The dreaded Mercedes 300SLR’s were retired and Ferrari was on a roll winning Sebring and the Mille Miglia. The factory brought 4 cars and took the top 3 slots in qualifying. Young Stirling Moss put his 300S Maserati in 4th with the sister car in 6th. The British D Jaguars and Aston Martins were quick but the surprising 1500cc Porsche 550 spyder qualified 8th. Moss made the most of the LeMans start and led quickly. But the suspension failed while his co-driver Jean Behra was driving. Maserati brought their second 300S in and put Behra in to chase the Ferrari’s. He made ground but when he turned it over to Moss, Sir Stirling was noticeably quicker than anyone, including Fangio who was leading. When The Maestro complained of handling problems and stopped to refuel, Moss went by and Maserati had their stunning upset. What did they find that bothered Fangio? His tires pressures were off due to a faulty gauge.
To get a better idea of the Nurburgring in 1956 here is a quick video of a sedan race held that year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQMK7MbeYVo