Maserati in motorsport
Encyclopedia
Throughout its history the Italian auto manufacturer Maserati
has participated in various forms of motorsport including Formula One
, sportscar racing and touring car racing
, both as a works team and through private entrants.
1,500 cc class in 1926, being ninth place in overall.
Maserati's post-war racing history began in 1954 for the second season of the World Sportscar Championship. The factory raced as Officine Alfieri Maserati.
For the 1954 World Sportscar Championship season
Maserati entered the Maserati A6
GCS finishing 5th in the Manufacturers Championship.
For the 1955 World Sportscar Championship season
Maserati finished 4th in the Manufacturers Championship.
For the 1956 World Sportscar Championship season
Maserati finished 2nd in the Manufacturers Championship including a win at the 1000 km Buenos Aires and the 1000 km at the Nurburgring.
The win at 1956 1000 km Buenos Aires
was a Maserati 300S
sports car driven by Stirling Moss
, Carlos Menditéguy
.
For the 1957 World Sportscar Championship season
Maserati again finished 2nd in the Manufacturers Championship. This time with wins at Sebring
and Rabelöfsbanan
For the 1959 World Sportscar Championship season
Maserati finished 4th in the Manufacturers Championship.
For the 1960 World Sportscar Championship season
Maserati finished 3rd in the Manufacturers Championship. With a win at the ADAC
1000 km Nürburgring for a Maserati Tipo 61
driven by Stirling Moss
and Dan Gurney
.
For the 1961 World Sportscar Championship season
Maserati finished 2nd in the Manufacturers Championship. With a repeat win at the ADAC
1000 km Nürburgring for a Maserati Tipo 61
this time driven by Lloyd Casner
and Masten Gregory
.
List of Maserati sports and gt racing cars
in the late 1980s, the European Touring Car Championship
and the World Touring Car Championship
(1987).
The cars for the 1987 World Touring Car Championship season
were entered by Pro Team Italia/Imberti. The car was in Group A
Division 3 competing against the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
and later in the season Ford Sierra RS 500. The car was driven by Bruno Giacomelli
, Armin Hahne
, Marcello Gunella, Mario Hytten, Nicola Tesini, Kevin Bartlett.
For the British Touring Car Championship
the cars were entered by Trident Motorsport.
This was for the 1988 and 1989 seasons. The car was driven by Nick May
, John Lepp, Vic Lee.
motor racing during the 1940s and 1950s. Its works Formula One programme was broadly successful, providing a handful of Grand Prix wins and a world title for Juan Manuel Fangio
. Maserati designed three Formula One cars: the Maserati 4CLT, the Maserati A6GCM
and the Maserati 250F
, and the pre-WWII Maserati 4CL was also used with some success. However due to financial difficulties in the late 1950s the team had to withdraw from Formula One despite the 250F still being successful. Privateers, including Fangio, continued to use the 250F until 1960.
car. The older design was still competitive despite the hiatus of World War II
and was entered into Formula One races when racing resumed after the war. Its success encouraged Maserati to develop the car's design and these refinements were brought together as the 4CLT.
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
has participated in various forms of motorsport including Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, sportscar racing and touring car racing
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
, both as a works team and through private entrants.
Beginnings
One of the first Maseratis the Tipo 26 driven by Alfieri Maserati with Guerino Bertocchi acting as riding mechanic won the Targa FlorioTarga Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973...
1,500 cc class in 1926, being ninth place in overall.
Sports and GT cars
Maserati's wins in the Targa Florio- 1937 :
Giulio Severi, Maserati 6CMMaseratiMaserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993... - 1938 : Giovanni Rocco, Maserati 6CMMaseratiMaserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
- 1939 : Luigi VilloresiLuigi VilloresiLuigi Villoresi was an Italian Grand Prix motor racing driver who continued racing on the Formula One circuit at the time of its inception.-Biography:...
, Maserati 6CMMaseratiMaserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993... - 1940 : Luigi VilloresiLuigi VilloresiLuigi Villoresi was an Italian Grand Prix motor racing driver who continued racing on the Formula One circuit at the time of its inception.-Biography:...
, Maserati 4CLMaseratiMaserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
Maserati's post-war racing history began in 1954 for the second season of the World Sportscar Championship. The factory raced as Officine Alfieri Maserati.
For the 1954 World Sportscar Championship season
1954 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1954 World Sportscar Championship season was the 2nd season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured a series of six endurance races for sportscars, contested from January 24 to November 23, 1954.-Schedule:-Races:...
