1952 Belgian Grand Prix

Championship standings

Piero Taruffi leads the Drivers’ Championship with 9 points from his Swiss win. Indianapolis 500 winner Troy Ruttman is second on 8, with Rudi Fischer third on 6. Alberto Ascari, who missed Switzerland and retired at Indianapolis, is yet to score.

Previous race

At Indianapolis, Bill Vukovich dominated before breaking a steering linkage with nine laps to go while leading. Troy Ruttman inherited the win, becoming — at 22 years and 80 days — the youngest driver ever to win the Indianapolis 500 and the youngest winner of a World Championship race. Ascari entered the race for Ferrari but retired after a wheel hub collapsed; he was classified 31st.

Between-race developments

Juan Manuel Fangio, the defending World Champion, crashed in the non-championship Monza Grand Prix and suffered back injuries. He has been treated in a Milan hospital and will spend the remainder of the year recovering in Argentina. The title he won in 1951 is now for someone else to claim.

Maserati’s new A6GCM remains unready for the championship.

Entrants

Alberto Ascari returns to Ferrari following his Indianapolis detour, replacing André Simon in the works lineup alongside Farina and Taruffi. Private Ferrari entries include Charles de Tornaco of Ecurie Francorchamps and Louis Rosier. Gordini expands to five cars, adding Belgian driver Johnny Claes and American Robert O’Brien alongside Behra, Manzon and Bira. HWM has recruited Belgian drivers Paul Frère and Roger Laurent to race alongside regulars Collins and Macklin. Stirling Moss switches from HWM to ERA for this round. Mike Hawthorn makes his World Championship debut in a Cooper-Bristol.

Qualifying

Ascari led an all-Ferrari front row at Spa-Francorchamps, with Farina second and Taruffi third. The Gordinis of Manzon and Behra made up the second row. Hawthorn, Wharton in a Frazer-Nash and Frère — the highest-placed of five Belgian drivers on the grid — occupied the third row.