(Mercedes AMG PETRONAS F1 Team)
Saturday 13th May 1950 saw the dawn of Formula
One as we know it today. The first race of the new championship took place at
Silverstone and was known as the Grand Prix D’Europe as well as the British
Grand Prix.
The race was first event to take place outside of Germany
and Italy. Alfa Romeo’s Guiseppe ‘Nino’ Farina won the race while Sir Stirling
Moss finished in second place in the support race prior to the main event. The British
Grand Prix was attended by members of the Royal Family including Queen Elizabeth.
The only team who have been on the Formula One grid
consistently since the sports inception is Ferrari. The Maranello based team
are the most successful outfit in Formula One history with Enzo Ferrari, the
founder of the company at the helm of the team from 1950 right up until his
death in 1988.
The Prancing Horse made their Formula One debut at the 1950 Monaco
Grand Prix with Luigi Villoresi and Alberto Ascari. In 1950, two of motor
racing’s centre pieces were part of the Formula One calendar with the Monaco
Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motorsport Speedway
taking place one after the other.
The Indianapolis 500 is now part of the IndyCar Series in
America and this year the race takes place on the same weekend as the Monaco
Grand Prix.
In 1950, the Formula One season was primarily European based
with six of the seven Grand Prix were held in Europe with just the Indianapolis
500 outside of Europe, how times have changed. In 2015, the Formula One
calendar has swelled to 19 Grand Prix worldwide with just eight races in
Europe.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Formula One!
© Ben Johnston 2015
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