Formula One will continue to change year after year. Although safety nowadays has dramatically improved, it will always remain a dangerous sport. Cars back in the 1950s wouldn’t stand the test of time nowadays, but these old vehicles and early races are what made F1, what it is today! So which are the best races that shaped F1? Let’s take a look.
1. 1950 British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix of 1950 was held on the 13th of May at Silverstone. Alfa Romeo dominated the event that year, and Giuseppe Farina won the race. The Grand Prix formed after a couple of transitional years, and in 1950, it was when the sport really became popular and started to become what it is today! Back in those days, you had several cars which were denied entry and unfit to race.
Although this wasn’t when F1 began, it was when it started to take shape with a 150000 crowd turning up to Silverstone to watch. Like today, the pre-launch started a few days prior, and the teams began to turn up on the 11th to mingle with the crowds.
2. 1957 German Grand Prix
This race was dominated by Juan Manuel Fangio. It was said, “he won it with style.” He managed to get in front early, and then dominate the race, and he even managed to break the lap record nine times in ten laps.
This race pr
oved to be Juan Manuel Fangio’s last, winning 24 world championships in total. His career came to an end on an absolute pinnacle. He did imply however that he had come to the end of his career, but he did it on a high and made it one of the best remembered F1 races.
3. 1987 British Grand Prix
This was the year Nigel Mansell really shaped his form on his home turf. It had to be Mansell’s finest hour; it was an extremely close race between him, and his known teammate Nelson Piquet, and the race went to the wire, but Nigel won and also broke the lap record eight times.
Although the two-time winner Piquet signed in 1986 with Williams, he soon learned that Mansell had a lot to say about that. Things between Prost and Mansell weren’t always friendly; the pair had many run-ins off the race track.
4. 1988 Japanese Grand Prix
This was undoubtedly seen as one of the most exciting years in F1, with Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna going to the wire for the championship. It was at the 27th lap that Senna managed to overtake Prost, but the game wasn’t easy; it was exciting from start to finish. Senna won the race, then went on to win the title.
Although Prost came close to being as good, he never actually ever was. Senna tended to make even qualifying a speciality. This was one man who always made a brilliant gateway for his team to take pole position.