Maserati entered the Maserati A6
Maserati A6
Maserati A6 were various cars made by Maserati of Italy, named for the Alfieri brothers and for the straight-six engine....
GCS finishing 5th in the Manufacturers Championship.
For the 1955 World Sportscar Championship season
1955 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1955 World Sportscar Championship season was the 3rd season of the FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a series for sportscars that ran in many worldwide endurance events. It ran from January 23, 1955 to October 16, 1955, and was composed of six races.-Schedule:-Season results:Points...
Maserati finished 4th in the Manufacturers Championship.
For the 1956 World Sportscar Championship season
1956 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1956 World Sportscar Championship season was the 4th season of the FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a series for sportscars that ran in many worldwide endurance events...
Maserati finished 2nd in the Manufacturers Championship including a win at the 1000 km Buenos Aires and the 1000 km at the Nurburgring.
The win at 1956 1000 km Buenos Aires
1956 1000 km Buenos Aires
These were the results of the 1956 1000 km Buenos Aires and the people who classified/did not classify.- Classified :These were the results of the 1956 1000 km Buenos Aires and the people who classified/did not classify.- Classified :...
was a Maserati 300S
Maserati 300S
The Maserati 300S was a racing car produced by Maserati of Italy between 1955-58, which competed in the FIA's World Sportscar Championship. Twenty eight examples were produced....
sports car driven by Stirling Moss
Stirling Moss
Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss, OBE FIE is a former racing driver from England...
, Carlos Menditéguy
Carlos Menditéguy
Carlos Alberto Menditeguy was a racing driver and polo player from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He entered 11 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, achieving one podium, and scoring a total of nine championship points....
.
For the 1957 World Sportscar Championship season
1957 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1957 World Sportscar Championship season was the 5th season of the FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a series for sportscars that ran in many worldwide endurance events. It ran from January 20, 1957 to November 3, 1957, and was composed of seven races.-Schedule:-Season results:Points...
Maserati again finished 2nd in the Manufacturers Championship. This time with wins at Sebring
12 Hours of Sebring
The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport endurance race for sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, a former Army Air Force base in Sebring, Florida...
and Rabelöfsbanan
For the 1959 World Sportscar Championship season
1959 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1959 World Sportscar Championship season was the 7th season of the FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a series for sportscars that ran in many worldwide endurance events. It ran from March 21, 1959 to September 5, 1959, and consisted of 5 races....
Maserati finished 4th in the Manufacturers Championship.
For the 1960 World Sportscar Championship season
1960 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1960 World Sportscar Championship season was the 8th season of the FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a series for sportscars that ran in many worldwide endurance events. It ran from January 31, 1960 to June 26, 1960, and was composed of five races....
Maserati finished 3rd in the Manufacturers Championship. With a win at the ADAC
ADAC
The ADAC is Germany's and Europe's largest automobile club, with more than 17 million members in June 2010. It was founded on May 24, 1903 as "Deutsche Motorradfahrer-Vereinigung" and was renamed in 1911...
1000 km Nürburgring for a Maserati Tipo 61
Maserati Tipo 61
The Maserati Tipo 61 is sports racing cars of the early 1960s. The car was produced between 1959 and 1961 by Maserati for racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance classic. It used an intricate tubular space frame chassis, containing about 200 chro-moly steel tubes welded together, hence the...
driven by Stirling Moss
Stirling Moss
Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss, OBE FIE is a former racing driver from England...
and Dan Gurney
Dan Gurney
Daniel Sexton Gurney is an American racing driver, race car constructor, and team owner.The son of a Metropolitan Opera star, he was born in Port Jefferson, New York, but moved to California as a teenager...
.
For the 1961 World Sportscar Championship season
1961 World Sportscar Championship season
The 1961 World Sportscar Championship season was the 9th season of the FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a series for sportscars that ran in many worldwide endurance events. It ran from March 25, 1961 to August 15, 1961, and was composed of five races....
Maserati finished 2nd in the Manufacturers Championship. With a repeat win at the ADAC
ADAC
The ADAC is Germany's and Europe's largest automobile club, with more than 17 million members in June 2010. It was founded on May 24, 1903 as "Deutsche Motorradfahrer-Vereinigung" and was renamed in 1911...
