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Video: Amazing footage of the first ever F1 race

13th May 2020

Henry Biggs

Today marks 70 years of Formula 1 competition, with the first world championship race held at Silverstone on May 13th 1950. Officially titled The Royal Automobile Club Grand ...

This wonderful archive news report captures a very different atmosphere and way of doing things in comparison to the global spectacle Formula 1 has become. Cars from Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Talbot Lago, Alta and ERA arrived on trailers and small teams of mechanics worked on them in the open air or in the pitlane which was alongside, but not separated from, the start-finish straight.

Sponsorship was blink and you’ll miss it brand names – Jaguar, Dunlop – on the corner braking markers, catering was a tea tent serving ham sandwiches and the crowd was happy to settle onto the grass of the infield.

It was an international affair with drivers from Italy, France, Switzerland, Belgium, the Republic of Ireland, Argentina and Thailand (the charismatic Prince Bira) and was attended by King George VI, the Queen and Princess Margaret. A demonstration of the new British Racing Motors Type 15 V16 was held just before the race, driven by BRM’s founder Reg Parnell.

The race itself was uneventful, just as well considering the tiny hay bales which were all the separated the crowd from the cars, and won by Giuseppe Farina in a beautiful Alfa Romeo 158 with its astounding two-stage supercharged 1.5-litre straight-eight engine. Farina’s average speed for the race was 90.95mph and his mechanics managed to pull off a blistering 25-second pit stop.

British Grand Prix
Silverstone
F1 1950
Alfa Romeo
Nino Farina
Formula 1

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Formula 1

Gallery: The first Formula 1 race – the 1950 British Grand Prix

How very different it all looked...

13th May 2020

Formula 1

Video: Amazing footage of the first ever F1 race

An incredible news report...

13th May 2020

Formula 1

F1 1950 – so you think modern Formula 1 is boring?

Perhaps previous generations really had it worse...

13th May 2020

f1-1951-silverstone-jose-froilan-gonzalez-ferrari-375-wins-mi-main-goodwood-24072020.jpg

Formula 1

The 1951 British GP was one of the most significant – Thank Frankel it’s Friday

The first British GP at Silverstone was dull, but the second was hugely important…

24th July 2020

f1-1951-silverstone-jose-froilan-gonzalez-win-ferrari-375-lat-motorsport-images-main-goodwood-12072019.jpg

Formula 1

Thank Frankel it’s Friday: Remembering the first British Grand Prix at Silverstone

Froilán Gonzalez took Ferrari’s maiden Formula 1 victory…

12th July 2019

Formula 1

Doug Nye: Goodwood greats and their first Grand Prix wins

Following Bottas' maiden win...

03rd May 2017

gpl-1951-goodwood-farina-wins-flag-john-morgan-barc31081839.jpg

Doug Nye

Doug Nye: Meet the car that caused Goodwood to install a chicane

See it in action at Revival...

31st August 2018

Formula 1

Famous Five... Alfa Romeo in F1

As the Cloverleaf re-enters the game...

29th November 2017

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