1952 Season

Regulation changes

The most consequential change for 1952 is that all World Championship races, except the Indianapolis 500, will be run under Formula Two regulations rather than the existing Formula One rules. Organisers feared too few entrants following Alfa Romeo’s withdrawal, so the maximum engine displacement is halved: naturally aspirated engines are capped at 2.0 litres (down from 4.5) and supercharged engines at 750 cc (down from 1.5 litres). This paves the way for a far more diverse field of constructors. Racing helmets are made mandatory for the first time.

Team changes

Alfa Romeo have withdrawn from the World Championship, citing an inability to fund a new car. Their departure removes the dominant force of the previous two seasons. BRM are preparing two V16-powered cars but the project is delayed; the team will not be competitive at the start of the year.

HWM, which ran only one race in 1951, expands to contest the full season.

Driver changes

Reigning champion Juan Manuel Fangio moves to BRM following Alfa Romeo’s withdrawal, but will wait until the BRM is race-ready before making his championship debut. He has entered a couple of non-championship events in the meantime. 1950 champion Nino Farina moves to Ferrari.

Stirling Moss, previously at BRM, moves to ERA. Peter Collins and Lance Macklin join HWM full-time, both making their championship debuts.

Jean Behra, who has just switched from motorcycle racing, joins Gordini alongside Thai Prince Bira. André Simon moves from Gordini to Ferrari.

Maserati’s new A6GCM chassis, compliant with the Formula Two regulations, is not expected to be ready until late in the season. The team has hired Felice Bonetto from Alfa Romeo, José Froilán González from Ferrari and Franco Rol, though none are expected to race until the car is ready.

Calendar

The championship runs over eight rounds between 18 May and 7 September. The Dutch Grand Prix joins the calendar for the first time. The French Grand Prix moves from Reims-Gueux to Rouen-Les-Essarts for the year. The Spanish Grand Prix was scheduled for 26 October but has been cancelled for monetary reasons. The Indianapolis 500 continues under its own AAA regulations, separate from the Formula Two rules applied to the European rounds.