6 awesome F1 facts every racing watch lover in the world should know

Formula 1 has a long and storied tradition that every racing watch lover worth its salt should know, but in case you aren’t all that familiar with them, that’s why we’re here! Without further ado, let’s see these 6 amazing facts about Formula 1:

1. The origins of Formula 1 can be traced back to the XIX century.

Yes, that’s right. Even though modern Formula 1 we all know and love was created
in 1950, we can trace the origins of this raceway back. Like all the way back to 1894. You see, the Grand Prix format has its origin in the car races that began sprouting in France in 1894. At first, these races were individual events with no connection or correlation between them, and mostly on dirt roads, with little to no rules. From 1927 to 1934, the number of races considered Grand Prix had grown up to a hefty number of 18 races a year.

2. The first winner of a Grand Prix.

In 1906, the first and only race to be known as Grand Prix was organized and managed by the Automobile Club of France (ACF), and it was run for two days straight in June. The circuit was located in Le Mans and had a total length by a lap of 65 miles and the contestants would have to complete 6 every day. Out of the 32 participants representing up to 12 automobile manufacturing houses, the one winner of this race was the Hungarian Ferenc Szisz, while piloting a Renault. Truly a capital bit of information every racing watch lover and all-around Formula 1 fan must know.

3. The first official Formula 1 championship was in 1950.

The first Grand Prix of the modern Formula 1 happened on May 13th, 1950 on the
Silverstone circuit, on the United Kingdom, and the winner was the Italian Giuseppe
Farina, after beating his teammate, the Argentinian Juan Manuel Fangio. However,
Fangio won the title in 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957. Talk about a streak!

4. The first cars of the modern Formula 1.

Many of the first cars used in Formula 1 were pre-WWII models like the Alfa Romeo
159. These had the engine in the front, with narrow tires and 1.5 liter supercharged or 4.5-liter naturally aspirated engines. For this reason, the 1952 and 1953 World
Championships were run on Formula 2 regulations, because of the lack of proper
Formula 1 cars.

5. Stirling Moss and British Dominance.

As a manufacturing house of Formula 1 timepieces, we can’t fail to mention the period known as the British Dominance. Pioneered by Mike Hawthorn and Vanwall’s championship wins in 1958, this golden age for the British racing saw Hawthorn, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, John Surtees, and Graham Hill win fourteen Constructors’ Championship titles between 1958 and 1974, although the forefront of these pilots was the legendary Stirling Moss, who, sadly, never even won a title despite being one of the most legendary racers this sport has seen. This is why he’s known as “the greatest driver who never won a title”.

6. The Rise of the Mid-engined cars

One of the first major technological developments in terms of racing in Formula 1 was Bugatti’s re-introduction of mid-engined cars, after Ferdinand Porsche’s Auto
Unions of 1930. The first pilot to prove the superiority of this design was the
Australian Jack Brabham, who was a world champion during 1959, 1960 and 1966. This was the reason why by the year 1961 all the regular competitors had switched to this design. The last and only front-engined car to compete in the British Grand Prix of 1961 was the Ferguson P99.

Bet you didn’t know all of this, huh? But that’s great because now you can say you do, and call yourself a true racing watch and Formula 1 aficionado with all this new knowledge on your favorite sport. Be seeing you next time for more interesting trivia and data about our two mutual passions: watches and Formula 1!