STORY OF THE DAY: Brooks Wins at the Fastest German Grand Prix

Tony Brooks won the 1959 German Grand Prix at AVUS in the number 4 Ferrari 256 F1. The World Championship event was divided into two heats and decided by aggregate time; Brooks won both, leading Ferrari teammates Dan Gurney and Phil Hill in a commanding one-two-three finish.

AVUS consisted principally of two long straights joined by sweeping terminal curves, making speed and stability decisive. The meeting also produced a dramatic accident for Hans Herrmann, who escaped after his BRM overturned, but Brooks remained composed throughout both heats and converted Ferrari’s straight-line advantage into victory.

The front-engined 256 F1 was powered by a Dino V6 of approximately 2.5 litres. Its strong acceleration and high maximum speed were ideally suited to AVUS, allowing Ferrari to minimize the handling advantage that rear-engined Cooper cars enjoyed at more technical circuits.

Englishman Tony Brooks combined smooth technique with exceptional speed and was known as the “Racing Dentist” because he trained in dentistry. His victories for Ferrari at Reims and AVUS sustained his 1959 championship challenge, and he ended the season runner-up to Jack Brabham—the closest Brooks came to the world title.