1

The Royal Automobile Club Grand Prix d'Europe
British Grand Prix

13 May 1950Silverstone325.430 km (4649 m x 70 Laps)

 Pole Position: Giuseppe Farina, Alfa Romeo 158, 1:50.8 (151.1 km/h) Fastest Lap: Giuseppe Farina, Alfa Romeo 158, 1:50.6 (151.3 km/h lap 2) Race Results: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 2 Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 158 2:13:23.6 146.4 km/h 2 3 Luigi Fagioli Alfa Romeo 158 2:13:26.2 146.3 km/h 3 4 Reg Parnell Alfa Romeo 158 2:14:15.6 145.4 km/h 4 14 Yves Giraud-Cabantous Talbot Lago T26C-DA -2 Laps 5 15 Louis Rosier Talbot Lago T26C -2 Laps 6 12 Bob Gerard ERA B -3 Laps 7 11 Cuth Harrison ERA C -3 Laps 8 16 Philippe Étançelin Talbot Lago T26C -5 Laps 9 6 David Hampshire Maserati 4CLT/48 -6 Laps 10 10 Joe Fry/ 45 laps Brian Shawe-Taylor Maserati 4CL -6 Laps 19 laps 11 18 Johnny Claes Talbot Lago T26C -6 Laps Did Not Finish: 1 Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 158 62 Oil leak 23 Joe Kelly Alta GP 57 Not classified 21 Prince Bira Maserati 4CLT/48 49 Out of fuel 5 David Murray Maserati 4CLT/48 44 Engine 24 Geoff Crossley Alta GP 43 Transmission 20 Emmanuel de Graffenried Maserati 4CLT/48 36 Engine 19 Louis Chiron Maserati 4CLT/48 24 Clutch 17 Eugène Martin Talbot Lago T26C-DA 8 Oil pressure 9 Peter Walker/ 2 laps Tony Rolt ERA E 5 Gearbox 3 laps 8 Leslie Johnson ERA E 2 Compressor Did Not Appear: 3 Gianbattista Guidotti Alfa Romeo 158 Reserve driver 22 Felice Bonetto Maserati 4CLT/48-Speluzzi 26 Raymond Mays ERA D Entry cancelled Lap Leaders: Car# Driver Car Laps Total 2 Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 158 1-7 63 3 Luigi Fagioli Alfa Romeo 158 8 6 2 Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 158 9 3 Luigi Fagioli Alfa Romeo 158 10-14 1 Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 158 15 1 2 Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 158 16-70 Fastest Laps: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Lap 1 2 Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 158 1:50.6 151.3 2 14 Yves Giraud-Cabantous Talbot Lago T26C-DA 1:53.4 147.6 41 15 Louis Rosier Talbot Lago T26C 1:55.4 145.0 10 16 Philippe Étançelin Talbot Lago T26C 1:57.4 142.6 31 18 Johnny Claes Talbot Lago T26C 2:08.8 130.0 29 Qualifying Times: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Entrant 1 2 Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 158 1:50.8 151.1 Alfa Romeo SpA 2 3 Luigi Fagioli Alfa Romeo 158 1:51.0 150.8 Alfa Romeo SpA 3 1 Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 158 1:51.0 150.8 Alfa Romeo SpA 4 4 Reg Parnell Alfa Romeo 158 1:52.2 149.2 Alfa Romeo SpA 5 21 Prince Bira Maserati 4CLT/48 1:52.6 148.6 Enrico Platé 6 14 Yves Giraud-Cabantous Talbot Lago T26C-DA 1:53.4 147.6 Automobiles Talbot-Darracq SA 7 17 Eugène Martin Talbot Lago T26C-DA 1:55.4 145.0 Automobiles Talbot-Darracq SA 8 20 Emmanuel de Graffenried Maserati 4CLT/48 1:55.8 144.5 Enrico Platé 9 15 Louis Rosier Talbot Lago T26C 1:56.0 144.3 Ecurie Rosier 10 9 Peter Walker ERA E 1:56.6 143.5 Peter Walker 11 19 Louis Chiron Maserati 4CLT/48 1:56.6 