Celebrating 75 years of Formula 1: Italy’s leading role in racing history. 75 years ago, at Silverstone, the modern F1 was born.

Happy birthday to F1, which turns 75 years old: let’s take a look back at the history of the Circus and Italy’s great role. On May 13, 1950, the first World Championship Grand Prix took place at Silverstone, with Nino Farina’s victory in an Alfa Romeo. A championship that would shape motorsport, bringing it to global fame and making it, today, one of the most followed and beloved competitions worldwide.

1131 Grand Prix, 787 drivers, 77 circuits: Formula 1 turns 75 years old. A heroic, legendary sport, which has gone through glory and sacrifice, emotions and tragedies, and continues to fuel the dreams of fans. A championship that has become a global phenomenon, soon looking to touch all continents, in a growth that today seems unstoppable, but never really certain.

On this occasion, Formula 1 wanted to restore a footage from that first historic Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1950. The victory of Nino Farina and Italy’s great motorsport epic are brought to life, reviving the heroes of the past. “It’s an extraordinary way to celebrate this historic moment,” writes Stefano Domenicali, CEO of F1. “To the next 75 years and beyond for this sport, full speed ahead!”

75 years of Formula 1: drivers, circuits, cars, and a lot of Italy
It all began in 1950, with Giuseppe “Nino” Farina’s victory at Silverstone. The Turin native would also become the first World Champion in history, winning the championship with Alfa Romeo. Still under the Alfa Romeo banner, Juan Manuel Fangio would win in 1951 before passing the baton to Alberto Ascari and Ferrari: he would take the titles in 1952 and 1953. The following year, Maserati also made its mark, winning again with Fangio, as they would in 1957.

While Farina and Ascari remain, to this day, the only Italians to have triumphed in Formula 1, Italian-made cars have been even more successful. The Constructors’ Championship was born in 1958 (awarded to Vanwall with Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks), and in 1961, Ferrari won it for the first time. Since then, the Prancing Horse has triumphed 16 times in total, the last being in 2008 with Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa.

But Italy is also synonymous with spectacular circuits, such as Monza, which, with its 74 editions, is the longest-running Grand Prix in history (followed by Monaco with 70 and Silverstone with 59). Not to mention Imola – today again at risk – which has hosted the race 31 times, as well as Pescara and Mugello, which have only seen Formula 1 once (1957 and 2020).