The first Formula 1 World Championship was held in 1950. The inaugural championship was officially the FIA World Championship of Drivers and consisted of seven qualifying races held between May and September.
The season began with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on 13 May 1950. Giuseppe “Nino” Farina won that race for Alfa Romeo and went on to become the first Formula 1 world champion, narrowly defeating teammate Juan Manuel Fangio and fellow Alfa Romeo driver Luigi Fagioli.
The 1950 calendar was very different from today’s championship. It included the Indianapolis 500, although that race followed American AAA regulations and did not attract the regular European Formula 1 drivers. The other championship events were held in Europe, including races in Monaco, Switzerland, Belgium, France, and Italy.
The cars were largely pre-war designs. Alfa Romeo’s Tipo 158, known as the Alfetta, dominated the season, winning every European championship race in which it competed. The drivers’ championship began in 1950; the separate Constructors’ Championship was introduced in 1958.