[Video] Fifty-nine years ago, Moss took the last race-win as Hawthorn nipped the Championship
Veteran broadcaster Raymond Baxter, positioned at the Goodwood Motor Circuit and surrounded by a line-up of classic period machinery, brings his review of the 1958 Formula 1 World Championship to a close with highlights of the title-deciding Moroccan Grand Prix from Casablanca’s Ain-Diab circuit.
The African venue hosted its first and only Grand Prix 59 years ago today (October 19th) and it was a nail-biting affair with an historic outcome that was also tinged with sadness.
British race aces Mike Hawthorn and Stirling Moss arrived at the finale after a six-week break separated by eight points in their quest to be the first British World Champion. And it was Ferrari’s ‘Farnham flyer’ Hawthorn who held the advantage thanks to a win and four second-places.
Hawthorn made his intentions clear in qualifying by pipping Vanwall star Moss to pole position by just 0.1s around the 4.7-mile circuit. Moss’s team-mate Stuart Lewis Evans lined up third, with the battle for the inaugural Constructors’ Championship, which Vanwall led from Ferrari, very much in his mind.
Knowing that he had to win the race and set the fastest lap (in those days worth a Championship point), with Hawthorn finishing third or lower, Moss took the lead at flagfall and got his head down. Over the next two-and-a-bit hours, he just had to do his thing and wait.
Hawthorn, meanwhile, slotted into second once fast-starting Ferrari team-mate Phil Hill had run wide attempting to pass Moss, and then displayed the sort of pace and consistency that had given him the points lead, although he was no match for his Championship adversary this time.
Moss built a huge lead, eventually taking his 10th career win, and fourth of the season, by almost 90 seconds – with fastest lap to boot. His pit signals would have kept him informed of the gap to Hawthorn, but the #6 Ferrari Dino came home second to win the title by a solitary point. Hill, almost certainly under orders not to pass Hawthorn, finished right on his tail in third place.
It was the fourth season on the trot that Moss had finished runner-up, this time by the smallest of margins. In a great day for British motorsport, his countrymen Tony Brooks, Peter Collins and Roy Salvadori made it a 1-2-3-4-5 clean sweep in the final Drivers’ standings, with Vanwall securing the inaugural Constructors’ crown.
That strong sense of national pride was overshadowed by the terrible burns suffered by up-and-coming star Lewis-Evans in a fire caused by engine failure in the closing stages of the race. The 28-year-old, who was managed by Bernie Ecclestone, managed to escape the inferno, but would succumb to his injuries six days later having been airlifted back to the UK.
Moroccan GP, 1958
1. Stirling Moss (GB) – Vanwall, 53 laps
2. Mike Hawthorn (GB) – Ferrari 246, +1m24.7s
3. Phil Hill (USA) – Ferrari 246, +1m25.5s
4. Jo Bonnier (S), BRM P25, +1m46.7s
5. Harry Schell (USA), BRM P25, +2m33.7s
6. Masten Gregory (USA), Maserati 250F, 52 laps
Photography courtesy of LAT Images