Total de pilots participants: 93 (40 a Indianapolis)
Total d’equips participants: 60 (28 a Indianapolis)
Debutants: 21 (Frank Armi, Don Beauman, Clemar Bucci, Larry Crockett, Jorge Daponte, Len Duncan, Ed Elisian, Ron Flockhart, Horace Gould, Bill Homeier, Danny Kladis, Karl Kling, Roger Loyer, Leslie Marr, Pat O’Connor, Jacques Pollet, John Riseley-Prichard, Giovanni de Riu, Leslie Thorne, Ottorino Volonterio, Bill Whitehouse)
Última temporada: 29 (Frank Armi, Manny Ayulo, Don Beauman, Georges Berger, Prince Bira, Eric Brandon, Alan Brown, Larry Crockett, Jorge Daponte, Len Duncan, George Fonder, Theo Helfrich, Jimmy Jackson, Danny Kladis, Hermann Lang, Roger Loyer, Onofre Marimón, Ernie McCoy, Mike Nazaruk, Reg Parnell, John Riseley-Prichard, Giovanni de Riu, Bob Scott, Jacques Swaters, Leslie Thorne, Fred Wacker, Spider Webb, Peter Whitehead, Bill Whitehouse)
Defuncions a la F1: 1 (Onofre Marimón)
Defuncions en altres categories: 1 (Bob Scott)
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, 22 anys i 259 dies, Gran Bretanya
Pilot més vell: Louis Rosier, 49 anys justos, Espanya
| Entrant | Cotxe | Pneu. | Pilots |
| Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati A6GCM Maserati 250F |
P | Alberto Ascari Luigi Villoresi Sergio Mantovani Luigi Musso Juan Manuel Fangio Onofre Marimón Roberto Mieres Paco Godia Stirling Moss Prince Bira Louis Rosier |
| Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 500 Ferrari 553 Ferrari 625 |
P | Alberto Ascari Giuseppe Farina Umberto Maglioli Piero Taruffi Mike Hawthorn Froilán González Robert Manzon Maurice Trintignant |
| Daimler Benz AG | Mercedes W196 | C | Juan Manuel Fangio Karl Kling Hans Herrmann Hermann Lang |
| Scuderia Lancia | Lancia D50 | P | Alberto Ascari Luigi Villoresi |
| Equipe Gordini | Gordini T16 | E | Jean Behra Élie Bayol Roger Loyer Jacques Pollet Fred Wacker Clemar Bucci André Pilette Paul Frère |
| Ecurie Ecosse | Connaught A-Lea Francis | D | Leslie Thorne |
| R. R. C. Walker Racing Team |
Connaught A-Lea Francis | D | John Riseley-Pritchard |
| Vandervell Products | Vanwall Special | D | Peter Collins |
| Owen Racing Organisation | Maserati 250F | D | Ken Wharton Guerino Bertocchi |
| Emmanuel de Graffenried | Maserati A6GCM | P | Toulo de Graffenried Ottorino Volonterio |
| Bob Gerard | Cooper T23-Bristol | D | Bob Gerard |
| Gould’s Garage | Cooper T23-Bristol | D | Horace Gould |
| Prince Bira | Maserati 250F | P | Prince Bira |
| R. J. Chase | Cooper T23-Bristol | D | Alan Brown |
| HW Motors | HWM 53-Alta | D | Lance Macklin |
| Scuderia Ambrosiana | Ferrari 500 | A | Reg Parnell |
| Equipe Moss | Maserati 250F | P | Stirling Moss |
| Harry Schell | Maserati A6GCM Maserati 250F |
P | Harry Schell |
| Roberto Mieres | Maserati A6GCM Maserati 250F |
P | Roberto Mieres |
| Jorge Daponte | Maserati A6GCM | P | Jorge Daponte |
| Onofre Marimón | Maserati A6GCM | P | Onofre Marimón |
| Hans Klenk | Klenk Meteor-BMW | P | Theo Helfrich |
| Gilby Engineering | Maserati 250F | D | Roy Salvadori |
| Ecurie Rosier | Ferrari 500 Ferrari 625 Maserati 250F |
D P |
Louis Rosier Robert Manzon Maurice Trintignant |
| Peter Whitehead | Cooper T24-Alta | D | Peter Whitehead |
| Bill Whitehouse | Connaught A-Lea Francis | D | Bill Whitehouse |
| Ecurie Francorchamps | Ferrari 500 | E | Jacques Swaters |
| Leslie Marr | Connaught A-Lea Francis | D | Leslie Marr |
| Georges Berger | Gordini T16 | E | Georges Berger |
| Sir Jeremy Boles | Connaught A-Lea Francis | D | Don Beauman |
| Ecurie Richmond | Cooper T23-Bristol | D | Eric Brandon Rodney Nuckey |
| Giovanni de Riu | Maserati A6GCM | P | Giovanni de Riu |
| Ed Walsh | Kurtis Kraft 4000-Offy Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy |
F | Sam Hanks Jimmy Davies Jim Rathmann Art Cross Johnnie Parsons Andy Linden Pat Flaherty |
| Hoosier Racing Team | Kurtis Kraft 500A-Offy | F | Paul Russo Jerry Hoyt |
| Mel B. Wiggers | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Tony Bettenhausen |
| South California Muffler Co. | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Johnnie Parsons |
| Federal Auto Associates | Kurtis Kraft 3000-Offy | F | Larry Crockett |
| Francis Bardazon | Kurtis Kraft 4000-Offy | F | Bob Sweikert |
| Jim Robbins | Stevens-Offy | F | Cal Niday |
| Murrell Belanger | Kurtis Kraft-Offy | F | Jerry Hoyt |
| Eugene A. Casaroll | Kurtis Kraft 4000-Offy Kurtis Kraft 500A-Offy |
F | Duane Carter Marshall Teague Tony Bettenhausen Jimmy Jackson Troy Ruttman |
| Emmett J. Malloy | Pankratz-Offy | F | Jimmy Reece |
| H. A. Chapman | Stevens-Offy Nichels-Offy |
F | Ed Elisian Bob Scott Johnny Thomson Andy Linden Bill Homeier |
| Ray T. Brady | Schroeder-Offy | F | Len Duncan George Fonder |
| Howard Keck Co. | Kurtis Kraft 500A-Offy | F | Bill Vukovich |
| Bob Estes | Phillips-Offy | F | Don Freeland |
| Motor Racers Inc. | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Pat O’Connor |
| Chapman S. Root | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Jimmy Daywalt |
| Cars Inc. | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Bill Homeier |
| Ray Crawford | Kurtis Kraft 500B-Offy | F | Ernie McCoy |
| A. E. Dean | Kuzma-Offy | F | Jimmy Bryan |
| Peter Schmidt | Kuzma-Offy | F | Manny Ayulo |
| John Zink | Kurtis Kraft 4000-Offy | F | Gene Hartley Marshall Teague |
| Bruce Bromme | Bromme-Offy | F | Spider Webb Danny Kladis |
| T. W. & W. T. Martin | Kurtis Kraft-Offy | F | Frank Armi George Fonder |
| R. N. Sabourin | Pawl-Offy | F | Rodger Ward Eddie Johnson |
| Brown Motor Co. | Schroeder-Offy | F | Andy Linden Bob Scott |
| J. C. Agajanian | Kuzma-Offy | F | Chuck Stevenson Walt Faulkner |
| Lee Elkins | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Mike Nazaruk |
| Miklos Sperling | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Fred Agabashian |