Total de pilots participants: 84 (36 a Indianapolis)
Total d’equips participants: 47 (32 a Indianapolis)
Debutants: 17 (Keith Andrews, Johnny Boyd, Jack Brabham, Eugenio Castellotti, Ray Crawford, Al Herman, Jesús Iglesias, Al Keller, Jean Lucas, Cesare Perdisa, Nano da Silva Ramos, Eddie Russo, Mike Sparken, Shorty Templeman, Alberto Uria, Chuck Weyant, Ted Whiteaway)
Última temporada: 27 (Alberto Ascari, Pablo Birger, Clemar Bucci, Johnny Claes, Art Cross, Jimmy Davies, Giuseppe Farina, Walt Faulkner, John Fitch, Jerry Hoyt, Jesús Iglesias, Karl Kling, Jean Lucas, Lance Macklin, Sergio Mantovani, Leslie Marr, Kenneth McAlpine, Jack McGrath, Roberto Mieres, Cal Niday, Jacques Pollet, Tony Rolt, Mike Sparken, Bill Vukovich, Peter Walker, Ken Wharton, Ted Whiteaway)
Defuncions a la F1: 1 (Bill Vukovich)
Defuncions en altres categories: 3 (Alberto Ascari, Jerry Hoyt, Jack McGrath)
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: 2 (Giuseppe Farina, Sergio Mantovani)
Pilot més jove: Cesare Perdisa, 22 anys i 218 dies, Mònaco
Pilot més vell: Louis Chiron, 55 anys i 305 dies, Mònaco
| Entrant | Cotxe | Pneu. | Pilots |
| Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati 250F | P | Cesare Perdisa Sergio Mantovani Luigi Musso Carlos Menditéguy Clemar Bucci Roberto Mieres Peter Collins Horace Gould Harry Schell Jean Behra André Simon |
| Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 555 Ferrari 625 Lancia D50 |
E | Giuseppe Farina Umberto Maglioli Piero Taruffi Eugenio Castellotti Luigi Villoresi Mike Hawthorn Froilán González Maurice Trintignant Paul Frére Harry Schell |
| Daimler Benz AG | Mercedes W196 | C | Juan Manuel Fangio Karl Kling Hans Herrmann Stirling Moss Piero Taruffi André Simon |
| Scuderia Lancia | Lancia D50 | P | Alberto Ascari Luigi Villoresi Eugenio Castellotti Louis Chiron |
| Equipe Gordini | Gordini T16 | E | Élie Bayol Jacques Pollet Robert Manzon Mike Sparken Jean Lucas Pablo Birger Jesús Iglesias Nano da Silva Ramos |
| Cooper Car Company | Cooper T40-Bristol | D | Jack Brabham |
| Connaught Engineering | Connaught B-Alta | D | Kenneth McAlpine Tony Rolt Jack Fairman Peter Walker Leslie Marr |
| Vandervell Products | Vanwall VW55 | P | Mike Hawthorn Ken Wharton Harry Schell |
| Owen Racing Organisation | Maserati 250F | D | Peter Collins |
| Gould’s Garage | Maserati 250F | D | Horace Gould |
| E. N. Whiteaway | HWM 53-Alta | D | Ted Whiteaway |
| Scuderia Volpini | Arzani-Volpini F1-Maserati | P | Luigi Piotti |
| Stirling Moss Ltd. | Maserati 250F | D | Lance Macklin Peter Walker Johnny Claes John Fitch |
| Alberto Uría | Maserati A6GCM | P | Alberto Uría |
| Gilby Engineering | Maserati 250F | D | Roy Salvadori |
| Ecurie Rosier | Maserati 250F | P | Louis Rosier |
| Jack B. Hinkle | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Jack McGrath |
| Pat Clancy | Kurtis Kraft 500A-Offy | F | Jimmy Davies |
| Carl L. Anderson | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Johnnie Parsons |
| South California Muffler Co. | Epperly-Offy | F | Jim Rathmann |
| Federal Auto Associates | Kurtis Kraft 3000-Offy Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy |
F | Fred Agabashian Chuck Weyant |
| Joseph Massaglia Jr. | Kurtis Kraft 4000-Offy | F | Andy Linden |
| Jim Robbins | Stevens-Offy | F | Jerry Hoyt |
| Murrell Belanger | Kurtis Kraft-Offy | F | Art Cross |
| Racing Associates | Kurtis Kraft 500B-Offy | F | Cal Niday |
| Emmett J. Malloy | Pankratz-Offy | F | Jimmy Reece |
| H. A. Chapman | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Tony Bettenhausen Paul Russo |
| E. R. Casale | Kuzma-Offy | F | Rodger Ward |
| Lindsey Hopkins | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Bill Vukovich |
| Bob Estes | Phillips-Offy | F | Don Freeland |
| Rotary Engineering Co. | Kurtis Kraft 500D-Offy | F | Pat O’Connor |
| Chapman S. Root | Kurtis Kraft 500D-Offy | F | Johnny Boyd Jimmy Daywalt |
| Cars Inc. | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Sam Hanks |
| Ray Crawford | Kurtis Kraft 500D-Offy | F | Ray Crawford |
| A. E. Dean | Kuzma-Offy | F | Jimmy Bryan |
| Peter Schmidt | Kuzma-Offy | F | Johnny Thomson |
| John Zink | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Bob Sweikert |
| John L. McDaniel | Schroeder-Offy | F | Keith Andrews |
| T. W. & W. T. Martin | Kurtis Kraft-Offy | F | Al Herman |
| R. N. Sabourin | Pawl-Offy | F | Eddie Russo |
| M. Pete Wales | Kurtis Kraft 4000-Offy | F | Ed Elisian |
| J. C. Agajanian | Kuzma-Offy | F | Duane Carter |
| Lee Elkins | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Mike Nazaruk |
| Samuel W. Traylor III | Kurtis Kraft 2000-Offy | F | Al Keller |
| Merz Engineering Inc. | Kurtis Kraft 500C-Offy | F | Walt Faulkner Bill Homeier |
| Pete Salemi | Trevis-Offy | F | Shorty Templeman |
| Kalamazoo Sports Inc. | Trevis-Offy | F | Eddie Johnson |
| Harry Dunn | Kurtis Kraft 500B-Offy | F | Pat Flaherty |