After some fifty years of automobile racing, the Grand Prix Formula or Formula One was formed by the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) in 1950 with its first race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. This was to be the first world driver’s championship, in the world’s most technically advanced single-seater racing cars. In 1958 the world constructor’s championship was added. Now one would at last know who the best driver in the world was, as well as which manufacturers had constructed the best racing car. FISA was Formula One’s administrative body, which saw that everyone played by the ever-changing rules. In this guide, I am going to cover the period 1966–1983 for cars built to a 500-kg to 585-kg weight minimum, and powered by 3.0-liter, normally aspirated engines.
Formula One started from very humble beginnings. Teams were comprised of a group of talented people working out of small garages, trying to find the money to go racing. This time includes numerous great inventions, such as the 3.0-liter Cosworth DFV engine, the slick racing tire, aerodynamic aides such as simple wings to full ground effects. The beginnings of the English racing car manufacturers who relied heavily on Cosworth engines and Hewland gearboxes and the racing comeback of Alfa Romeo. World championship drivers include Brabham, Hulme, Hill, Stewart, Rindt, Fittpaldi, Lauda, Hunt, Andretti, Scheckter, Jones, Piquet and Rosberg.
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