The first GP : That's how it all started

On April 14, Formula One celebrates the 1000th World Cup race - about 70 years after the first race at Silverstone. In a big series, we look back.

In 1950, when the World Cup kicked off, this differed only slightly from that in 2018. But who looks at pictures of the first Formula 1 World Cup race in 1950, which will hardly recognize the Formula 1, which on 14 April in China celebrates the 1000th race.

The differences are huge. That starts with the question of what we actually celebrate in China. It's not the 1000th Formula 1 race. Reason: Although only seven GP was on the World Cup 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 the main GP. Today there are points for all Formula One races but at first only a few. Not until 1983 was the Race of Champions the last race waved off, which had no World Cup status.

But it is not the 1000th Grand Prix, which is committed in China. For the World Cup counted from 1950 to 1960 and the Indy 500, an IndyCar race, which was not a Grand Prix. But today, Bill Vukovich, winner of the Indy 500 in 1952 and 1953, emerges as the two-time winner in F1 statistics. As the first Grand Prix also went into the 1906 race in France in the history books - then called the big racing cars just not Formula 1.

Formula 1 World Champion at the Indy 500

But exactly this GP race is the formula 1 back. Twice the idea came up to combine the most important races into a championship. From 1925 to 1927, the most important Grand Prix (and the Indy 500!) Counted for the World Championship. In 1925, Alfa Romeo prevailed, 1926 Bugatti, 1927 Delage. From 1931 to 1932 and from 1934 to 1939 there was the so-called European Drivers Championship, which also included the most important GP races and was 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.

In 1947, former racing driver Antonio Brivio (3rd at the Monaco GP 1935) came up with the idea of launching a Driver's World Championship. The FIM (Motorcycle World Championship) made it to the Formula 1 after.Everything starts on May 13, 1950. A sunny spring day. 150,000 fans make their way to the airfield in Silverstone. The program includes the Grand Prix of Europe. The participants were greeted by King George V and the later Queen Elizabeth by a handshake.

Ferrari dominates the headlines. Ironically, at the first World Cup race, the Italian team shines by absence. Worse than the shame not to start seems to be the Commendatore Enzo Ferrari the impending defeat to Alfa Romeo. Four weeks earlier in San Remo at the World Cup dress rehearsal, his modern, just two-year-old Ferrari 125 had not the slightest chance against the over ten-year-old Alfa 158. The war had partially survived under straw bales of Italian farmers.

16-cylinder has no chance

But their turbocharged eight-cylinder in-line engines deliver 350 hp to the rear wheels at around 9300 rpm. The V12 compressors in the Ferrari racers bring it only to 300 hp. On the track that makes a top speed disadvantage of 20 km / h compared to the 290 km / h fast Alfas. Nevertheless, at least 17 cars face the four factory Alfas.

They do not have a chance. Giuseppe Farina, a graduate in economics from Turin, already dominates the training. The best time of the "il Dottore" is just 18 seconds better than the last in the field, Johnny Claes in the Talbot. Even the highly acclaimed by the English press BRM (British Racing Motors) play no role.

Their V16 engine, with 500hp engine power in the field, is technically complicated and vulnerable. It only takes a few demo laps at the Royal Air Force airfield.

Giuseppe Farina and Juan Manuel Fangio lead a hot duel at the top. Ten laps before the end of the 70 laps Farina takes the lead again. Fangio starts a daring counterattack. But this time the genius Argentinian exaggerates. His Alfa turns bounces into a bale of straw and damaged while an oil line. The result: after two more laps the Alfa engine goes up. Farina wins ahead of countryman Luigi Fagioli and Brit Reg Parnell. He had previously killed a hare with his Alfa, who had lost his way to the racetrack.

After the race in Silverstone is still the Grand Prix in Monaco, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Italy and the 500 miles of Indianapolis in the calendar. The GP of Germany appears only a year later for the first time in the World Cup calendar. In Monte Carlo (21. 5. 1950) then Ferrari makes his World Cup debut. The team cannot prevent the superior victory of Alfa driver Fangio. Their top driver, Alberto Ascari, finishes second in his car - albeit over-lapped once.

Like the debut race, the whole season of Formula 1 racing will be a duel between Alfisti Farina and Fangio. Both have three wins at the end of the season. The title goes to the Italian. His three points for fourth place in the GP of Belgium in Spa make the difference.