The 159 S debuted for Scuderia Ferrari on August 15, 1947 at the Circuito di Pescara with the company's driver, Franco Cortese, coming in second. Although it led overall for a time, the class-winning 159 S eventually fell behind the Stanguellini of Vincenzo Auricchio. Like the 125, the 159 S was unable to beat Maserati's 6CS 1500 for much of the rest of the 1947 season. However, at the 1947 Turin Grand Prix on October 12, the car was able to shine, with French driver Raymond Sommer claiming overall victory in the single 159 S entered.