Formula 1
If you looked at the pictures of the first football (soccer) World Cup from 1950, you wouldn’t recognize many differences to the one we celebrated in 2018. Maybe the fashion has changed somewhat. Compare that to Formula 1, however.
The pictures of the first Formula 1 World Cup race in 1950, didn’t resemble the slightest to modern Formula 1 today, or for that matter, to the 1000th race in China, we just celebrated. The differences are huge.
It already starts with the question of what we actually celebrated in China. It certainly wasn’t the 1000th Formula 1 race. Here are the reasons:
Although only seven GPs were on the calendar in 1950, in the UK alone there were eight more F1 races in addition to the British Grand Prix, three more in Italy and France in addition to their main GP.
From 1950 to 1960 the Indy 500, was part of the racing calendar but there weren’t actually Grand Prix. But today, Bill Vukovich, winner of the Indy 500 in 1952 and 1953, emerges as the two-time winner in F1 statistics.
Also, the first Grand Prix that entered our history books was the race in 1906 in France, but the huge race cars were just not called what we refer to today – Formula 1. But exactly these are the GP races that entered Formula 1 history books.
Already back then, there were ideas to combine most important races into a championship. From 1925 to 1927, the most important Grand Prix (including Indy 500!) were put together into brand championships. In 1925, Alfa Romeo prevailed, 1926 Bugatti, 1927 Delage.
From 1931 to 1932 and from 1934 to 1939 there were the so-called European Drivers Championships, which also included the most important GP races on the calendar. They were dominated by the German manufacturers Mercedes and Auto Union as well as German pre-war stars such as Rudolf Caracciola, Bernd Rosemeyer and Hans Stuck.
Finally, in 1947, former racing driver Antonio Brivio (3rd at the Monaco GP 1935) had the idea to create a Drivers Championship. He modeled it after the FIM (Motorcycle World Championship).
All started on May 13, 1950, on a sunny spring day. 150,000 fans made their way to the airfield in Silverstone. The program was titled the European Grand Prix. To celebrate the festivities, all participants were greeted by King George V and future Queen Elizabeth personally by handshake.
Ironically, that day Ferrari dominated the newspaper headlines, as they decided not to participate in the first World Cup race. Apparently, for Commendatore Enzo Ferrari it was less of an embarrassment not to start at the first Grand Prix than to be defeated by arch-rival Alfa Romeo for the whole world to see.
Just four weeks earlier in San Remo at the World Cup rehearsal, his modern, just two-year-old Ferrari 125 had not the slightest chance against the over ten-year-old Alfa 158. These cars survived the war period partially under Italian farmers’ straw bales.
Alfa’s turbocharged eight-cylinder in-line engines delivered 350 hp at around 9300 rpm. The Ferrari V12 compressors brought it only to 300 hp. On the track that made a top speed disadvantage of 20 km / h compared to the 290 km / h fast Alfas.
Nevertheless, at least 17 cars faced the four factory Alfas. They didn’t have a chance. Giuseppe Farina, a graduate in economics from Turin University, already dominated the training. The best time of the “il Dottore” was 18 seconds better than the last in the field, Johnny Claes in the Talbot.
Even the English press highly acclaimed BRM (British Racing Motors) didn’t play a role. Their V16 engine, with 500 hp strongest engine in the field, were technically complicated and vulnerable. Their cars only accomplished a few demo laps at the Royal Air Force airfield.
At the top, Giuseppe Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio were fighting it out for victory. Ten laps before the end of the 70 laps race Farina takes the lead again. Fangio starts a daring counterattack. But this time the genius Argentinian pushes too hard.
His Alfa turns and bounces into a bale of straw damaging its oil line. As a result of this, the Alfa engine blows up only a few laps later. Farina wins ahead of countryman Luigi Fagioli and Englishman Reg Parnell who ran down an unfortunate rabbit during the race.
After that race at Silverstone, the Grand Prix in Monaco, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Italy and the 500 miles of Indianapolis followed. The first German GP only appeared a year later in the World Cup calendar.
On May 21st, 1950 in Monaco Ferrari finally made their World Cup debut. However, they couldn’t prevent a victory of Alfa driver Fangio. Their top driver Alberto Ascari finished just second and that with an entire lap difference.
Like the debut race at Silverstone, the whole year was dominated by the fight between Alfisti Farina and Fangio. Both won three races each during the season. However, the title went to the Italian who scored more points – the fourth place at the Belgium GP in Spa made the difference.
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*This article was first published in German at autobild.de/motorsport.