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| {{InfoboxLost
| | #REDIRECT [[1955 Formula One World Championship (partially found footage of Formula One races; 1955)]] |
| |title=<center>1955 Monaco Grand Prix</center>
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| |image=1955monacograndprix1.jpg
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| |imagecaption=Juan Manuel Fangio (2) and Stirling Moss (6) fighting for the lead.
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| |status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
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| }}
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| The '''''1955 Monaco Grand Prix''''' was the second race of the 1955 Formula One Season. Occurring on 22nd May at the Circuit de Monaco, the race was ultimately won by Ferrari's Maurice Trintignant, achieving his first victory in the sport. The event is also famous for a crash involving Lancia's Alberto Ascari, who ended up falling into the harbour.
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| ==Background==
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| The ''1955 Monaco Grand Prix'' was the 2nd running of the event as part of Formula One following its debut on the calendar in 1950.<ref name="history">[https://f1chronicle.com/the-history-of-the-monaco-grand-prix/ ''F1 Chronicle detailing the history of the Monaco Grand Prix.] Retrieved 10th Aug '22</ref> It was also the 13th in Grand Prix history.<ref>[https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/winners/&race=monaco_grand_prix ''Ultimate Car Page'' providing a list of Monaco Grand Prix.] Retrieved 10th Aug '22</ref><ref name="history"/> Lasting 100 laps,<ref name="results">[https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1955_Grand_Prix_of_Monaco/F/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the qualifying and race results of the event.] Retrieved 10th Aug '22</ref> the Monaco Grand Prix remains an integral event of the Formula One calendar, including being prestigious enough to be classified as part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500.<ref name="history"/><ref>[https://www.topendsports.com/events/motorsports/triple-crown.htm ''Topend Sports'' detailing the Triple Crown of Motorsport.] Retrieved 10th Aug '22</ref>
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| Heading into the race, Mercedes-Benz entered two special versions of its W196.<ref name="magazine">[https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-1955/36/xiii-grand-prix-de-monaco ''Motorsport Magazine'' providing a detailed race report.] Retrieved 10th Aug '22</ref> Both had shorter wheelbases, with the inboard brakes mounted on the wheel hubs.<ref name="magazine"/> This helped save weight, while also being an attempt by Mercedes to handle the difficult turns present at Monaco.<ref name="magazine"/> But because the German manufacturer lacked much knowledge on the handling of their new designs, they opted to modify them further to accommodate its drivers Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss.<ref name="magazine"/> Elsewhere, Lancia were seeking to challenge Mercedes, including by providing a fourth car to Monégasque driver Louis Chiron.<ref name="ferrari">[https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Grand_Prix_Ferrari/Z8fBCQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA125&printsec=frontcover ''Grand Prix Ferrari'' summarising the race and Ferrari's performance in it.] Retrieved 10th Aug '22</ref><ref name="magazine"/> Ferrari entered both 625s and new 555s for the race, with the majority of its drivers relying on the older car.<ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="magazine"/><ref name="concept">[https://www.conceptcarz.com/articles/article.aspx?articleID=4519 ''Conceptcarz'' detailing the race and Trintignant's first victory.] Retrieved 10th Aug '22</ref>
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| In qualifying, Fangio set the pace by claiming pole position with a time of 1:41.1.<ref name="concept"/><ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="results"/> Lancia's Alberto Ascari was narrowly behind in second, being joint-fastest with Fangio but having set his later than the Argentine.<ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="magazine"/><ref name="concept"/><ref name="results"/> In third was Moss, who was finding his Mercedes to be less competitive than Fangio's.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="results"/><ref name="concept"/><ref name="ferrari"/> Indeed, whereas his car was more than two seconds slower than Fangio's, when he drove his teammate's car, he found he was only one-tenth behind.<ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="magazine"/> Trintignant meanwhile qualified ninth in a Ferrari 625 with a time of 1:44.4, while Chiron successfully made the grid by qualifying 19th out of 20 competitors.<ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="magazine"/><ref name="concept"/><ref name="results"/> At 55 years and 292 days, he became the oldest driver to start a Grand Prix, a record that still stands today.<ref>[https://www.f1forgottendrivers.com/drivers/louis-chiron/ ''The Forgotten Drivers of F1'' detailing the career of Chiron and noting he became the oldest driver to start a Grand Prix.] Retrieved 10th Aug '22</ref> With only 20 spots on the grid available, it meant that Maserati's Lance Macklin and HWM-Alta's Ted Whiteaway failed to qualify after setting the slowest times, Macklin hampered by an oil leak during one session.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="results"/> Additionally, Mercedes' Hans Herrmann injured one of his legs and lungs in an accident, preventing him from starting the event.<ref name="magazine"/>
