot, he easily made the start, but proceeded to anonymously spin off after five laps. However, his sportscar success has caught the attention of Scuderia Aqua, so he might have a good contract ahead of him.

48. Lex Davison
Also a Bleu local driver, this time in Australia. Like Richardson, he made the grid thanks to the withdrawal of Fangio and Moss. He took advantage of this to drive a solid race, until he span off halfway through. He is unlikely to find a drive for 1953, and will probably return to local racing.

49. Onofre Marimon
The only driver to get fired during the season. The works Maserati was pretty bad, but Marimon was worse. The first two DNPQs were understandable, as he was new to Formula One, but he simply failed to improve as the season went on. His best performance? Making it to qualifying in France. With his DNPQ in Italy last season, Marimon was left with a record six consecutive failures to make the grid. Bewilderingly, Maserati have signed him again for 1953! We'll have to see the results...

50. Luigi Villoresi
After finding himself driveless at the end of 1951, the paddock was confident that Luigi would be hired, but no one would've predicted that he would sign for Leader. Understandably, he failed to pre-qualify in Monaco and did not qualify in Spa. The third and final entry came at Silverstone, where Luigi gave it his all and unbelievably topped the pre-qualifying time sheets! He couldn't keep up this blinding pace however, and he failed to qualify. This showed promise in the Chinese team, however, and should they return next season, they may spring a surprise or two...

51. Ken Wharton
As a rookie, Wharton's year would never be even close to good, but he managed to drag the Alta through pre-qualifying against all odds at Donington and Silverstone. He failed at Zandvoort, but had already impressed in Britain. Despite this, Wharton finds himself driveless, with Birmingham Motorsport deciding to sign Ken Downing instead.

52. Eugène Chaboud
If Chaboud's reputation wasn't already tarnished by two dismal seasons, it's been dragged through the mud this year. While Eugène pre-qualified in both his entries, he spent both qualifying sessions being agonisingly slow, failing both times. The French Grand Prix was forgivable though. He was driving with an injury from the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and only appeared for a farewell drive. He has retired from racing at the age of 45.

53. Marcel Balsa
Marcel was hired as an emergency replacement after Landi was unable to make the Dutch Grand Prix. Despite his modest success in non-championship races though, Balsa was an unexpected choice, and with no time to adapt to the uncompetitive car, there wasn't much that he could do. To be fair, he made it through pre-qualifying at Zandvoort, but his Australian Grand Prix weekend was miserable, ending up last in qualifying by a fair margin. In the meantime, he built his sportscar success with a victory in the Coupe d'Automne in September. This sportscar experience has landed him a new part-time contract at Maserati for next year.

54. Tony Rolt
Like chaboud, Rolt was painfully slow in both entries, only he didn't have the "bad car" excuse, as the Talbot-Lago was also Bira's car...His sole achievement was getting the car into qualifying proper at Silverstone, only to accomplish sod all once he got there. Despite this, he continues to find success in sportscars and Formula Libre, notably winning the Goodwood International in September. Tony can still hope for a drive next year.

55. John Riseley-Prichard
The insurance broker was an unlikely choice for Hampshire, but when he easily made it to qualifying proper at Donington, people took notice of the 28-year-old. He barely failed to pre-qualify at Zandvoort, but gained a name for himself later on in the year with impressive sportscar results at Silverstone.

56. Chico Landi
Hired to replace the uncompetitive Onofre Marimon at Maserati, Landi wasn't an improvement, with desperately slow performances at the Nürburgring and Monza. He keeps a part-time Maserati contract for 1953 though, and an improved car might see some starts.

57. Roger Laurent
Laurent was the ENB "local" driver for the French Grand Prix (as the odd one out, really), and while he made it to qualifying, he couldn't keep up the pace and failed to qualify, much like the other such drivers who drove the spare Maserati over the season.

58. Toni Ulmen
Toni is one of the premier sportscar and F2 drivers in Germany (finishing a close second in this season's sportscar title behind Riess), yet like his teammates, he was let down by his lack of F1 experience and the incompetence of Riess as car builder and team owner. In the meantime, Ulmen took his second national F2 title after 1949.

59. Helmut Niedermayr
Helmut drove a restricted schedule this season, but made the most of it with second place at Le Mans (with Theo Helfrich). Like his compatriots, though, his F1 outing was a complete failure.

60. Fritz Riess
Undoubtedly the best of the three Germans (winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Herrmann Lang, but also his second German sportscar championship in the 2 liter class) this season, he ended up the slowest of the three in his team's failure to take the F1 world by storm. Things can only get better from here...

