The 1950 Formula One season included the inaugural FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on May 13, 1950, and ended on September 3 after 7 races. The championship consisted of six Formula One races in Europe plus the Indianapolis 500, which was run to AAA regulations. Giuseppe Farina won the championship with thirty points.
Numerous other Formula One races, which did not count towards the Championship, were also held during the year.
Season summary [edit]
The inaugural World Championship, to a formula which specified engine capacity of 1.5 litres supercharged or 4.5 litres unsupercharged, saw Alfa Romeo dominate with their supercharged 158, a well-developed pre-war design, which won all six European Grands Prix. Alfa Romeo drivers consequently dominated the championship with Giuseppe Farina edging out Juan Manuel Fangio by virtue of his fourth place in Belgium. Although the Indianapolis 500, which ran to different regulations, was included in the championship series until 1960, it attracted very little European participation and, conversely, very few American Indianapolis drivers entered any grands prix.
Championship points were given to top 5 finishers (8, 6, 4, 3, 2). 1 point was given for the fastest lap. Only the best four of seven scores counted towards the World Championship. Points for shared drives were divided equally between the drivers, regardless of how many laps each driver drove.
Season review [edit]
In this first World Championship season, 14 teams (4 works and 10 independent) participated, alongside a number of privately entered cars, in the 6 European Grands Prix. Only US teams, constructors and drivers participated in the Indianapolis 500. The chassis, engine and car numbers varied from race to race.
Grands Prix [edit]
Teams and drivers [edit]
The following teams and drivers competed in the 1950 FIA Formula One World Championship.
| Entrant |
Constructor |
Chassis |
Engine |
Tyre |
Driver |
Rounds |
Alfa Romeo SpA |
Alfa Romeo |
158/50 |
Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8s |
P |
Juan Manuel Fangio |
1–2, 4–7 |
Giuseppe Farina |
1–2, 4–7 |
Luigi Fagioli |
1–2, 4–7 |
Reg Parnell |
1 |
Consalvo Sanesi |
7 |
Piero Taruffi |
7 |
Scuderia Ambrosiana |
Maserati |
4CLT/48 |
Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s |
D |
David Murray |
1, 7 |
David Hampshire |
1, 6 |
Reg Parnell |
6 |
T.A.S.O. Mathieson |
ERA |
E |
ERA 1.5 L6s |
D |
Leslie Johnson |
1 |
Peter Walker |
ERA |
E |
ERA 1.5 L6s |
D |
Peter Walker |
1 |
Tony Rolt |
1 |
Joe Fry |
Maserati |
4CL |
Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s |
D |
Joe Fry |
1 |
Brian Shawe-Taylor |
1 |
Bob Gerard |
ERA |
B
A |
ERA 1.5 L6s |
D |
Bob Gerard |
1–2 |
Automobiles Talbot-Darracq |
Talbot-Lago |
T26C |
Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 |
D |
Yves Giraud-Cabantous |
1, 4–6 |
Louis Rosier |
1, 4–6 |
Philippe Étancelin |
1, 5 |
Eugène Martin |
1, 4 |
Pierre Levegh |
5–6 |
Raymond Sommer |
6 |
Ecurie Belge |
Talbot-Lago |
T26C |
Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 |
D |
Johnny Claes |
1–2, 4–7 |
Officine Alfieri Maserati |
Maserati |
4CLT/48 |
Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s |
P |
Louis Chiron |
1–2, 4, 6–7 |
Franco Rol |
2, 6–7 |
Enrico Platé |
Maserati |
4CLT/48 |
Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s |
P |
Toulo de Graffenried |
1–2, 4, 7 |
B. Bira |
1–2, 4, 7 |
Joe Kelly |
Alta |
GP |
Alta 1.5 L4s |
D |
Joe Kelly |