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| ==The Race==
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| With the starting order decided, the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix commenced on 22nd May.<ref name="results"/> Fangio maintained his lead from the start, while fourth place Lancia driver Eugenio Castellotti passed both Moss and Ascari to move into second.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="concept"/><ref name="results"/> Moss would move into second by lap 5, but by that point, Fangio already had a 7-second lead that he was continually extending.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="concept"/> Both Mercedes outclassed the field, with the gap between Moss and the others being nine seconds, Moss himself nine seconds behind his teammate.<ref name="magazine"/> Castellotti and Ascari duelled for third, while Trintignant challenged for sixth on lap 23.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="concept"/> By lap 35, Ascari was in third after Castellotti suffered a puncture from hitting a kerb, with Maserati's Jean Behra also encountering issues that required a pit stop.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="concept"/><ref name="ferrari"/>
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| By this point, Fangio was more than 40 seconds ahead of Ascari, although Moss had since closed the gap.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="concept"/> 15 laps later however, Fangio retired following a transmission failure.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="concept"/><ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="results"/> Moss took over in front, and had built such a gap over Ascari that he was soon to lap him as the race reached lap 81.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="results"/> Ascari meanwhile was challenged by lapped Maserati driver Cesare Perdisa, with Moss looking to lap both Italians.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="concept"/> But after completing 81 laps, Moss' engine failed, forcing him into the pits.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="concept"/><ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="results"/> Ascari therefore was set to inherit the lead, but not long afterwards slipped on oil from Moss' blown engine coming down the hill that saw him crash through a straw hale and sand-bag barrier.<ref name="magazine"/> Him and his car ending up falling into the harbour.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="concept"/><ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="results"/> Ultimately, Ascari escaped drowning, but suffered shock and a broken nose.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="memorial">[http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=ct&n=63 ''Motorsport Memorial'' page for Alberto Ascari.] Retrieved 10th Aug '22</ref><ref name="ferrari"/> This proved to be the two-time champion's final Formula One start; four days later, he was killed testing a Ferrari 750 Monza at the Monza Circuit, aged 36.<ref name="memorial"/><ref name="ferrari"/>
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| With Moss and Ascari out, Trintignant moved into first, and remained there for the final 20 laps of the race.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="concept"/><ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="results"/> He therefore claimed his first victory and eight points in the Drivers' Championship, which also led to him topping the Championship with 11.33 points.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="results"/><ref>[https://www.statsf1.com/en/1955/monaco/championnat.aspx ''Stats F1'' detailing the Drivers' Standings following the race.] Retrieved 10th Aug '22</ref> It was a result considered unlikely by most, considering the performances of the Mercedes and Ascari relative to the Ferraris.<ref name="concept"/><ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/> In second was Castellotti, with Behra finishing third after overtaking Ferrari's Nino Farina with 10 remaining.<ref name="concept"/><ref name="results"/><ref name="magazine"/> Farina and Lancia's Luigi Villoresi finished in the final points positions of fourth and fifth respectively, while Chiron came home in sixth.<ref name="results"/><ref name="magazine"/><ref name="concept"/><ref name="ferrari"/> Moss pushed his Mercedes over the line to be classified ninth.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="results"/>
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| ==Availability==
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| The race was reportedly televised by TMC, although it is unknown whether it provided live coverage or race highlights.<ref>[https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?cid=8D94CC199E340254&resid=8D94CC199E340254!149 List of Formula One television broadcasts noting TMC provided some coverage, though it is unclear whether it was live or in highlights form.] Retrieved 10th Aug '22</ref> The broadcast has yet to publicly resurface however, having originated from an era where telerecordings were rare until video tape was perfected in the late-1950s.<ref>[https://archive.org/details/BbcTelevisionReceivedInNewYork-1938 ''Web Archive'' article discussing how most early television is missing due to a lack of directly recording television.] Retrieved 10th Aug '22</ref> Nevertheless, substantial footage of the race is available, including in a film made by ''The D.A. Clarke Film Unit''. Some photos can also be found online.
