1950 British Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = United Kingdom
Grand Prix = British

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Caption = Silverstone Circuit in 1949 - 1950 configuration
Date = May 13
Year = 1950
Official name = III RAC British Grand Prix
XI Grand Prix d'Europe
Race_No = 1
Season_No = 7
Location = Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone, England
Course = Permanent racing facility
Course_mi = 2.8887
Course_km = 4.649
Distance_laps = 70
Distance_mi = 202.212
Distance_km = 325.430
Weather = Sunny
Pole_Driver = Nino Farina
Pole_Team = Alfa Romeo
Pole_Time = 1:50.8cite book |last=Lang |first=Mike |title=Grand Prix! Vol 1 |publisher=Haynes Publishing Group |date=1981 |pages=p14 |isbn=0-85429-276-4 ]
Pole_Country = Italy
Fast_Driver = Nino Farina
Fast_Team = Alfa Romeo
Fast_Time = 1:50.6cite book |last=Lang |first=Mike |title=Grand Prix! Vol 1 |publisher=Haynes Publishing Group |date=1981 |pages=p15 |isbn=0-85429-276-4 ]
Fast_L

Fast_Country = Italy
First_Driver = Nino Farina
First_Team = Alfa Romeo
First_Country = Italy
Second_Driver = Luigi Fagioli
Second_Team = Alfa Romeo
Second_Country= Italy
Third_Driver = Reg Parnell
Third_Team = Alfa Romeo
Third_Country = United KingdomThe 1950 British Grand Prix was the first round of the 1950 World Drivers Championship and the fifth Formula One race of the season, following the Pau Grand Prix and San Remo Grand Prix (both won by Juan Manuel Fangio), the Richmond Trophy (won by Reg Parnell) and the Paris Grand Prix (won by Georges Grignard).

Report

Held on May 13 at Silverstone Circuit, and also designated as the Grand Prix of Europe for 1950, this very first World Championship round was attended by King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, and Earl & Lady Mountbatten.

The Alfa Romeo factory team arrived at the circuit with four 158s (for Fangio, Farina, Fagioli & Parnell). Ferrari decided not to take part but there were a handful of Maseratis, one of them a factory car for Louis Chiron. Talbot-Lago sent over two factory cars to be driven by Yves Giraud-Cabantous and Eugene Martin. The rest of the field was made up of local machinery, which included ERAs and Altas.

Farina was fastest in qualifying and the other three Alfas were alongside him on the front row. The second row consisted of "B. Bira" in a Maserati and the two factory Talbots. Felice Bonetto was the only driver who did not take part in qualifying and would not take part in the race. At the start of the race, Farina took the lead with Fagioli and Fangio in pursuit. In the early laps they switched around between themselves several times to keep everyone amused. Fangio retired with engine troubles and so Farina led Fagioli home by 2.5 seconds with Parnell a distant third despite hitting a hare during the race. The nearest challenger was Giraud-Cabantous two laps down, Bira having retired with a fuel problem.

Entries

Race

Fastest laps in race

Notes

* Drivers: 22 competing, 21 qualified for race, 11 classified.
* Numbers: #7 and #13 not assigned.
* Race Winner: Nino Farinandash 2:13:23.6, average speed 146.378 km/h
* Lap Leaders:
** Nino Farina 63 laps (1-9, 16-37 and 39-70)
** Luigi Fagioli 6 laps (10-15)
** Juan Manuel Fangio 1 lap (38).
* Shared Drives:
** Car #10: Joe Fry (first 45 laps) then Brian Shawe Taylor (19 laps)ndash Total 64 laps, distance 297.536 km
** Car #9: Peter Walker (2 laps) then Tony Rolt (3 laps)ndash Total 5 laps, distance 23.245 km
* Race Records:
** Drivers: First Hat Trick in World Championship history for Nino Farina: scored Pole, Fastest Lap and Victory in same race. Farina was leader for 63 of the 70 laps; and therefore failed to clinch the Grand Chelem only for the sake of not leading 7 laps.
** Constructors: First Royal Flush in World Championship history for Alfa Romeo: scored Pole, Fastest Lap, Victory (Farina), leading the entire race with Farina, Fagioli and Fangio and placed three cars in the first three positions with Farina, Fagioli and Parnell. During qualifying sessions Alfa Romeos filled all four places on the first row.

References

"Unless otherwise indicated, all race results are taken from cite web |title=The Official Formula 1 website |url=http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1950/379/ |accessdate=2007-06-05

F1 race report
Name_of_race = British Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 1950
Previous_race_in_season = None
First Formula One world championship grand prix. However, the 1949 Italian Grand Prix was the last Grand Epreuve held previous to world championship.
Next_race_in_season = 1950 Monaco Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = "1949 British Grand Prix"
Next_year's_race = 1951 British Grand Prix