Emilio Giuseppe Farina, better known as “Nino” Farina, was born on October 30, 1906, and passed away on June 30, 1966. He was an Italian racing driver who made F1 history by becoming the first-ever Formula One World Champion in 1950.
| Nationality | Italian |
|---|---|
| Born | Emilio Giuseppe Farina 30 October 1906 Turin, Italy |
| Died | 30 June 1966 (aged 59) Aiguebelle, France |
Giuseppe Farina stands as a monumental figure in the history of Formula 1, and his remarkable achievements have cemented his legacy as a trailblazer in the sport by etching his name into the record books as the winner of the very first World Championship Grand Prix, held at Silverstone. This historic win set the stage for his illustrious career and laid the groundwork for future generations of racing icons to emerge.
In the inaugural Formula 1 season of 1950, Farina’s remarkable performances at the Swiss and Italian Grands Prix were instrumental in securing his status as the first-ever Formula 1 World Champion, driving for the prestigious Alfa Romeo team.
Despite continuing to race for Alfa Romeo the following season and a commendable fourth-place finish in the 1951 season, Farina sought new challenges and subsequently joined the ranks of Ferrari for the 1952 season. His tenure with Ferrari was marked by more success, finishing second in the 1952 championship standings, only behind his fellow countryman Alberto Ascari.
Farina’s racing prowess continued to shine through in the following season. In 1953, he claimed his final Grand Prix victory at the challenging German Grand Prix, but over the next two seasons, Farina participated in a limited number of championship races. Yet, his strategic drives, including a shared podium in Argentina, a fourth-place finish in Monaco, and a third-place finish in Belgium in 1955, underscored his racing talent, securing him fifth place in the ’55 championship standings.
The 1956 Indianapolis 500 marked Farina’s final attempt to qualify for an F1 championship round, although he did not reach the starting grid.
Despite not achieving the same level of dominance as contemporaries like Alberto Ascari and Juan Manuel Fangio, Farina’s contributions to Formula 1 are undeniable. With five wins, five pole positions, and five fastest laps to his name, Farina’s pioneering achievements as the first World Champion and Grand Prix winner in Formula 1 history ensure that he will forever be celebrated as a legendary figure in the sport.
Giuseppe Farina Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1950–1956 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lancia |
| Entries | 35 (33 starts) |
| Championships | 1 (1950) |
| Wins | 5 |
| Podiums | 20 |
| Career points | 115 1⁄3 |
| Pole positions | 5 |
| Fastest laps | 5 |
| First entry | 1950 British Grand Prix |
| First win | 1950 British Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1953 German Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1956 Indianapolis 500 |
Giuseppe Farina Formula One records
Giuseppe Farina holds these Formula One records:
| Record | Date first achieved | # |
|---|---|---|
| First-ever F1 Championship title | 1950 | 1 |
| First-ever F1 Championship win | 1950 British Grand Prix | 1 |
Giuseppe Farina Complete Formula One World Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | WDC | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Alfa Romeo SpA | Alfa Romeo 158 | Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8 s | GBR 1 | MON Ret | 500 | SUI 1 | BEL 4 | FRA 7 | 1st | 30 | |||
| Alfa Romeo 159 | ITA 1 | |||||||||||||
| 1951 | Alfa Romeo SpA | Alfa Romeo 159 | Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8 s | SUI 3 | 500 | BEL 1 | FRA 5 | GBR Ret | GER Ret | ITA 3 | ESP 3 | 4th | 19 | |
| 1952 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 500 | Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 | SUI Ret | 500 | BEL 2 | FRA 2 | GBR 6 | GER 2 | NED 2 | ITA 4 | 2nd | 24 | |
| 1953 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 500 | Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 | ARG Ret | 500 | NED 2 | BEL Ret | FRA 5 | GBR 3 | GER 1 | SUI 2 | ITA 2 | 3rd | 26 |
| 1954 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 625 | Ferrari 625 2.5 L4 | ARG 2 | 500 | 8th | 6 | |||||||
| Ferrari 553 | Ferrari 554 2.5 L4 | BEL Ret | FRA | GBR | GER | SUI | ITA | ESP DNA |
||||||
| 1955 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 625 | Ferrari 555 2.5 L4 | ARG 2+3 | 5th | 10 1⁄3 | ||||||||
| MON 4 | 500 | |||||||||||||
| Ferrari 555 | BEL 3 | NED | GBR | |||||||||||
| Lancia D50 | Lancia DS50 2.5 V8 | ITA DNS | ||||||||||||
| 1956 | Bardahl-Ferrari | Kurtis Kraft 500D | Ferrari 446 4.5 L6 | ARG | MON | 500 DNQ | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA | NC | 0 |
