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  Maserati 250F T2 'V12'      

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Country of origin:Italy
Produced in:1957
Numbers built:2 or 3
Designed by:Giulio Alfieri and Medardo Fantuzzi for Maserati
Predecessor:Maserati 250F T2 'Lightweight'
Author:Wouter Melissen
Last updated:December 26, 2013
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Click here to download printer friendly versionWith the V12 still under development, the Maserati team started the 1957 season with the heavily revised 250F equipped with the straight six engine. The tried and tested unit proved more than powerful enough to fight off the rivals that included the ailing Ferrari team and very impressive British Vanwall team. The latter proved to be Maserati's biggest challenger, despite only using a four cylinder engine. Fangio nevertheless showed he was still the fastest man in Formula 1 even though he was already 45 years old at the time. In the six cylinder T2, 'the old master' won four of the first five races on his way to his fifth driver's title. The fourth was the legendary victory at the Nürburgring when Fangio broke the lap record 10 times in just 22 laps.

Fangio's excellent results with the six cylinder engine, gave the Maserati engineers additional time to thoroughly develop the V12. Early tests, in an older chassis, showed that the power delivery was nothing short of brutal. During the summer three T2 chassis were built specifically for the V12 engine and one was ready in time for the final Grand Prix of the year; the all-important Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Thanks to a redesigned gearbox, the V12 could be mounted off-set in the T2 chassis. The new car could be easily recognised because of the two bumps on the very low body-work that were needed to clear the carburettors. Behind the wheel of the V12 250F Frenchman Jean Behra impressed during the early stages of the race but he was forced to pit to replace the rear tyres, which were not quite capable of enduring the 320 bhp for too long. Sadly Behra later had to retire with lubrication problems from what had been a promising debut.

There would be no second chance for the V12 engined 250F as a cash-strapped Maserati retired from international racing at the end of the 1957 season. The surviving 250Fs were sold to privateers either with the familiar straight six engine or without an engine altogether. It was not the end of the line for the V12 engine itself as it would go on to be used in various sports cars and ultimately in the back of a Cooper F1 car in three litre form. In this guise it would score two Grand Prix victories nearly a decade after it was first introduced. Wether the 250F T2 V12 could have challenged for victories in 1958 we will never know but it remains as the most powerful car built during F1's 2.5 litre era.

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  Article Image gallery (27) 2531 Specifications User Comments (1)