1000 km Nürburgring for a Maserati Tipo 61
Maserati Tipo 61
The Maserati Tipo 61 is sports racing cars of the early 1960s. The car was produced between 1959 and 1961 by Maserati for racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance classic. It used an intricate tubular space frame chassis, containing about 200 chro-moly steel tubes welded together, hence the...
this time driven by Lloyd Casner
Lloyd Casner
Lloyd Perry Casner was the creator of the Casner Motor Racing Division team....
and Masten Gregory
Masten Gregory
Masten Gregory was a racing driver from the United States. He raced in Formula One between and , participating in 43 World Championship races, and numerous non-Championship races....
.
List of Maserati sports and gt racing cars
- Maserati A6Maserati A6Maserati A6 were various cars made by Maserati of Italy, named for the Alfieri brothers and for the straight-six engine....
GCS Sports Car
- Maserati 350SMaserati 350SMaserati 350S were three racing cars made by Maserati of Italy, built by Giulio Alfieri, aluminum body design by Medardo Fantuzzi, both Maserati engineers....
Sports Car. - Maserati 300SMaserati 300SThe Maserati 300S was a racing car produced by Maserati of Italy between 1955-58, which competed in the FIA's World Sportscar Championship. Twenty eight examples were produced....
Sports Car. - Maserati 250S Sports Car.
- Maserati 200SMaserati 200SMaserati 200S were twenty-eight racing cars made by Maserati of Italy, to take over for the aging Maserati A6 GCS racing variants.The Tipo 52 development started in 1952, led by Giulio Alfieri. The car had a 1994.3 cc inline-four cylinder light-alloy engine, dual OHV per cylinder and DOHC...
Sports Car. - Maserati 150SMaserati 150SMaserati 150S were twenty-seven racing cars made by Maserati of Italy alongside the Maserati 200S, to take over for the aging Maserati A6 GCS racing variants....
Sports Car. - Maserati 450SMaserati 450SMaserati 450S were nine racing cars made by Maserati of Italy, and used in FIA's endurance World Sportscar Championship racing....
Sports Car.
- Maserati Tipo 60 Sports Car
- Maserati Tipo 61Maserati Tipo 61The Maserati Tipo 61 is sports racing cars of the early 1960s. The car was produced between 1959 and 1961 by Maserati for racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance classic. It used an intricate tubular space frame chassis, containing about 200 chro-moly steel tubes welded together, hence the...
the "Birdcage" Sports Car
- Maserati Tipo 63
- Maserati Tipo 64
- Maserati Tipo 65
- Maserati Tipo 151Maserati Tipo 151The Maserati Tipo 151 marked a return to more traditional concepts of car design and used a frame comprising a trellis of both round and oval large tubes, an independent front suspension and a De Dion axle which had many similarities to that used on the Type 64 completed a month or so before. The...
- Maserati Tipo 152
- Maserati Tipo 154Maserati Tipo 154The Maserati Tipo 154, also known as 151/4 and jokingly dubbed "Racing Van" for its unique body design by Piero Drogo, was a racecar produced in 1965 as an improved version of the Tipo 152, sporting a reworked frame, a few more vents and ducts and a larger displacement. There was only one car built...
the "Racing Van"
- Maserati BarchettaMaserati BarchettaThe Maserati Barchetta was a mid-engined, two-door, two-seat sports car, like the 350 and 450S, that was designed by Carlo Gaino of the "Synthesis Design", an Italian design house....
Sports Car - Maserati GhibliMaserati GhibliThe Maserati Ghibli is a Gran Turismo car produced by Italian manufacturer Maserati in two generations: first from 1966–73, and again as the Maserati Ghibli II from 1992–97.- Ghibli I :...
II Open Cup gt Car - Maserati Trofeo series gt Car.
- Maserati Trofeo Light GT3FIA GT3 European ChampionshipThe FIA GT3 European Championship is a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It is a championship derived from the international FIA GT1 World Championship, but meant to provide competition for more...
Racing Car - Maserati MC12Maserati MC12The Maserati MC12 is a two-seater sports car produced by Italian car maker Maserati to allow a racing variant to compete in the FIA GT Championship. The car entered production in 2004 with 30 cars produced...
GT1FIA GT1 World ChampionshipThe FIA GT1 World Championship is a world championship sports car racing series developed by the SRO Group and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It features multiple grand tourer race cars based on production road cars and conforming with the GT1 regulations competing in...
Racing Car.