143.5 Officine Alfieri Maserati 12 8 Leslie Johnson ERA E 1:57.4 142.6 E.R.A. Ltd 13 12 Bob Gerard ERA B 1:57.4 142.6 Bob Gerard 14 16 Philippe Étançelin Talbot Lago T26C 1:57.8 142.1 Philippe Étançelin 15 11 Cuth Harrison ERA C 1:58.4 141.4 Cuth Harrison 16 6 David Hampshire Maserati 4CLT/48 2:01.0 138.3 Scuderia Ambrosiana 17 24 Geoff Crossley Alta GP 2:02.6 136.5 Geoffrey Crossley 18 5 David Murray Maserati 4CLT/48 2:05.6 133.3 Scuderia Ambrosiana 19 23 Joe Kelly Alta GP 2:06.2 132.6 Joe Kelly 20 10 Joe Fry Maserati 4CL 2:07.0 131.8 Joe Fry 21 18 Johnny Claes Talbot Lago T26C 2:08.8 130.0 Ecurie Belge Not Present: 3 Gianbattista Guidotti Alfa Romeo 158 - - Alfa Romeo SpA 22 Felice Bonetto Maserati 4CLT/48-Speluzzi - - Scuderia Milano 26 Raymond Mays ERA D - - Raymond Mays
Starting Grid:
2 Giuseppe Farina
Alfa Romeo 158
1:50.8
3 Luigi Fagioli
Alfa Romeo 158
1:51.0
1 Juan Manuel Fangio
Alfa Romeo 158
1:51.0
4 Reg Parnell
Alfa Romeo 158
1:52.2
21 Prince Bira
Maserati 4CLT/48
1:52.6
14 Yves Giraud-Cabantous
Talbot Lago T26C-DA
1:53.4
17 Eugène Martin
Talbot Lago T26C-DA
1:55.4
20 Emmanuel de Graffenried
Maserati 4CLT/48
1:55.8
15 Louis Rosier
Talbot Lago T26C
1:56.0
9 Peter Walker
ERA E
1:56.6
19 Louis Chiron
Maserati 4CLT/48
1:56.6
8 Leslie Johnson
ERA E
1:57.4
12 Bob Gerard
ERA B
1:57.4
16 Philippe Étançelin
Talbot Lago T26C
1:57.8
11 Cuth Harrison
ERA C
1:58.4
6 David Hampshire
Maserati 4CLT/48
2:01.0
24 Geoff Crossley
Alta GP
2:02.6
5 David Murray
Maserati 4CLT/48
2:05.6
23 Joe Kelly
Alta GP
2:06.2
10 Joe Fry
Maserati 4CL
2:07.0
18 Johnny Claes
Talbot Lago T26C
2:08.8
Notes:
  • Weather: Sunny, Mild, Dry.
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    Race Review:

    The first FIA Formula 1 World Championship began at Silverstone on a Saturday in the spring of 1950 with King George VI and Queen Elizabeth present at Silverstone for the event. The major events prior to the British race had been at Pau in April and San Remo in April and both had been won Juan Manuel Fangio's Alfa Romeo 158 with Ferrari's Luigi Villoresi second on both occasions.

    The Alfa Romeo factory team arrived at Silverstone with four 158s for drivers Fangio, Giuseppe Farina, Luigi Fagioli and Reg Parnell. Ferrari decided not to take part but there were a handful of Maseratis, one a factory car for Louis Chiron and Talbot Lago sent over two factory cars to be driven by Yves Giraud-Cabantous and Eugène Martin. The rest of the field was made up of local machinery, which included ERAs and Altas.

    Farina was fastest in qualifying and the other three Alfas were alongside him on the front row. The second row consisted of Prince Bira in a Maserati and the two factory Talbot Lagos.

    At the start of the race Farina took the lead with Fagioli and Fangio in pursuit. In the early laps they switched around between themselves several times to keep everyone amused. Fangio went out with engine troubles and so Farina led Fagioli home by 2.5secs with Parnell a distant third. The nearest challenger was Giraud-Cabantous two laps down, Bira having gone out with a fuel problem.