Total de pilots participants: 110 (32 a Indianapolis)
Total d’equips participants: 76 (29 a Indianapolis)
Debutants: 54 (Bill Aston, Marcel Balsa, Élie Bayol, Jean Behra, Gino Bianco, Eric Brandon, Alan Brown, Adolf Brudes, Jimmy Bryan, Eitel Cantoni, Piero Carini, Peter Collins, Alberto Crespo, Tony Crook, Art Cross, Ken Downing, Piero Dusio, Ludwig Fischer, Jan Flinterman, George Fonder, Paul Frère, Tony Gaze, Mike Hawthorn, Willi Heeks, Theo Helfrich, Eddie Johnson, Hans Klenk, Ernst Klodwig, Willi Krakau, Rudolf Krause, Roger Laurent, Arthur Legat, Dries van der Lof, Lance Macklin, Kenneth McAlpine, Harry Merkel, Robin Montgomerie-Charrington, Bernd Nacke, Helmut Niedermayr, Robert O’Brien, Josef Peters, Dennis Poore, Jimmy Reece, Fritz Riess, Jim Rigsby, Roy Salvadori, Rudolf Schoeller, Bob Scott, Bob Sweikert, Max de Terra, Eric Thompson, Charles de Tornaco, Toni Ulmen, Ken Wharton, Graham Whitehead)
Última temporada: 42 (George Abecassis, Bill Aston, Bobby Ball, Marcel Balsa, Henry Banks, Gino Bianco, Adolf Brudes, Eitel Cantoni, Franco Comotti, George Connor, Alberto Crespo, Ken Downing, Piero Dusio, Philippe Étancelin, Ludwig Fischer, Rudi Fischer, Jan Flinterman, Tony Gaze, Joe James, Hans Klenk, Willi Krakau, Roger Laurent, Dries van der Lof, Johnny McDowell, Harry Merkel, Chet Miller, Robin Montgomerie-Charrington, David Murray, Bernd Nacke, Helmut Niedermayr, Robert O’Brien, Josef Peters, Paul Pietsch, Dennis Poore, Fritz Riess, Jim Rigsby, Franco Rol, Bill Schindler, Rudolf Schoeller, Eric Thompson, Toni Ulmen, Graham Whitehead)
Defuncions a la F1: 0
Defuncions en altres categories: 4 (Joe James, Johnny McDowell, Jim Rigsby, Bill Schindler)
Defuncions no relacionades amb l’esport: 0
Retirats per lesions a la F1: 0
Retirats per lesions a la F1: 0
Retirats per lesions en altres categories: 0
Pilot més jove: Peter Collins, 20 anys i 199 dies, Suïssa
Pilot més vell: Philippe Étancelin, 55 anys i 203 dies, França
| Entrant | Cotxe | Pneu. | Pilots |
| Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati A6GCM | P | Felice Bonetto Franco Rol Froilán González |
| Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 500 Ferrari 375S |
P F |
Alberto Ascari Luigi Villoresi Piero Taruffi Giuseppe Farina André Simon |
| Ecurie Richmond | Cooper T20-Bristol | D | Eric Brandon Alan Brown |
| Connaught Engineering | Connaught A-Lea Francis | D | Kenneth McAlpine Ken Downing Eric Thompson Dennis Poore Stirling Moss |
| Equipe Gordini | Simca-Gordini T15 Gordini T16 Gordini T16S |
E | Robert Manzon Maurice Trintignant Jean Behra Johnny Claes Prince Bira |
| Ecurie Ecosse | Cooper T20-Bristol | D | David Murray |
| Archie Bryde | Cooper T20-Bristol | D | Mike Hawthorn Reg Parnell |
| Ecurie Espadon | Ferrari 212 Ferrari 500 |
P | Rudi Fischer Peter Hirt Rudolf Schoeller Hans Stuck |
| English Racing Automobiles Ltd. |
ERA G-Bristol | D | Stirling Moss |
| W. S. Aston | Aston NB41-Butterworth | D | Bill Aston |
| Scuderia Franera | Frazer Nash FN48-Bristol | D | Ken Wharton |
| Tony Crook | Frazer Nash 421-BMW | D | Tony Crook |
| Ecurie Belge | Simca-Gordini T15 | E | Johnny Claes Paul Frère |
| Enrico Platé | Maserati 4CLT-48-Platé | P | Toulo de Graffenried Alberto Crespo Harry Schell |
| Leslie D. Hawthorn | Cooper T20-Bristol | D | Mike Hawthorn |
| HW Motors | HWM 51-Alta HWM 51/52-Alta |
D | George Abecassis Stirling Moss Peter Collins Lance Macklin Duncan Hamilton Yves Giraud-Cabantous Johnny Claes Paul Frère Roger Laurent Dries van der Lof |
| Tony Gaze | HWM 52-Alta | D | Tony Gaze |
