246 F1

A new engine, lighter and more powerful than both the old four cylinder units and the Lancia derived eight cylinder engine, was needed urgently. The engine configuration, a 65° V6 with two overhead camshafts per cylinder row and dual ignition, was the same as in the F2 unit from which the project was derived, with only a few, small modifications to allow its installation into the different car. The 246 – indicating 2.4 litre capacity and 6 cylinders – made its track debut in 1958, on January 19 at the Argentine GP, and took the English driver Mike Hawthorn on to the world championship.

However, with success, this year also brought tragedy. The Drivers’ title returned to Ferrari, but the season was marked by the fatal accidents of Luigi Musso, at Silverstone, and Peter Collins, at the Nürburgring. There were two wins: Hawthorn in France and Collins in Great Britain. The greatest rival that year was Stirling Moss’s Vanwall, which secured the first edition of the Constructors’ Championship.