1959 United States Grand Prix

Championship standings

For the first time since 1951, three drivers go into the final race with the title in reach. Brabham leads with 31 points, Moss holds 25.5, and Brooks has 23.

Championship permutations

Brabham wins the title by finishing first, or by finishing second with Moss behind him, or in a number of other combinations involving Moss failing to score highly. Moss must finish first or second and ahead of Brabham. Brooks must win and hope his rivals do not score enough.

Previous race

At Monza, Moss won for the second race running, gambling on completing the race without a tyre change in the lightweight Rob Walker Cooper. Tony Brooks made a strong start but a piston failed on the opening lap. Gurney and Graham Hill led but both lost time in slow pit stops; Moss moved into a lead he did not surrender. With Brabham finishing third and Brooks retiring early, Moss has pulled himself firmly back into the championship. Cooper clinched the International Cup for F1 Manufacturers at Monza.

Entrants

This is the inaugural United States Grand Prix, the first championship round held on American soil since the Indianapolis 500. The race is run at Sebring International Raceway, combining two airport runways with a series of technical corners — the same venue as the 12 Hours of Sebring sports car race. Nineteen entries are received, including six American drivers.

Rodger Ward, the 1959 Indianapolis 500 winner, is entered in a Kurtis-Kraft midget powered by a 1.7-litre Offenhauser engine — well below the 2500cc Formula One limit and fitted with separate gear levers for a two-speed gearbox and rear end. It is the first appearance of an American constructor and an American engine supplier in the Formula One World Championship outside Indianapolis.

Milestones

The fastest lap bonus point is awarded at this race. It will be the last time a point is awarded for fastest lap until the 2019 Australian Grand Prix.

Qualifying

After qualifying concluded with Moss, Brabham, and Brooks on the front row, Harry Schell was overnight placed third based on a late lap that had gone unnoticed — a time of 3:05.2 against a previous best of 3:11.2. Protests from several teams, most forcefully Ferrari on behalf of displaced Brooks, raged through the national anthem but were overruled. Schell starts from third.