By Ella Keene
Every year in Formula 1, drivers compete for two championships. The world driver’s championship (WDC) and the World constructor’s championship (WCC). Despite the WDC beginning in 1950, the WCC didn’t begin until eight years later. Known as the International Cup for F1 Manufacturers at the time.
The first constructors’ champions were Vanwall, Tony Vandervell’s team, but it was no easy journey to get there.
The team began when Vandervell asked Ferrari for a car to race after backing BRM for the WDC previously. However, the team was not performing to his standard, so he built a relationship with Ferrari to create the best car on the grid. The VW10 – the championship winning car.
Vanwall’s drivers for the season were racing legend Stirling Moss, Tony Brooks and Stuart Lewis-Evans.
Despite Ferrari being their greatest friend with the car, the team was also their biggest competitor, with Ferrari driver Mike Hawthorn going on to win the WDC.
Vanwall’s championship battle was complicated. A promising season with Moss and Brooks winning multiple races each as well as Lewis-Evans standing on the podium multiple times. However, the race in Casablanca saw trouble for the whole team after a racing incident led to the untimely death of driver Stuart Lewis-Evans.
Vanwall were not the only team to experience a loss. Ferrari driver Peter Collins passed away after injuries resulting from an intense chase with Tony Brooks at the Nurburgring.
Despite both teams struggling, they both had so much to fight for at the final race of the season in Morrocco. For many of them it was not just about points anymore, but to honour their lost team mates.
Vanwall secured their championship after Stirling moss won the race and Ferrari secured the driver’s championship when Hawthorn cinched second.
Vanwall left Formula 1 after this season, saying that Stuart Lewis-Evans’ death was a ‘blow to the team and felt personally’ by Tony Vandervell.
Since 1958, the Formula 1 grid has changed a lot, and even though the first WCC was 73 years ago, only 15 teams have claimed the title since. Question remains if it will become 16 this year or a previous champion will claim the title again.
https://www.vanwall1958.com/the-drivers-moss-brooks-lewis-evans – Reference for source of information
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