Experience the Vibrant Past of Motorsports with Colorized Footage of the Inaugural F1 Race

Step back in time as Formula 1 unveils colorized footage from its very first world championship race, held 75 years ago at the iconic Silverstone circuit. On May 13, 1950, a grid of 21 cars took to the track for the British Grand Prix, also known as the European Grand Prix.

The Roster of Racing Legends

The race saw the mighty Alfa Romeos go head-to-head with Maseratis, Talbot Lago cars from France, and the homegrown Alta and ERA vehicles representing the United Kingdom. Notably absent was Ferrari, with Enzo reportedly displeased with the financial offerings of the race organizers or believing his cars would not be competitive enough against the dominant Alfas.

In qualifying, Alfa Romeo secured an impressive 1-2-3-4 finish, locking out the front row with drivers Giuseppe Farina, Luigi Fagioli, Juan Manuel Fangio (known as Juan Fangio in the broadcast), and Reg Parnell. Their average age? A staggering 43 years old!

The Race of the Century

On race day, Alfa Romeo continued its dominance, with Farina, Fagioli, and Parnell claiming the top three spots on the podium. The Talbot-Lagos of Yves Giraud-Cantabous and Louis Rosier finished fourth and fifth, respectively, but still managed to score points despite being two laps down. Sadly, Juan Fangio retired due to a broken oil pipe.

This newly restored footage has been colorized using advanced AI software, reference imagery, and manual painting techniques, bringing the historic race to vivid life. As per Formula 1’s press release, “specific elements such as the sky, grass, cars, and faces are electronically painted manually to truly bring the scene to life.