1 |
Geoffrey Crossley |
Alta |
GP |
Alta 1.5 L4s |
D |
Geoffrey Crossley |
1, 5 |
Scuderia Achille Varzi |
Maserati |
4CLT/48
4CL |
Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s |
P |
José Froilán González |
2, 6 |
Alfredo Pián |
2 |
Nello Pagani |
4 |
Toni Branca |
4 |
Horschell Racing Corporation |
Cooper-JAP |
T12 |
JAP 1.1 V2 |
D |
Harry Schell |
2 |
Equipe Gordini |
Simca-Gordini |
15 |
Gordini 15C 1.5 L4s |
E |
Robert Manzon |
2, 6–7 |
Maurice Trintignant |
2, 7 |
Philippe Étancelin |
Talbot-Lago |
T26C |
Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 |
D |
Philippe Étancelin |
2, 4, 6–7 |
Eugène Chaboud |
6 |
Ecurie Rosier |
Talbot-Lago |
T26C |
Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 |
D |
Louis Rosier |
2, 7 |
Henri Louveau |
7 |
Cuth Harrison |
ERA |
B |
ERA 1.5 L6s |
D |
Cuth Harrison |
1-2, 7 |
Peter Whitehead |
Ferrari |
125 |
Ferrari 125 1.5 V12s |
D |
Peter Whitehead |
2, 6–7 |
Scuderia Ferrari |
Ferrari |
125
275
375 |
Ferrari 125 1.5 V12s
Ferrari 275 3.3 V12
Ferrari 375 4.5 V12 |
P |
Luigi Villoresi |
2, 4–5 |
Alberto Ascari |
2, 4–5, 7 |
Raymond Sommer |
2, 4 |
Dorino Serafini |
7 |
Scuderia Milano |
Maserati |
4CLT/50 |
Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s |
P |
Felice Bonetto |
4 |
| Milano-Speluzzi[1] |
1[1] |
Speluzzi 1.5 L4s[1] |
7 |
| Maserati-Milano |
4CLT/50 |
Milano 1.5 L4s |
6 |
Franco Comotti |
7 |
Ecurie Bleue |
Talbot-Lago |
T26C |
Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 |
D |
Harry Schell |
4 |
Raymond Sommer |
Talbot-Lago |
T26C |
Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 |
D |
Raymond Sommer |
5, 7 |
Ecurie Lutetia |
Talbot-Lago |
T26C |
Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 |
D |
Eugène Chaboud |
5 |
Antonio Branca |
Maserati |
4CL |
Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s |
P |
Toni Branca |
5 |
Charles Pozzi |
Talbot-Lago |
T26C |
Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 |
D |
Charles Pozzi |
6 |
Louis Rosier |
6 |
Clemente Biondetti |
Ferrari-Jaguar |
166S |
Jaguar XK 3.4 L6 |
? |
Clemente Biondetti |
7 |
Paul Pietsch |
Maserati |
4CLT/48 |
Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s |
P |
Paul Pietsch |
7 |
Guy Mairesse |
Talbot-Lago |
T26C |
Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 |
D |
Guy Mairesse |
7 |
Pierre Levegh |
Talbot-Lago |
T26C |
Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 |
D |
Pierre Levegh |
7 |
1950 Drivers Championship final standings [edit]
|
|
Key
| Colour |
Result |
| Gold |
Winner |
| Silver |
2nd place |
| Bronze |
3rd place |
| Green |
Points finish |
| Blue |
Non-points finish |
| Non-classified finish (NC) |
| Purple |
Did not finish (Ret) |
| Red |
Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) |
| Black |
Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White |
Did not start (DNS) |
| Race cancelled (C) |
| Light blue |
Practiced only (PO) |
Friday test driver (TD)
(from 2003 onwards) |
| Blank |
Did not practice (DNP) |
| Excluded (EX) |
| Did not arrive (DNA) |
|
- Italics indicate fastest lap (1 point awarded)
- Bold indicates pole position
- † Position shared between more drivers of the same car
- Only the best 4 results counted towards the Championship. Numbers without parentheses are Championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.
Non-Championship race results [edit]
Other Formula One races, which did not count towards the World Championship, also held in 1950.