On this day 68 years ago, Mike Hawthorn became Formula 1’s first British World Champion, beating another hopeful in attaining the prestigious accolade.
Yorkshire-born Hawthorn led the Drivers’ standings by eight points going into the final round in Morocco – the only time the country has staged a World Championship Grand Prix.
Ferrari driver Hawthorn had already seen two of his teammates – Luigi Musso and Peter Collins – perish over the course of the season, and was now locked into a final-race decider with Vanwall’s Stirling Moss.
At the Ain-Diab circuit in Casablanca, Hawthorn took pole position by a tenth of a second from Moss, with teammates Phil Hill [a World Champion himself just three years later] and Olivier Bendebien fifth and sixth respectively.
Hawthorn, however, fell away at the start, in the hope of a conservative approach enabling him to capture the title, his aim purely to stay ahead of Moss’ teammates.
Moss streaked off into the distance, with Hill second. Hawthorn was behind the second Vanwall of Stuart Lewis-Evans who was in second place. However, Lewis-Evans’ engine expired on Lap 41, sending the car off the road and into a fiery accident.
Lewis-Evans escaped the blaze, but after being airlifted back to the UK, he would die six days later.
Hill, under the instruction of Ferrari, would slow dramatically to allow Hawthorn to close in. The American would let Hawthorn through to take the second place he needed to take the title by just one point from Moss.
Hawthorn immediately retired from Grand Prix racing, his place in motor-racing history secure, but he would also die just three months later, in a road accident.
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