The 1958 Formula One season was the 12th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 9th World Championship of Drivers, the first International Cup for F1 Manufacturers and five non-championship Formula One races. The World Championship was contested over eleven races between 19 January and 19 October 1958. The Indianapolis 500 counted towards the Drivers' Championship but not the Manufacturers' Cup.

British driver Mike Hawthorn driving for Ferrari won his first and only Drivers' Championship after a close battle with compatriot Stirling Moss, becoming the first British diriver to become Formula One World Champion. Following the Portuguese Grand Prix, Hawthorn faced a penalty, but Moss sportingly spoke up for him. Moss would go on to win four races over Hawthorn's one, but the points from the Portuguese round enabled Hawthorn to claim the title. It was the first of only two occasions in Formula One history where a driver won the championship, having won only one race in the season, the other being Keke Rosberg in 1982. Vanwall won the inaugural Manufacturers' Cup.

Four drivers died during the season: American Pat O'Connor during the Indianapolis 500, Italian Luigi Musso (Ferrari) during the French Grand Prix, his British teammate Peter Collins during the German Grand Prix, and Brit Stuart Lewis-Evans (Vanwall) during the Moroccan Grand Prix. After Collins' accident, Hawthorn had decided to retire from racing at the end of the season. So he did, but then was killed in a road accident three months later.

Since the early 1900s, Grand Prix racing had been dominated by front-engined cars, but this was the last championship to be won by one. From 1959 on, mid-engined cars, with their better road holding, increased driving comfort, lighter weight, and ease on tires and mechanical components (particularly brakes), would have the upper hand.

The following teams and drivers competed in the 1958 FIA World Championship.

Because the new regulations around fuel were drawn up late, many of the British teams were not ready in time for the season opener, the Argentine Grand Prix, and the race had just ten entrants, the lowest ever: three from Scuderia Ferrari, six private Maseratis and Stirling Moss in a Cooper from Rob Walker Racing, 1958 being the team's first full season. Five-time and reigning champion Juan Manuel Fangio qualified on pole position in one of the Maseratis he took over from the works team, ahead of the Ferraris of Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins. At the start, Collins immediately broke a drive shaft. Hawthorn shot into the lead but was quickly repassed by Fangio. Around half distance, however, the Argentinian had to pit for fresh rear tyres. Moss took the lead and gambled on not needing a pit stop. The canvas was showing on both wheels, but he held on to win, just ahead of the Ferrari duo of Luigi Musso and Mike Hawthorn.

A full four months later, the Monaco Grand Prix saw no less than 30 drivers trying to qualify for 16 places on the starting grid. The British teams were present and quick off the mark: Tony Brooks qualified on pole for Vanwall, ahead of Jean Behra for BRM and the Cooper duo of Jack Brabham and Roy Salvadori. The latter had the best start, arriving at the first corner in the lead, but he braked too late and bent his steering column. Behra and Brooks drew away but Hawthorn was the fastest man on track. He passed the Vanwall on lap 18, which retired shortly after with a loose spark plug, and took the lead on lap 27, when Behra's brakes seemed to fade. In the next phase, Stirling Moss, who was back at Vanwall, was fastest and briefly took the lead, before his engine started misfiring and he, too, retired. Veteran racer Maurice Trintignant, who had taken Moss' place at Rob Walker Racing, had started fifth but took advantage of his rivals' misfortune, including, on lap 46, that of Hawthorn, whose Ferrari had shaken its fuel pump loose. Trintignant completed the 100 laps to take victory, ahead of Musso and Collins. Rob Walker Racing had taken a second win in a row ahead of two Ferraris.

The front row for the Dutch Grand Prix was occupied by Vanwalls: Lewis-Evans, Moss and Brooks. Moss took the lead at the start, ahead of Lewis-Evans, while seventh-starting Harry Schell in the BRM got up to third and then took second place on lap 12. Moss kept out of trouble and took the win, while his teammates both retired. The BRM duo of Schell and Behra completed the podium, while Hawthorn was the first Ferrari in fifth place.