1954 Belgian Grand Prix

Previous race

At Indianapolis, Bill Vukovich won the 500 for the second consecutive year. No European drivers competed; Vukovich will not start any further championship rounds.

Championship standings

Fangio leads the Drivers’ standings from his Argentine win. This is the first championship race on European soil this year, held five months after the Buenos Aires opener.

Between-race developments

The Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, originally set for 6 June, has been cancelled for monetary reasons, making Belgium the first European round of the season.

Entrants

Fangio is contracted to Mercedes but the W196 is still unfinished; he races in the Maserati again, alongside works teammates Onofre Marimón and Sergio Mantovani. Stirling Moss, Prince Bira, and Roberto Mieres enter Maseratis for private teams. Alberto Ascari is again absent — Lancia have withdrawn their entry, leaving the reigning world champion on the sidelines for another race. Ferrari fields Nino Farina, who has recovered from an accident at the Mille Miglia, alongside José Froilán González, Mike Hawthorn, and Maurice Trintignant in the older chassis. Jacques Swaters enters a private Ferrari for his home race. Only 14 cars take the entry, making for a small field.

Practice

On the first day only the Ferraris appear. When Fangio arrives on the second day he demolishes his own circuit record — set in 1951 driving an Alfa Romeo 159 — with a lap of 4:22.1, an average speed of 119.5 mph. González qualifies second, pleased with the improved handling of his Ferrari. Farina is third but unhappy with his car’s set-up.

Milestones

A fifteenth car — the Maserati of Emmanuel de Graffenried — is set to start behind the field to film authentic race footage for the upcoming Kirk Douglas film The Racers.