The Day Formula 1 Began: The Story of the 1950 British Grand Prix

“In war, whichever side may call itself the victor, there are no winners, but all are losers.” So said Neville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister during the outbreak of World War II.

As a member of Winston Churchill’s War Cabinet throughout the conflict, Chamberlain understood the scale of damage inflicted by WWII. But he also recognised the remarkable technological leaps made between 1939 and 1945.

From radar to jet engines and the atomic bomb, the war was a catalyst for a vast array of innovations that would shape the decades to come.

Sport mirrored the wider world in this regard. Technology began to play an increasingly important role — and in few sports were advancements in engineering so keenly felt as in motorsport.

Grands prix were already popular by the late 1940s, and there was growing appetite for a new, unified championship. The idea of a Formula One World Championship quickly gained traction, offering a definitive way to decide who truly was the best driver in the world.

And so, on 13 May 1950, the vision became reality. At Silverstone - a disused wartime airfield turned racetrack - the first-ever Formula One World Championship Grand Prix was held, marking the beginning of a new era in both sport and engineering.

Silverstone is hallowed ground for motorsport fans, especially British Formula 1 fans. But as the first F1 World Championship began, it still had to build up its legend.

The Northamptonshire track did not have the same kudos or legacy as Brooklands or Donington Park — both of which had hosted major Grand Prix races before 1950 — but those venues had been requisitioned during the war and were no longer capable of staging top-level competition.

Silverstone, by contrast, featured runways and perimeter roads from its time as an RAF bomber base, which proved ideal for racing.

Crucially, it also had strong backing from the Royal Automobile Club, who supported it not just for the circuit it offered competitors, but also for its open layout that allowed large crowds to watch the racing in relative safety.

The first race of the inaugural Formula 1 World Championship enjoyed royal approval, with King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and Princess Margaret all in attendance.

That royal support gave the event an instant air of prestige — but to modern eyes, the British Grand Prix was a primitive affair.

A settled route for the track had yet to be decided, and the corners were marked with a combination of oil drums and hay bales, while little more than ropes separated the spectators from the action.

By the standards of 1950, though, this was a major step forward for racing — and all involved were rightfully proud of Silverstone’s place in Formula 1 history. 

As if to hammer home the value of technological advancement, the 1950 British Grand Prix was dominated by the best car in the race — the Alfa Romeo 158.

Known affectionately as the “Alfetta”, the 158 dated back to 1937, when it was designed by Gioachino Colombo. Originally built for the Voiturette class, it wasn’t conceived as a Formula 1 machine. But after the war, Alfa Romeo resumed development and turned it into one of the most dominant cars in motorsport history.

That dominance began immediately with a clean sweep of the podium at Silverstone.

Nino Farina, Luigi Fagioli, and Reg Parnell took the top three positions — all benefiting from a car that was up to 10 seconds per lap faster than its rivals in qualifying.

With around 400 bhp, a supercharged straight-eight engine, and weighing just over 700 kg, the 158 was all but unbeatable. It went on to win every race of the 1950 season. Described as a wartime machine in a peacetime sport, the Alfetta epitomised Formula 1’s era of rapid technological progress.

Parnell — who famously hit a hare mid-race but still managed to finish third — was the pick of the local drivers. Joe Fry, Bob Gerard, and David Hampshire also took part, but stood no real chance of challenging the dominant Alfas. 

The 1950 British Grand Prix marked the official beginning of the Formula 1 World Championship, a competition still passionately followed by millions around the world.

That inaugural season set a standardised framework for Grand Prix racing. Teams — representing manufacturers — competed for points across a set calendar, with their place in the standings determined by consistent performance over time.

The idea that the driver who ended the season on top was the world’s best quickly became set in stone.

Nino Farina personified that new model. Building on his performance at Silverstone, he went on to become the first Formula 1 World Champion.

Farina was the first driver to build his legend at Silverstone. And with every great driver that followed, the circuit absorbed some of their star power — gradually forging its own remarkable legacy.

That story — from a track defined by oil drums and hay bales to a multi-million pound facility hosting a truly global sport — has been told in many forms.

The 1950 British Grand Prix, fuelled by post-war ambition, national pride, and a hunger for innovation, was only the first chapter.

But what a chapter it was.