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Formula One History
F1 articles

Formula One History

The 50's: FANGIO, THE BEST EVER? Italian party, British effort

It was May 13th when The Formula 1 World Championship started at Silverstone in England. And started in red style: Alfa Romeo 158 domination was terrific, nothing more than four drivers were in the front: Farina, Fagioli, Fangio and Parnell were absolut in the practices. Farina won the race and Alfa were in the top three, only Fangio stopped with oil pressure problems. Ferrari debut in Mo

THE 60's : JIM CLARK! British payback time

When J.Brabham with his Cooper won their second consecutive title, the first of this decade, it was so easily that nobody could imagine that would be the last fortune for the british constructor. Bruce McLaren's openning victory in Argentina showed that the team had the ideal set-up, and along the year J.Brabham saw the chequered flag before any other five times consecutively. But this year al

THE 70's: TIME TO BREAK RECORDS! EMERSON FITTIPALDI: The youngest ever champion. JACKIE STEWART: The master king of victories. NIKI LAUDA: The drive of decade's records.

1970 - Rindt: Victory or nothing. Jochen Rindt became champion after his death when his team-mate, the young brasilian driver Emerson Fittipaldi, won the USA GP. Chapman and all team Lotus could at least give Rindt a well deserved tribute. Until the Belgium GP there were four different winners: Brabham (his own BT33) - South Africa, Stewart (rookie March 701) - Spain, Rindt (Lotus 49)

1980 - Jones and Williams, but Piquet...

This season started with a long discussion between the teams about using or not side-skirts. FOCA versus Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Renault, finally they made agreements and the season began. Since previous year, Williams team must be counted as one of the best teams of F1. With saudita support, the team develop a very simple, quick and realiable car. Jones and Reutemann could take eighteen podium

1981 - Piquet and Reutemann: what a fight!

In 81 FIA decided to ban side-skirts, introducing a new rule: cars should have a minimum of 60 mm ground distance. But team Brabham, with Gordon Murray, immediately created a hydropneumatic suspension that adjust the car to be grazing the ground when speeding, but not when the car were in slow speed or parked. So, all the teams adopted the idea, that was legalized in San Marino GP. The South

1982 - A year to forget,but ... not for ROSBERG!

Many innovations this year: carbon-fiber mixed with kevlar unless aluminum for chassis, brakes and wings, besides refueling and tyres changes during race. Even with the new rules of minimum weight, 580kg, when this year began neither Rosberg, nor Williams team could imagine they would be champion. But it was their presdestination. Until the 12th race of the season it seemed that Pironi would be

1983 - Piquet: talent, turbo and tactics!

With FISA new regulations defined (flat underbodies) the teams have to abandoned wing-cars. providing downforce with a perfect aerodynamic body project. Also meny teams adopted turbocharged engines, but the costs were getting higher and higher!1 - BRAZIL In a year that would be dominated by turbocharged cars, at least in the practices Rosberg surprised eveyone with the pole. But

1984 - Lauda, in a breathtaking final!

A novelty was the limit of 220 liters of fuel in the tank. But the teams used frozen fuel (!). By doing this they could use almost 15 liters more in the tank..., althought in many races some drivers had reduced turbo pressure to save fuel trying to finish the race. Another evolution was the elargement of eletronics for better control of the car, mainly the fuel injection. The prominance of the

1985 - Finally Prost, but Alboreto and Ferrari...

This season bring small technical innovations, but new rules like "chassis frontal crash-test", rear wing new position and non-comercial fuel liberate for use. Otherwise, as FISA banished frozen fuel and refueling during the races, sustainning the limit of 220 liters in tanks, the teams were forced to increment the use of eletronic. This would be decisive in the championship, as many teams were

1986 - Prost again, but the Williams...

Looking for reducing the speed and better safety conditions, teams were obligated, by the rule published in beginning of 85, to use tanks limited to 195 liters. As response, teams created buttons for controlling: drivers have up to 4 positions to increase or decrease the turbo pressure, another for boost surpassing and the last for mixture fuel. But the most important novelty was the telemetry

1987 - Piquet makes it three!

This season would be completely dominated by Williams drivers, with 10 victories and not scoring points in only three races. The turbo pressure was limited to 4 bar, with all 1.500 cm3 engines equiped with a pop-off valve, also the aspirated engines were allowed again, but with 3.500 cm3. But the great novelty would be introduced by Lotus: active suspension used during all the season. Williams

1988 - Amazing title for Senna!

If 87 was Williams duo who dominated, this year would belong to McLaren's duo: Senna and Prost. With the new rule reducing turbo pressure to 2,5 bar, everybody expected a very close fight between turbo and aspirated cars. What nobody coould figure was that McLaren would create a amazing car and Honda a so powerful and economic engine. Their drivers would be delighted all the year, winning 15 of

1989 - Title for Prost or ...Balestre?

With the rule allowing only aspirated engines this year, everybody expect a very tought fight for the championship. But once more McLaren and Honda surprised others teams with a very quick and consistent car. As F1 have so many teams, FIA decided to introduce new pre-qualifying practice. Those drivers that did not scored points in the last half of the 88's season would have to take part. Four

1990 - Senna's revange!

This year there were a record of 35 cars listed, but as FIA rules do not allow more than 30 cars in the official practices it was necessary to create a way to select them. They created a pre-qualifying section with nine cars, whose team were not into thirteen places in the last half of the previous season. Of course all new teams were obligated to take part of it. Almost all the year teams lik

1991 - Senna, what a difference a driver can make!

As last year, a pre-qualifying session was necessary to define 4 cars from 8, who would take part of the oficial practices. In the beginning of the season: Dallara (Pirro - Letho), Osella (Grouillard), Coloni (Chaves), Jordan (De Cesaris - Gachot) and Lambo (Larini -  De Poele). Also new rules: 10 points for first place instead of 9 where group by front wing width with maximum of 140 mm

2003 Hexa-Schummy! above the rules and the opponents

The FIA board created new rules to 2003 championship looking for more competitiveness, changing qualifying and creating an extra-test on Fridays (only for the teams who make an option to realize no more than one car 20 days testing during all the year, or two cars 10 days test). But these teams should make up their minds before the beginning of the championship. Jaguar, Jordan, Minardi and Rena

2004 CAN ANYBODY STOP FERRARI?

The main question in the beginning of this year;s championship was: "By the way, can anybody stop Ferrari?". Formula One is facing one of the most continuous domination we have ever konwn. Ferrari team had won the constructors championship since 1999 and Schumacher had won four championships in a row! For the others, only hope, challenge and persecution. Nothing more uncomfortable that regonize