Publisher's Synopsis
The first Formula One championship season was in 1950, inaugurated at the UK circuit, Silverstone, and won by Italian Champion Giuseppe Farina driving his Alfa Romeo. Next season, his Argentinian teammate, the legendary Fangio, won the first of his five championship victories, unrivalled until Michael Schumacher nearly half a century later. The modern day sport would be unrecognisable to its founding generation: F1 is now a billion dollar enterprise, a hugely prestigious, highly sponsored activity whose glamour holds the attention of millions of fans around the world, literally keeping them on the edge of their seats during the 18 or so races around the world in the Grand Prix season. For some the incredible performance brought about by automotive and electronic engineering has added a new dimension, including extraordinary safety standards, for others the high-tech and highly regulated environment has reduced the importance of the drivers’ skill - demonstrated particularly well in the 2009 season. This richly illustrated history of the sport captures the spirit of the early years, the pioneering bravery of those drivers while bringing it up to date with the awesome excitement of the modern day championship.