Touring cars
The Biturbo competed unsuccessfully in the British Touring Car ChampionshipBritish Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
in the late 1980s, the European Touring Car Championship
European Touring Car Championship
The European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004...
and the World Touring Car Championship
World Touring Car Championship
For the video game, known as World Touring Car Championship in Japan, see TOCA World Touring CarsThe FIA World Touring Car Championship is an international Touring Car championship sanctioned by the FIA.-History:...
(1987).
The cars for the 1987 World Touring Car Championship season
1987 World Touring Car Championship season
The 1987 World Touring Car Championship season was the inaugural World Touring Car Championship season. It commenced on March 22, 1987 and ended on November 15 after eleven races. The championship was open to Touring Cars complying with FIA Group A regulations.-Drivers and teams:Fifteen registered...
were entered by Pro Team Italia/Imberti. The car was in Group A
Group A
In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed...
Division 3 competing against the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth was a high-performance version of the Ford Sierra. It was the result of a Ford Motorsport project with the purpose of producing an outright winner for Group A racing in Europe.- Development :...
and later in the season Ford Sierra RS 500. The car was driven by Bruno Giacomelli
Bruno Giacomelli
Bruno Giacomelli is a former racing driver from Italy.He won one of the two 1976 British Formula Three Championships and the 1978 Formula Two championship. He participated in 82 Formula One grands prix, debuting on September 11, 1977...
, Armin Hahne
Armin Hahne
Armin Hahne is a German racing driver, best known for his exploits in touring car racing. The highpoint of his career was winning both the 1982 and 1983 Spa 24 Hours driving BMW's. Another highlight of his career was driving in the factory supported Tom Walkinshaw Racing run Jaguar Racing team...
, Marcello Gunella, Mario Hytten, Nicola Tesini, Kevin Bartlett.
For the British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
the cars were entered by Trident Motorsport.
This was for the 1988 and 1989 seasons. The car was driven by Nick May
Nick May
Nicholas Kevin James May is a Canadian motocross racer who races in the CMRC nationals.- Career :May started racing in 2002 and collected multiple amateur championships throughout his youth. In his final year as an amateur, May raced on a broken leg to collect enough points for the purpose of...
, John Lepp, Vic Lee.
- Maserati BiturboMaserati BiturboThe Maserati Biturbo is a sports car introduced by Maserati in 1981. The Biturbo is a two-door, four-seater notchback coupé featuring, as the name implies, a two-litre V6 engine with two turbochargers and a luxurious interior.The car was designed by Pierangelo Andreani, an engineer from the De...
Group AGroup AIn relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed...
Racing car 1987
Rally cars
Ex 1987 WTCC car was bought by Adriano Dece and converted it for used on Road rallies.- Maserati BiturboMaserati BiturboThe Maserati Biturbo is a sports car introduced by Maserati in 1981. The Biturbo is a two-door, four-seater notchback coupé featuring, as the name implies, a two-litre V6 engine with two turbochargers and a luxurious interior.The car was designed by Pierangelo Andreani, an engineer from the De...
Group AGroup AIn relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed...
Rally car
Formula One
Maserati participated in Formula OneFormula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
motor racing during the 1940s and 1950s. Its works Formula One programme was broadly successful, providing a handful of Grand Prix wins and a world title for Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio
Juan Manuel Fangio , nicknamed El Chueco or El Maestro , was a racing car driver from Argentina, who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing...
. Maserati designed three Formula One cars: the Maserati 4CLT, the Maserati A6GCM
Maserati A6GCM
The Maserati A6GCM is a single seater racing car from the Italian manufacturer Maserati. Only 12 cars were built between 1951 and 1953.-Introduction:...
and the Maserati 250F
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:...
, and the pre-WWII Maserati 4CL was also used with some success. However due to financial difficulties in the late 1950s the team had to withdraw from Formula One despite the 250F still being successful. Privateers, including Fangio, continued to use the 250F until 1960.
Beginnings of Formula One operation
The 1948 Maserati 4CLT was one of the first cars built to the new Formula One regulations, introduced in 1946, and was developed from the 1938 Maserati 4CL voituretteVoiturette
Voiturette is a word mostly used to describe a miniature automobile; however, it has several nuanced meanings, depending largely on the usage date.-History:...
car. The older design was still competitive despite the hiatus of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was entered into Formula One races when racing resumed after the war. Its success encouraged Maserati to develop the car's design and these refinements were brought together as the 4CLT.