61. Jan Flinterman
As van der Lof was already hired, Flinterman was ENB's default choice for the Dutch Grand Prix, but having competed in no other event this season, he couldn't get up to speed in time and failed to qualify. A pity for the RAF ace.

62. Charles de Tornaco
After encouraging results in sportscars and Formula 2 driving for Swaters, the nobleman and playboy earned a one-off for ENB, driving in Italy due to his Italian-sounding name. Charles drove brilliantly in pre-qualifying, and very nearly making the grid on début, although he missed his first start by mere tenths of a second. Watch out for this 25-year-old. He's good.

63. John McMillan
Competing in Australia for Maremmana (the first New Zealander to compete in a Grand Prix), he disappointed in qualifying and failed to make the grid. That's about it.

64. David McKay
McKay did very well considering expectations. With the untested HWM chassis and virtually unknown Ecurie Australie, he shouldn't have been within a second of making the race. Impressive stuff.

65. Tony Gaze
Unlike his countrymen, Gaze has previous F1 experience, making his failure to qualify even more embarrassing considering his solid car.

66. Warwick Pratley
See McMillan.

67. Jack Brabham
See McKay, only a bit less impressive.

68. Doug Whiteford
By all rights, he should have been miles ahead of Brabham and McKay considering his Talbot-Lago, yet he ended up miles behind them. A poor showing.

69. Piero Carini
While the Maserati was decent and the team competent, Piero didn't quite cut the mustard. Aqua chose two races where failure to pre-qualify was probable, and both at Monaco and Monza, Piero ended up just two tenths away from qualifying proper. He finds himself without a drive next season.

70. Ken Downing
While Downing still had considerable success in sportscars and Formula 2 (second place at the Grand Prix des Frontières, winner of the Madgwick Cup), his brief stint as Hampshire third driver was far from satisfactory. He was simply slow at Zandvoort, and while he was much quicker at Monza, he failed to make the cut by two tenths of a second. Next season, he moves to Birmingham Motorsport..

71. Giovanni Lurani
As Ambrosiana co-founder, he decided that he should be the team's third driver at Monza, using his FIA connections to get medical clearance (he hasn't raced in single-seaters regularly since a hip injury in 1938). This backfired. Badly. He was never on the pace and couldn't pre-qualify.

[tommykl]

Quick question, is it possible for me to enter a car or two for some 1953 races? It's no problem if not, but I wouldn't mind entering this sometime...

That's the great thing about this series. You can enter whenever you wish

Can I replace Carini with Gunter Bechem for next year?

Of course you can

[FMecha]

Can I replace Carini with Gunter Bechem for next year?

Of course you can [/quote]

Good. We need experienced driver who can qualify the car.

[Ataxia]

Quick question, is it possible for me to enter a car or two for some 1953 races? It's no problem if not, but I wouldn't mind entering this sometime...

That's the great thing about this series. You can enter whenever you wish

Ah, cool...then I wonder if I could be Connaught's representative in '53? Failing that, I'd be happy to bring Ecurie Ecosse in...

[Nessafox]

Riess motorsport will change to Germany Racing for all Germans that will compete in F1.

You still haven't quite understood... This is 1952, if you want a German team, I'd prefer you gave it a German name...

West German, to be exact... unless you want to be East German and run a Trabant

Don't give me ideas...

[HawkAussie]

You still haven't quite understood... This is 1952, if you want a German team, I'd prefer you gave it a German name...

West German, to be exact... unless you want to be East German and run a Trabant

Don't give me ideas...

Rennkollektiv EMW

What about this then

[dr-baker]

Rennkollektiv EMW

What about this then

Rennkollektiv, you say? Made me think of this... Although I suspect that on this forum, I am the only person who would have done so...

[tommykl]

Quick question, is it possible for me to enter a car or two for some 1953 races? It's no problem if not, but I wouldn't mind entering this sometime...

That's the great thing about this series. You can enter whenever you wish

Ah, cool...then I wonder if I could be Connaught's representative in '53? Failing that, I'd be happy to bring Ecurie Ecosse in...

No problem

West German, to be exact... unless you want to be East German and run a Trabant

Don't give me ideas...

Rennkollektiv EMW

What about this then

Perfect

[DanielPT]

Alfa congratulates Bira and Motorsport Bleu for their titles and hope that next year it will be able to give them a run for both championships.

[tommykl]

The season review is finally complete. I'll open entries over the coming days, along with any rule clarifications. Budgets will follow afterwards.