Phil Hill won the 1961 World Championship of Drivers[2] and Ferrari secured the 1961 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers,[3] both victories achieved with the 156.

At the 1962 British Grand Prix, Phil Hill raced a new version with a six-speed transmission mounted in front of the engine.

In August, at the German Grand Prix, Lorenzo Bandini tested a non-sharknose variant with modified front and rear suspension and a smaller radiator,[7] heralding the 156 Aero used in 1963.

[9] On September 10, 1961, after a collision with Jim Clark's Lotus on the second lap of the Italian Grand Prix, the 156 of Wolfgang von Trips (Hill's teammate) became airborne and crashed into a side barrier, fatally throwing him from the car and killing fifteen spectators.

One was created for the film La Passione, which features the car as a major subject, and another was constructed by an enthusiast for personal use.