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Formula 1

1950: The Formula One World Championship begins

1950 Silverstone F1 GP

There’s now just a few sleeps until the first Grand Prix of the 2010 season starts in Bahrain. This year the sport celebrates the 60th anniversary of the World Championship era. An era that began at Silverstone back in 1950, Saturday 13 May to be precise.

The first race of the new world order was won by Italian Giuseppe Farina at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo 158. In fact, Alfa 158s filled the first ever World Championship podium. Points were awarded to the first five drivers, and a pair of French Talbot-Lagos claimed the remaining points positions.

As we look ahead to what should be a fascinating new season, why don’t you take some time to look back and enjoy some highlights of that first race. Take the jump and witness a much simpler, more carefree era of Formula One.

[via rf1paddockpass]

Categories
Motorsports Nissan

Godzilla on track for GT1 championship

Nissan GT-R - FIA GT1

Nissan will be hoping this is the view the new FIA GT1 field sees in 2010 after announcing four new GT-Rs will be taking part in the upcoming season. Nismo have signed agreements with UK-based Sumo Power GT and Swiss Racing Team, based in, well Switzerland. Each team will run a two car operation with Nismo offering tech support.

Other details are pretty scant at the moment, so you’ll just have to make do with these pics that make the GT-R’s backside even bigger—but so much naughtier!

Categories
Ferrari

Ferrari celebrates with sweet 16M

Ferrari Scuderia F430 16M

Lewis Hamilton may have snatched the Formula 1 World Drivers Championship, but Ferrari took home the constructors’ gong. To celebrate their F1 World Constructor’s Championship, Ferrari’s sixteenth overall, they have released the Scuderia Spider F430 16M. The 16M was revealed at the World Finals in Mugello and will be limited to 499 examples, all marked with special badging and build plates.

Showing that the 16M has as much horse as it does prancing, the limited edition Spider is the fastest open top ever around Ferrari’s Fiorano test track.

The 16M tips the scales 80kg lighter than the regular F430 Spider and the lazy 510hp (380kW) V8 propels the car to a top speed of 315km/h while taking a mere 3.7 seconds to go past 100km/h.

More words and images below…