| Toni Ulmen | Veritas Meteor | D | Toni Ulmen |
| Arthur Legat | Veritas Meteor | E | Arthur Legat |
| Motor Presse Verlag | Veritas Meteor | ? | Paul Pietsch |
| Hans Klenk | Veritas Meteor | ? | Hans Klenk |
| Fritz Riess | Veritas RS | ? | Fritz Riess |
| Theo Helfrich | Veritas RS | ? | Theo Helfrich |
| Adolf Brudes | Veritas RS | ? | Adolf Brudes |
| Josef Peters | Veritas RS | ? | Josef Peters |
| Alfred Dattner | Simca-Gordini T11 | E | Max de Terra |
| Ecurie Rosier | Ferrari 500 | D | Louis Rosier |
| Peter Whitehead | Alta F2 Ferrari 125/F2 |
D | Peter Whitehead Graham Whitehead |
| Scuderia Marzotto | Ferrari 166/F2 | P | Franco Comotti Piero Carini |
| Ecurie Francorchamps | Ferrari 500 | E | Charles de Tornaco Roger Laurent |
| Robert O’Brien | Simca-Gordini T15 | E | Robert O’Brien |
| Vicomtesse de Walckiers | Simca-Gordini T15 | E | Johnny Claes |
| Piero Dusio | Cisitalia D46-BPM | P | Piero Dusio |
| Ken Downing | Connaught A-Lea Francis | D | Ken Downing |
| Élie Bayol | OSCA 20 | P | Élie Bayol |
| G. Caprara | Ferrari 500 | D | Roy Salvadori |
| Robin Montgomerie-Charrington | Aston NB41-Butterworth | D | Robin Montgomerie-Charrington |
| Escuderia Bandeirantes | Maserati A6GCM | P | Chico Landi Gino Bianco Philippe Étancelin Jan Flinterman Eitel Cantoni |
| AFM | AFM-Küchen | E | Hans Stuck |
| Willi Heeks | AFM 8-BMW | ? | Willi Heeks |
| Helmut Niedermayr | AFM 6-BMW | ? | Helmut Niedermayr |
| Ludwig Fischer | AFM 8-BMW | ? | Ludwig Fischer |
| Willi Krakau | AFM 6-BMW BMW Eigenbau |
? | Willi Krakau Harry Merkel |
| Bernhard Nacke | BMW Eigenbau | ? | Günther Bechem |
| Ernst Klodwig | BMW Eigenbau | ? | Ernst Klodwig |
| Rudolf Krause | BMW Eigenbau | ? | Rudolf Krause |
| Marcel Balsa | BMW Eigenbau | ? | Marcel Balsa |
| Ed Walsh | Kurtis Kraft 4000-Offy Kurtis Kraft 3000-Offy |
F | Joe James Sam Hanks |
| Bessie Lee Paoli | Kurtis Kraft 4000-Offy | F | Chuck Stevenson |
| Jim Robbins | Kurtis Kraft-Offy | F | Johnnie Parsons |
| Rotary Engineering Co. | Stevens-Offy | F | Bobby Ball |
| Federal Auto Associates | Kurtis Kraft 3000-Offy Kurtis Kraft 4000-Offy |
F | George Connor Rodger Ward |
| Cummins Engine Co. | Kurtis Kraft-Cummins | F | Fred Agabashian |
| Coast Grain Co. | Lesovsky-Offy | F | Manny Ayulo |
| Murrell Belanger | Lesovsky-Offy | F | Duane Carter |
| Lindsey Hopkins | Lesovsky-Offy | F | Henry Banks |
| Hart Fullerton | Kurtis Kraft 4000-Offy | F | Andy Linden |
| H. A. Chapman | Stevens-Offy | F | Bill Schindler |
| Lewis W. Welch | Kurtis Kraft 3000-Novi | F | Duke Nalon Chet Miller |
| Howard Keck Co. | Kurtis Kraft 500A-Offy | F | Bill Vukovich |
| Roger Wolcott | Kurtis Kraft 2000-Offy | F | Johnny McDowell |
| Jack B. Hinkle | Kurtis Kraft 3000-Offy | F | Jack McGrath |
| Ray T. Brady | Kurtis Kraft 3000-Offy | F | Art Cross |
| Grancor Auto Specialists | Kurtis Kraft 3000-Offy | F | Jim Rathmann |
| Tom Saratoff | Kurtis Kraft 2000-Offy | F | Cliff Griffith |
| Bob Estes | Watson-Offy | F | Jim Rigsby |
| Peter Schmidt | Kurtis Kraft 3000-Offy | F | Jimmy Bryan |
| John Zink | Kurtis Kraft 4000-Offy | F | Jimmy Reece |
| Vincent Granatelli | Bromme-Offy | F | Spider Webb |
| Earl F. Slick | Deidt-Offy | F | Tony Bettenhausen |
| George H. Leitenberger | Sherman-Offy | F | George Fonder |
| Ludson D. Morris | Kurtis Kraft 2000-Offy | F | Bob Scott |
| J. C. Agajanian | Kurtis Kraft 2000-Offy | F | Troy Ruttman |
| Lee Elkins | Kurtis Kraft 2000-Offy | F | Bob Sweikert |
| Pete Salemi | Trevis-Offy | F | Eddie Johnson |
| Mel B. Wiggers | Kurtis Kraft 4000-Offy | F | Gene Hartley |