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| {{InfoboxLost
| | #REDIRECT [[1955 Formula One World Championship (partially found footage of Formula One races; 1955)]] |
| |title=<center>1955 Italian Grand Prix</center>
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| |image=1955italiangrandprix1.jpg
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| |imagecaption=Juan Manuel Fangio leads Stirling Moss, in Mercedes' final Formula One race as a constructor until 2010.
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| |status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
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| }}
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| The '''''1955 Italian Grand Prix''''' was the seventh and final race of the 1955 Formula One Season. Occurring on 11th September at the Monza Circuit, the race would ultimately be won by Juan Manuel Fangio in a Mercedes-Benz, in what was the final race for the original Mercedes Formula One team.
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| ==Background==
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| The ''1955 Italian Grand Prix'' was the sixth running of the event as part of the Formula One calendar, with the race lasting 50 laps.<ref name="results">[https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1955_Grand_Prix_of_Italy/F/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the qualifying and race results of the event.] Retrieved 11th Aug '22</ref> The 25th edition in Grand Prix history,<ref>[https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/winners/&race=italian_grand_prix ''Ultimate Car Page'' listing all instances of the Italian Grand Prix.] Retrieved 11th Aug '22</ref> the Italian Grand Prix has been held at Monza for all bar one instance in 1980 since Formula One's inception in 1950,<ref>[https://f1experiences.com/fr/blog/italian-grand-prix-fast-facts ''F1 Experiences'' detailing facts regarding the Italian Grand Prix.] Retrieved 11th Aug '22</ref> and has garnered a reputation for being the "home" grand prix of Ferrari.<ref>[https://sfcriga.com/monza-grand-prix-the-ferrari-home ''Scuderia Ferrari Club'' detailing how Monza is considered the home of Ferrari.] Retrieved 11th Aug '22</ref> Monza itself was rebuilt for 1955, with the full circuit now being 10 km in length.<ref name="magazine">[https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/october-1955/22/26th-gran-premio-ditala ''Motorsport Magazine'' providing a detailed race report.] Retrieved 11th Aug '22</ref>
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| Heading into the race, Formula One had not hosted a Grand Prix since the British Grand Prix on 16th July.<ref name="ferrari">[https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Grand_Prix_Ferrari/Z8fBCQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA128&printsec=frontcover ''Grand Prix Ferrari'' summarising the race and Ferrari's performance in it.] Retrieved 11th Aug '22</ref> The reason for the gap between races was that four events, including the French, German, Swiss, and Spanish Grand Prix, were all cancelled following the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans disaster that claimed the lives of Mercedes driver Pierre Levegh and 84 spectators.<ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="magazine"/> Meanwhile, the race would also mark the end of an era, as Mercedes were to withdraw from Formula One.<ref name="mercedes">[http://www.silverarrows.net/mercedes-history/#Formula_1_-_The_Return ''Silver Arrows'' detailing Mercedes' withdrawal from Formula One, and its eventual return.] Retrieved 11th Aug '22</ref><ref name="magazine"/> The decision had been made prior to the Le Mans disaster, with the German company intending to concentrate on its production of passenger cars that was suffering due to its vast racing investment.<ref name="mercedes"/><ref name="magazine"/> For its final race, three different designs would be entered for its drivers Fangio, Stirling Moss, and Karl Kling, including a new streamlined long-chassis for the now-three-time World Champion Fangio.<ref name="magazine"/> Meanwhile, Ferrari had bought out Lancia's D50s and entered them for the race alongside three of its Tip 555s.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/> Additionally, 1950 World Champion Nino Farina came out of retirement to drive once more, competing in one of the D50s.<ref name="magazine"/>
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| In qualifying, Fangio achieved pole position with a time of 1:46.5.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="results"/> Directly behind him were his teammates Moss and Kling, in second and third respectively.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="results"/> The Lancia-Ferraris also proved competitive, with Farina placing his car fifth out of 23 competitors.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="results"/> However, Farina also experienced a major crash when a rear tyre tread broke away, causing his car to spin and total the car's rear.<ref name="magazine"/> While he escaped uninjured, a front tread fell off during another session, although this time a crash was avoided.<ref name="magazine"/> Enzo Ferrari attempted to have the D50s' tyres be replaced with Pirellis, but contracted tyre supplier Englebert refused to allow this.<ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="magazine"/> Thus, Ferrari withdrew the D50s from the event, meaning Farina would not start his final Grand Prix.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="results"/>
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| ==The Race==
