1959 Formula One season facts for kids
The 1959 Formula One season was a very exciting year for car racing! It was the 9th official Formula One World Championship. In the end, Jack Brabham from Australia became the champion after a really close fight. He drove for the Cooper team.
Contents
The Races of 1959
The 1959 Formula One season had nine exciting races, called Grand Prix events. Drivers from all over the world competed in different countries. Here's a quick look at where they raced and who won each event:
| Race Number | Race Name | Date | Location | Winning Driver | Car Team | More Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Monaco Grand Prix |
May 10 | Monaco |  Jack Brabham |
 Cooper-Climax |
Report |
| 2 |  Indianapolis 500 |
May 30 | Indianapolis |  Rodger Ward |
Watson-Offenhauser |
Report |
| 3 |  Dutch Grand Prix |
May 31 | Zandvoort |  Joakim Bonnier |
BRM |
Report |
| 4 |  French Grand Prix |
July 5 | Reims | Tony Brooks |
 Ferrari |
Report |
| 5 | British Grand Prix |
July 18 | Aintree | Jack Brabham |
Cooper-Climax |
Report |
| 6 |  German Grand Prix |
August 2 | AVUS | Tony Brooks |
Ferrari |
Report |
| 7 |  Portuguese Grand Prix |
August 23 | Monsanto Park | Stirling Moss |
Cooper-Climax |
Report |
| 8 | Italian Grand Prix |
September 13 | Monza | Stirling Moss |
Cooper-Climax |
Report |
| 9 | United States Grand Prix |
December 12 | Sebring |  Bruce McLaren |
Cooper-Climax |
Report |
How the Championship Was Decided
Drivers earned points based on where they finished in each race. The driver with the most points at the end of the season became the World Champion. In 1959, the points were given like this:
- 1st place: 8 points
- 2nd place: 6 points
- 3rd place: 4 points
- 4th place: 3 points
- 5th place: 2 points
- 1 point for the fastest lap in a race.
Only the best 5 results for each driver counted towards their final score. This meant drivers could drop their lowest scores.
Top Drivers of the 1959 Season
Here are the final standings for the top drivers in the 1959 Formula One season:
| Pos. | Driver | Total Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack Brabham |
31 (34) |
| 2 | Tony Brooks |
27 |
| 3 | Stirling Moss |
25.5 |
| 4 | Phil Hill |
20 |
| 5 | Maurice Trintignant |
19 |
| 6 | Bruce McLaren |
16.5 |
| 7 | Dan Gurney |
13 |
| 8 | Joakim Bonnier |
10 |
| 9 | Masten Gregory |
10 |
| 10 | Rodger Ward |
8 |
Images for kids
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Jack Brabham (pictured in 1966) won his first of three drivers' championships, driving a Cooper-Climax
See also
In Spanish: Temporada 1959 de Fórmula 1 para niños
