It would be a great day for Trintignant as his consistent racing style would be rewarded in the biggest way imaginable. Scarlatti, on the other hand, would continue to have his faith in the Maserati 250F destroyed by unreliability. He had taken part in three races with the car to that point in the season and was yet to see the checkered flag. In all reality, he hadn’t even come close to seeing the checkered flag in any of those races. He needed things to turn around soon, or else, he had to seriously consider his Formula One ventures, at least in 1958.
The future would have to wait as there would be very little time between races for Scarlatti. Leaving Monaco, Giorgio would quickly have to shift his focus to the next race, and it was just a week away on the 26th of May.
Leaving Monaco for a new venue, Scarlatti wouldn’t just be leaving for a new venue. He would be leaving one style of circuit for another that was vastly different. The next race on the calendar would be the third round of the Formula One World Championship for 1958, the Dutch Grand Prix.
The Grote Prijs van Nederland had last made an appearance as part of the World Championship back in 1955. There would be some controversy surrounding that race as it would take place just a week after the terrible events of Le Mans. Many other races would be cancelled over the course of the season but the Dutch Grand Prix would go on. However, the race would not appear on the calendar throughout 1956. It was to make another appearance in 1957. However, disagreements about money and other issues would lead to it, and the Belgian Grand Prix, being abandoned.
The Dutch Grand Prix would be back in 1958 and the Zandvoort Circuit would be worlds apart from Monaco even if both circuits are located right along coastlines. Situated right on the coast of the North Sea, not only would be climate be a change from Monaco, but the circuit itself would be vastly different.
Measuring 2.60 miles to the lap, each lap around the Zandvoort Circuit was a rapid affair. There was no hanging about, not with such corners as Tarzanbocht, Tunnel Oost and Pulleveld. Surrounded many numerous sand dunes, the circuit would be slippery and difficult on even the best of days, especially with the winds coming off the North Sea. Combine this with the high average speeds and the terribly fast corners and the Zandvoort Circuit, as it was then, was by no means an easy endeavor for even the most talented driver and car.
Zandvoort would seem like the last place Scarlatti would go to find his elusive first checkered flag of the season, but it was the next race on the calendar and the next opportunity. And so, he would arrive and would set about with the Maserati mechanics preparing the car for the 75 lap race on the 26th.
Scarlatti would climb behind the wheel of his Maserati in practice and would set about trying to right his Formula One season. While Scarlatti would still find things difficult, the Vanwalls would have things well in order. Though the junior member of the team, Stuart Lewis-Evans would allow his pace to come through taking the pole with a lap time of 1:37.1. Stirling Moss would put another of the Vanwalls 2nd on the grid with a lap time nine-tenths slower and Tony Brooks would make it three Vanwalls along the front row with a lap time just a tenth slower than Moss.
Scarlatti would not have to worry about making it into the field for the Dutch Grand Prix. However, he would also not have to worry about whether or not he would miss out on the front row. In fact, he would end up fighting for the wrong end of the grid. Posting a sedate lap time of 1:44.6, Scarlatti would miss out on the last spot of the grid by just a tenth of a second. As it turned out, Giorgio would end up on the sixth row of the grid in the 16th position.
At this point in time, where Scarlatti started out a race mattered not at all. All he wanted to do would be to finish a race, and after the season he had been experiencing, if that meant last place it likely didn’t matter.
The race would take place on a Monday, which was a holiday. This drew a large crowd to the track for the race. The large crowd would watch as Moss took the lead at the start of the race. He would be followed by Lewis-Evans and Harry Schell, who would make a fantastic start from the third row of the grid.
The field would be tightly-packed through the first couple of corners as it headed inland. Scarlatti would try hard to fight for position amongst the crowd but would also have one eye toward the end goal. Therefore he remained toward the end of the train as it began to spread out over the course of the first lap.
At the end of the first lap it would be Moss in the lead by a few car lengths over Lewis-Evans and Harry Schell. Scarlatti would have the advantage on Godin de Beaufort at the backend of the field and would cross the line at the end of the first lap in 16th.
Despite looking absolutely dominant heading into the race, the Vanwalls would begin to suffer during it. Tony Brooks would end up out of the race after 13 laps with a rear axle failure. Lewis-Evans would make a fast start but would end up losing out to Schell after nearly a dozen laps. This would be just the beginning of Lewis-Evans’ fall from grace until he ultimately retired after 46 laps with engine trouble.
But there was one Vanwall driver that was not suffering from any kind of trouble and that would be Moss. Though Schell would give chase in the ever-improved BRM, he just would not be able to keep pace with the Vanwall driver.
Scarlatti would certainly be unable to keep pace with just about the whole field as he remained at the back of the field locked in a battle with Godin de Beaufort. Giorgio would be running well despite being at the back and, finally, a race finish seemed to be in his future. However…
