STORY OF THE DAY: Ferrari’s Rear-Engine Future Appears at Monaco

Richie Ginther finished sixth in the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix with the number 34 Ferrari 246 P F1. The World Championship race marked both Ginther’s Formula One debut and the first Grand Prix appearance of a rear-engined Ferrari, providing an important glimpse of the Scuderia’s technical future.

Ginther qualified deep in the field but kept the experimental car running through Monaco’s confined streets to reach the finish. Although sixth place did not carry a championship point under the scoring system then in use, completing the race gave Ferrari valuable experience while Stirling Moss won for Rob Walker’s Lotus.

The 246 P placed a Dino V6 longitudinally behind the driver, a fundamental departure from Ferrari’s established front-engined practice. Its tubular chassis and early rear-engine installation served as a development bridge toward the 1.5-litre 156 machines that Ferrari would introduce for Formula Two and the new Formula One regulations.

American Richie Ginther brought strong mechanical knowledge developed through military service and sports-car racing. He joined Ferrari as a trusted test and competition driver, and his careful Monaco performance gave the Scuderia practical evidence at a crucial stage in its transition to rear-engined Grand Prix cars.