'THE GREATEST OCCASION IN THE HISTORY OF MOTOR RACING IN THIS COUNTRY' 

Image: Giuseppe Farina leads Alfa Romeo team-mate Luigi Fagioli in the 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone en route to winning the very first points scoring Formula 1 race.

• The Formula 1 World Championship born at Silverstone in 1950
• King George VI attends landmark British Grand Prix
• 75th anniversary celebrations at the 2025 Silverstone Festival
• Weekend tickets for this special anniversary edition selling fast

Next month marks the 75th anniversary of the very first official FIA World Championship Formula 1 Grand Prix. Staged at a sunny Silverstone on Saturday 13 May 1950, it was a momentous sporting milestone  and this summer’s Silverstone Festival (22-24 August) will be paying tribute to its incredible legacy.

 
The new World Championship introduced a points scoring system for the very first time. Starting at Silverstone, seven prominent F1 races were selected in Britain, Monte Carlo, America (Indianapolis 500), Switzerland, Belgium, France and Italy.
 

Points were awarded to the top five classified finishers with eight going to the winner, six to the runner-up, four for third, three for fourth and two for fifth with an extra point being awarded for setting the fastest lap. A driver’s four best results were then totalled-up and the one with the most points would be crowned as the World Champion.
 
Now, 75 years later and with a global prominence for Formula 1, the historical significance of that inaugural points-scoring race is clear to see.

 
However, the magnitude of this new World Championship went almost unnoticed at the time. There was no mention of it in the event programme (priced one shilling) which focused on the extra status of the British Grand Prix as the Grand Prix d’Europe for the first time. 

 
Even more prestigiously the race was attended by His Royal Highness King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and the Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma. They were introduced to the drivers and a special Royal Box was constructed for them to watch the action.

 
Described in the programme as ‘the greatest occasion in the history of motor racing in this Country’, it was the first (and, to date, last) time that a reigning sovereign ‘graciously consented’ to attend a motor race.

 
Fittingly the entry list had a distinctly titled flavour, too. Among the 21 drivers taking part were Prince Bira of Siam, a member of the Thai royal family, and Baron Emmanuel ‘Toulo’ de Graffenried, a Swiss nobleman who had won the previous year’s non-championship British Grand Prix in a Maserati.

 
With Ferrari opting not to send any cars, the 1950 entry was dominated by the all-conquering Alfa Romeo factory team which dispatched four of its supercharged 158s to Silverstone. Juan Manuel Fangio, Nino Farina and Luigi Fagioli would race three of these while the fourth car was kindly ‘loaned’ to local ace Reg Parnell.

 
In front of a record crowd, estimated at more than 150,000, Fangio retired with engine problems but the other three Alfas packed the podium with Farina bagging the maximum nine points – plus £500 of prize money – en route to becoming the very first Formula 1 World Drivers’ Champion.

 
Since then, a further 33 drivers from around the globe have won the most prized crown in motor sport.
 
Celebrating their title-winning heroics, cars raced by all 34 of these title winners – from Alfa Romeo to Red Bull – will be displayed in the unique World Champions Collection at this year’s Silverstone Festival over the end-of-summer Bank Holiday weekend.

 
It will be the first time that such a collection has been assembled and, better still, it will be at Silverstone, the birthplace of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

 
“The 1950 British Grand Prix certainly holds a very special place in motorsport history,” commented Nick Wigley, Silverstone Festival Event Director. “Not only did it receive royal attendance but it also marked the dawn of the F1 World Championship as we know it today. Now, 75 years on, we will be honouring that hugely historic milestone at this year’s Silverstone Festival with this unique and unmissable World Champions Collection.”

 
Adding to the celebrations, the unrivalled retro racecard at the Festival will also feature no fewer than four evocative showdowns for idolised Grand Prix icons from yesteryear as well as a very special race for 500cc Formula 3 cars.

 
Back in 1950, the game-changing Grand Prix d’Europe was supported by a hard-fought international 500cc F3 race.
 

As an integral part of the 75 year celebrations, these pint-sized, motorcycle-engined single-seaters have been invited to make their debut at the nostalgic Festival… and the response has been phenomenal. More than 60 entries have been received from around the world and a full-capacity 54 car grid is expected.

 
All Silverstone Festival tickets give access to both racing paddocks, open trackside grandstands plus an incredible line-up of family friendly activities and attractions. These include three evenings of live music concerts with Natasha Bedingfield, Craig David presents TS5 and Ministry of Sound Classical headlining this year, vintage fun fair rides, stunt shows and a wealth of other top class Bank Holiday entertainment for all ages. Accompanied children aged 15 and under can attend free.
 
Further information on the award-winning Silverstone Festival 2025 and full ticket details are available from the Silverstone Festival website