1950 British Grand Prix

Milestones

This is the first Grand Prix of the new FIA World Championship of Drivers — the inaugural points-paying race in Formula One’s world title. It is also the fifth British Grand Prix since 1926 and the third to be held at Silverstone, which first hosted the event in 1948. Silverstone carries the additional designation of European Grand Prix for 1950, the eleventh time the title has been assigned to a race since 1923.

Entrants

Alfa Romeo arrive as strong favourites, fielding all four of their works Tipo 158s for Farina, Fangio, Fagioli, and local driver Reg Parnell. Their main competition comes from the privateer Maseratis of Scuderia Ambrosiana and the Enrico Platé team. Talbot-Lago send two factory cars in traditional French pale blue for Yves Giraud-Cabantous and Eugène Martin, with further private Talbots for Louis Rosier, Philippe Étancelin, and Belgian Johnny Claes in Belgian national yellow. The rest of the field is British machinery — four ERAs and two Altas in British racing green.

Scuderia Ferrari are absent. Enzo Ferrari has declined to send cars to Britain, citing insufficient appearance money from the organisers. They will make their World Championship debut at the next round in Monaco.

Background

King George VI, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, and the Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma are in attendance — making this the only Formula One Grand Prix in Britain attended by a reigning monarch. The race weekend also features an international 500cc Formula Three support race, won by Stirling Moss in a Cooper-JAP. A demonstration run is made by the BRM P15, a car due to enter the championship proper later in the year.