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| ==Gallery==
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| ===Videos===
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| {{Video|perrow =4
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| |service1 =youtube
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| |id1 =wWFZ9TnD35w
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| |description1 =''The D.A. Clarke Film Unit'' film of the race.
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| |service2 =youtube
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| |id2 =WMRh0HWjUgk
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| |description2 =Clip from ''Castrol Classic Grand Prix Trio 1955 / Grand Prix D'Europe 1958''.
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| |service3 =youtube
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| |id3 =x5YULS02iBk
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| |description3 =Clips from a British documentary.
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| |service4 =youtube
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| |id4 =bfZwJ9Xkc7A
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| |description4 =''British Movietone'' newsreel of the race.
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| }}
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| ===Images===
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| <gallery mode=packed heights=250px>
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| 1955monacograndprix2.jpg|Programme for the race.
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| 1955monacograndprix3.jpg|The start of the race.
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| 1955monacograndprix4.jpg|Ascari ahead of Castellotti.
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| 1955monacograndprix5.jpg|Castellotti right behind Ascari.
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| 1955monacograndprix6.jpg|Trintignant leading the pack.
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| 1955monacograndprix7.jpg|Castellotti and Perdisa following the race.
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| </gallery>
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| ==See Also==
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| *[[1953 British Grand Prix (partially found footage of Formula One World Championship race; 1953)]]
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| *[[1953 Italian Grand Prix (partially found footage of Formula One World Championship race; 1953)]]
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| *[[1954 British Grand Prix (partially found footage of Formula One World Championship race; 1954)]]
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| *[[1954 Italian Grand Prix (partially found footage of Formula One World Championship race; 1954)]]
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| *[[2005 San Marino Grand Prix (partially found ITV advert break during final laps of Formula One race; 2005)]]
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| *[[Donkey Does F1 (partially found photos of Shrek character inflatable at Formula One races; 2004)]]
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| *[[F-1 World Grand Prix III (lost build of cancelled Nintendo 64 Formula One racing game; 2000-2001)]]
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| *[[F1 2010 (lost pre-alpha build of Formula One game; 2010)]]
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| *[[F1 Racing Championship 2 (lost build of cancelled PC/PlayStation 2 Formula One game; 2001)]]
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| *[[Fernando Alonso's 2015 testing accident (lost footage of Formula One test session crash; 2015)]]
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| *[[Grand Prix 3 (lost build of cancelled Dreamcast port of PC Formula One racing game; 2001)]]
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| *[[Grand Prix 4 (lost build of cancelled Xbox port of PC Formula One racing game sequel; 2002)]]
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| *[[McLaren MP4-18 (lost footage of unraced Formula One car; 2003)]]
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| *[[Racing Arrows (partially found Formula One TV series; 2001)]]
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| *[[Robert Kubica's 2010 Japanese Grand Prix Q3 lap (lost audio of Formula One qualifying lap; 2010)]]
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| *[[Williams FW15C (partially found footage and lap time information of unraced CVT Formula One car; 1993)]]
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| ==References==
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| {{reflist}}
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| [[Category:Lost recordings of sports events]]
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| [[Category:Partially found media]]
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| [[Category:Historic]]
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