A sunny Saturday 75 years ago, on May 13, 1950, twenty -one cars and twenty -three pilots aligned on the English circuit grid of Silverstone to dispute The first Formula 1 Grand Prix. Although that test was the beginning of an exciting story, which grew in an unstoppably Great Britain Prize It was going to be, for the first time, the European Grand Prix.
For this reason the competition was attended by Queen Elizabeth II and the Princess Margaritaamong other distinguished authorities, the first and last time that a reigning monarch presided over a career in Silverstone. Next to them, around 150,000 spectators who had paid a chelin for entering the enclosurean old airfield that had been used as a racing circuit for three years.
The race lasted 70 laps and the winner was Giuseppe Farinawhich was driving one of the four Alfa Romeo who participated in the test, including the legendary Argentine pilot Juan Manuel Fangiowhich abandoned an eight -turn of the checkered flag for an engine. The other two pilots who escorted Farina on the podium were the Italian Luigi Fagiolisecond, and the British Reg Parnellthird, and that despite his car collided with a hare. The complete podium was for Alfa Romeo.
23 pilots on board participated in 21 cars – two were shared – in the race even though they were initially 25 scored. But the Italian Felice Boneto (Maserati) did not appear and the British Raymond Mays (Era) suffered the cancellation of his accreditation and never saw him in another GP. Fangio was the only representative of the American continent. The rest were 23 Europeans -12 British, four French, three Italians, a Belgian, an Irish, a Swiss and a Monegasco- and an Asian -ThaiBongse Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh, better known as Prince Bira-.
Ferrari, the only one who participated in the 75 seasons, He did not attend the high costs of the transfer and had to wait for the next test, the Monaco Grand Prixto see your debut in the championship. A year later, that Italian team would achieve its first victory in the World Cup, precisely in Silverstone.
Farina, who had also achieved the pole positioninvested 2H13M23S6 seconds in giving the 70 laps to the circuit, with an average speed of 146,378 km/h. The British Lewis Hamiltonlast winner in Silverstone, rolled in 2024 an average of 215,424 km/h.
In addition to un 500 pound prize -A 18 thousand pounds sterling today-, Farina was awarded 8 points for the triumph and one for the quick lap. The second stayed with 6, the third with 4, the fourth with 3 and the fifth with two.
The first world championship had seven tests, Monaco, Indianapolis, Switzerland, Belgium, France and Italy, in addition to that of the British circuit, and Farina was crowned winner, ahead of Fangio, who was awarded five of the next seven world championships (1951, 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957).
Seventy -five years after that first race, the World Formula One championship was consolidated as one of the great sports shows of the planet, brings together tens of thousands of people in the circuits in each test already tens of millions before the screens, and closed 2024 with A business figure of 3,480 million euros.
Ferrari, with 15 champions behind the wheel of their cars and 16 builders’ titles is the most laureate team, followed by the British Williams -New and seven, respectively- and McLaren -ocho and twelve-.
The German Michael Schumacher and Hamilton lead the list of pilots with more titles, seven each, followed by Fangio, with five.
The track of the center of England remained one of the emblematic circuits of Formula One, with 58 races of the World Championship since 1950, and permanent headquarters of the Great Britain Grand Prix since 1987.