1951 Season

Driver changes

Alfa Romeo replace their full-time driver Luigi Fagioli with Consalvo Sanesi, who joined the team at the end of the 1950 season. Toulo de Graffenried is also contracted for selected races.

Ferrari hire Piero Taruffi, who made his Formula One debut with Alfa Romeo at the end of 1950, and Argentine José Froilán González, promoted from a private Maserati team.

HWM make their World Championship debut with George Abecassis and Stirling Moss, entering only the season opener before returning to non-championship events.

Talbot-Lago withdraws its works team. Three of their regular drivers take over Talbot chassis to race under their own names. Maserati likewise fields no works entry; Louis Chiron moves to Louis Rosier’s private Talbot team.

Gordini will join the championship from the fourth round.

Calendar

The second World Championship of Drivers is contested over eight rounds. The Monaco Grand Prix is dropped due to budgetary concerns and a lack of regulations. The Swiss Grand Prix moves from June to May, becoming the season opener in place of Monaco. The British Grand Prix moves back from May to July. Germany and Spain appear as championship rounds for the first time. The Indianapolis 500 again counts towards the world championship as the sole non-European round.

Regulation changes

Points are awarded to the top five finishers — 8, 6, 4, 3, 2 — with an additional point for the fastest lap, regardless of finishing position. Only the best four results of eight rounds count towards the championship. Points for shared drives are divided equally between the drivers involved, regardless of laps driven.

The 1951 season runs to existing Formula One regulations: supercharged engines up to 1.5 litres and naturally aspirated engines up to 4.5 litres. These regulations are set to be replaced for 1952, making many current cars obsolete. Multiple teams, including Alfa Romeo, are running chassis designed before World War II.

Pre-season non-championship races

Several non-championship Formula One events precede the season. Luigi Villoresi wins the inaugural Syracuse Grand Prix in a Ferrari, then triumphs again at Pau a fortnight later. Alberto Ascari wins at San Remo for Ferrari; Louis Rosier takes the Bordeaux Grand Prix in a Talbot. The BRDC International Trophy at Silverstone sees the Alfa Romeos make their first 1951 appearance: Fangio wins the first heat, Farina the second, while Reg Parnell takes the deciding final — stopped early by torrential rain and flooding.