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| With the starting order decided, the 1955 Italian Grand Prix commenced on 11th September.<ref name="results"/> Moss jumped Fangio into first on the opening lap, but team orders forced him to relinquish it back to his teammate.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="results"/> Fangio led a Mercedes 1-4, with Piero Taruffi having passed Kling.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/> Even by lap 2, the Mercedes cars were already dominating the field, with only Ferrari's Eugenio Castellotti capable of hanging with them.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/> This only lasted for four laps however, with Castellotti also losing ground to the German vehicles.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/> On lap 8, Moss briefly led, before Fangio moved back into first a lap later.<ref name="results"/> By lap 19, it appeared Mercedes would have no issues, with the 1-4 line-up just separated by four seconds.<ref name="magazine"/> However, Moss' windscreen soon shattered, forcing him to pit, which dropped him back to eighth.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/> But because he was no longer constrained by team orders, Moss was able to demonstrate his and his car's full potential, including setting a lap record at Monza.<ref name="magazine"/>
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| On lap 25, Maserati's Luigi Musso passed Castellotti after a long duel for fourth.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/> Three laps later, Moss was out following an engine failure.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="results"/> He was not the only Mercedes driver to be eliminated; on lap 32, Kling suffered a gearbox failure.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="results"/> But with Musso having also retired a lap prior to Kling because of a faulty gearbox, Fangio and Taruffi remained unchallenged, with only Castellotti and Maserati's Jean Behra also being on the lead lap.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/> Fangio, who was fatigued and bruised negotiating the new track and its bankings, therefore claimed victory and a final eight points in the Drivers' Championship.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/> Taruffi made it a Mercedes 1-2, the last until the 2014 Malaysian Grand Prix.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="results"/><ref>[https://www.grandprix.com/races/malaysian-gp-2014-race-report-the-first-since-1955.html ''Grand Prix'' noting the 2014 Malaysian Grand Prix 1-2 was Mercedes' first since 1955.] Retrieved 11th Aug '22</ref> Indeed, Mercedes would only return as a manufacturer when it supplied the Sauber team engines in 1994, and it would take until 2010 for it to become a constructor again.<ref name="mercedes"/> Castellotti took third, with Maserati drivers Behra and Carlos Menditeguy claiming the final points positions in fourth and fifth respectively.<ref name="magazine"/><ref name="ferrari"/><ref name="results"/>
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| ==Availability==
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| The race is reported to have received full live coverage from RTE.<ref name="broadcasts">[https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?cid=8D94CC199E340254&resid=8D94CC199E340254!149 List of Formula One television broadcasts noting RTE provided full live coverage.] Retrieved 11th Aug '22</ref> However, the broadcast has yet to publicly resurface, having originated from an era where telerecordings were rare until videotape 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 11th Aug '22</ref> Nevertheless, some footage remains courtesy of British newsreels and a German documentary.
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| ==Gallery==
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| ===Videos===
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| {{Video|perrow =3
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| |service1 =youtube
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| |id1 =8p0N8GGcQL8
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| |description1 =Silent ''British Pathé'' newsreel footage of the race.
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| |service2 =youtube
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| |id2 =hRgkiYdqJ2U
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| |description2 =Upscaled ''British Pathé'' newsreel footage of the race.
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| |service3 =youtube
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| |id3 =EyG-oeC7-jM
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| |description3 =German documentary providing footage 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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| 1955italiangrandprix2.jpg|Programme for the race.
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| 1955italiangrandprix3.jpg|The Mercedes cars entered for the race.
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| 1955italiangrandprix4.jpg|The starting grid.
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| 1955italiangrandprix5.jpg|The race was the first to utilise Monza's oval section.
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| 1955italiangrandprix6.jpg|Moss receives a push out of the pits.
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| 1955italiangrandprix7.jpg|Fangio ahead of Kling.
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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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| *[[1955 Dutch Grand Prix (partially found footage of Formula One World Championship race; 1955)]]
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| *[[1955 Monaco Grand Prix (partially found footage of Formula One World Championship race; 1955)]]
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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 real incidents]]
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| [[Category:Lost TV]]
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| [[Category:Partially found media]]
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| [[Category:Historic]]
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