The 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix, formally the VII Grand Prix International Automobile du Maroc, was a Formula One motor race held at Ain-Diab Circuit, Casablanca on 19 October 1958, after a six-week break following the Italian Grand Prix. It was race 11 of 11 in the 1958 World Championship of Drivers and race 10 of 10 in the 1958 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. It is the only time Morocco has hosted a World Championship Grand Prix.
Mike Hawthorn (Ferrari) started from pole position, but Stirling Moss won the race driving for Vanwall. Hawthorn finished second which secured him the World Drivers' Championship. Phil Hill was third, also for Ferrari. Vanwall made sure of the World Constructors' Championship and both this and Hawthorn's drivers' title were firsts for British teams or drivers. On 21 October 1958, Hawthorn retired from the sport after winning the title, but died after a road accident.
The race saw an accident involving Stuart Lewis-Evans, who died six days later from the burns he sustained.
Report
Background
Both Mike Hawthorn and Stirling Moss came into the race with a chance of becoming World Drivers' Champion. Moss, on 32 points, needed to win the race and set fastest lap, with Hawthorn (40 pts) finishing no higher than third or to win without fastest lap with Hawthorn again finishing third or lower but also without fastest lap.
Practice and qualifying
There was an entry of 25 cars, of which 19 were to Formula One (F1) specification. Ferrari and Vanwall entered three cars each, BRM four and Lotus and Cooper two each. There were a further five non-works F1 entries. Six Formula Two Coopers brought the total entry to 25.
In Friday practice, Jean Behra (BRM) set fastest time at 2:25.2. Tony Brooks (Vanwall) and Hawthorn (Ferrari) were second and third, four and five tenths behind respectively. Moss did not better 2:26, despite a late attempt, having been hampered by other cars during some of his fast lap attempts. but died as a result of his burns six days later. Vandervell, already in failing health himself, ended his involvement with the Vanwall team partly as a result of the accident. and ceased involvement with the sport till 1965.
It was also the last race for Hawthorn who retired as a driver shortly after the season ended. He was killed in a road accident in Surrey on 22 January 1959.
Picard ultimately recovered from his injuries after six months of incapacity, but did not race again.
Classification
- A yellow background denotes a Formula Two entry:
Qualifying
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%"
|-
! Pos
! No
! Driver
! Constructor
! Time
! Gap
|-
| 1
| 6
| Mike Hawthorn
| Ferrari
| 2:23.1
|align="center"| —
|-
| 2
| 8
| Stirling Moss
| Vanwall
| 2:23.2
| +0.1
|-
| 3
| 12
| Stuart Lewis-Evans
| Vanwall
| 2:23.7
| +0.6
|-
| 4
| 14
| Jean Behra
| BRM
| 2:23.8
| +0.7
|-
| 5
| 4
| Phil Hill
| Ferrari
| 2:24.1
| +1.0
|-
| 6
| 2
| Olivier Gendebien
| Ferrari
| 2:24.3
| +1.2
|-
| 7
| 10
| Tony Brooks
| Vanwall
| 2:24.4
| +1.3
|-
| 8
| 18
| Jo Bonnier
| BRM
| 2:24.9
| +1.8
|-
| 9
| 38
| Maurice Trintignant
| Cooper-Climax
| 2:26.0
| +2.9
|-
| 10
| 16
| Harry Schell
| BRM
| 2:26.4
| +3.3
|-
| 11
| 32
| Jack Fairman
| Cooper-Climax
| 2:27.0
| +3.9
|-
| 12
| 36
| Graham Hill
| Lotus-Climax
| 2:27.1
| +4.0
|-
| 13
| 22
| Masten Gregory
| Maserati
| 2:27.6
| +4.5
|-
| 14
| 30
| Roy Salvadori
| Cooper-Climax
| 2:28.6
| +5.5
|-
| 15
| 20
| Ron Flockhart
| BRM
| 2:29.8
| +6.7
|-
| 16
| 34
| Cliff Allison
| Lotus-Climax
| 2:33.7
| +10.6
|-
| 17
| 28
| Gerino Gerini
| Maserati
| 2:35.1
| +12.0
|-
| 18
| 24
| Hans Herrmann
| Maserati
| 2:35.1
| +12.0
|-style="background:#ffffbf;"
| 19
| 50
| Jack Brabham
| Cooper-Climax
| 2:36.6
| +13.5
|-
| 20
| 26
| Wolfgang Seidel
| Maserati
| 2:38.2
| +15.1
|-style="background:#ffffbf;"
| 21
| 52
| Bruce McLaren
| Cooper-Climax
| 2:41.7
| +18.6
|-style="background:#ffffbf;"
| 22
| 56
| Tom Bridger
| Cooper-Climax
| 2:42.5
| +19.4
|-style="background:#ffffbf;"
| 23
| 58
| Robert La Caze
| Cooper-Climax
| 2:43.1
| +20.0
|-style="background:#ffffbf;"
| 24
| 54
| François Picard
|Cooper-Climax
| 2:46.4
| +23.3
|-style="background:#ffffbf;"
| 25
| 60
| André Guelfi
|Cooper-Climax
| 2:47.8
| +24.7
|-
!colspan="6"|
|}
;Notes
- – Includes 1 point for fastest lap
- – The Motor Sport magazine lists Picard with 28 laps, and indirectly supports this lower lap count with the article's narrative
|}
;Constructors' Championship standings
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
!
! Pos
! Constructor
! Points
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 1
| Vanwall
|align="left"| 48 (57)
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 2
| Ferrari
|align="left"| 40 (57)
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 3
| Cooper-Climax
|align="left"| 31
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 4
| BRM
|align="left"| 18
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 5
| Maserati
|align="left"| 6
|-
!colspan=4|Source: