Happy 75th birthday Formula 1

On this day 75 years ago, May 13, 1950, Formula 1 was born in front of royalty and race fans at Silverstone.

The first World Championship Grand Prix was staged at Silverstone, which was then a fast and simple 4.6km circuit ringing around a recently operational Royal Air Force bomber airstrip.

The track was lined with hey and a then record crowd of 120,000 for the British Grand Prix, which had been previously held at Silverstone three times.

Part of the big crowd were King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, plus Lord Mountbatten, who were introduced to the drivers and watched the action in a Royal Box.

Despite Ferrari not taking part, 26 cars entered with Alfa Romeo, Maserati, ERA, Talbot-Lago and Alta the manufacturers represented.

Alfa Romeo was the car to have, locking out the front two rows with Nino Farina taking pole on a Friday with a 1:20.8.

King George VI and then Princess Elizabeth in the Royal Box.

Fellow Italian Luigi Fagioli was next best two tenths away, whilst the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio was the only other driver within a second.

Back then all cars were front engined with the leading Alfa Romeo 158 originating from the pre World War II era back in 1938.

Yet with its straight eight Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8 engine, it dominated, winning every single race of the inaugural season and being victorious in 47 of the 54 races it entered from 1938-1951.

At Silverstone the race start was not marked by five lights, but by the drop of the British flag and Farina stormed into a lead he would never let go.

Fangio, driving the #1, was an early contender, but he would only survive 62 of the 70 laps.

The Argentine was the last of 10 retirements due to a broken oil pipe.

In the end Farina cruised home with a 2.6s margin of victory over fellow Italian Fagioli, while Brit Reg Parnell was a distant third.

He was the only other driver on the lead lap and was 52s adrift, but overcame the unique drama of hitting a Hare that smashed his radiator grill.

Nino Farina dominating in the Alfa Romeo.

It was on this day F1 had begun as the inaugural season went from Monaco to Indianapolis, Dijon,  Spa, Reims-Gueux and Monza.

Alfa Romeo won every race aside from the Indianapolis 500 and Farina beat Fangio by three points to be crowned the first world champion.

All up there have been 33 drivers crowned world champion as Formula 1 is bigger than ever 75 years later with Australia’s Oscar Piastri leading the way.

The story continues this weekend with the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at the historic Imola circuit.

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