F1 history in the 50's - And there was Formula 1

When the racing world finally stepped on its feet after World War II, several major racing teams, who even then were the great rivals for decades, decided to form a unique racing championship - Formula one. This event changed the world of racing, and general automotive world, which was known until then.
 

It gave the unthinkable and  revolutionary technical discoveries about the cars, and  turned the drivers into the biggest sports stars and heroes for which everyone knew. The championship has become an event equal to World Soccer Championships or Olympic Games.

The first decade of contest was marked by teams that dominated the racing world in Europe before the war - Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Mercedes. First Formula 1 championship in 1950 had eight races. The first race was driven on the track named Silverstone in England on 13th May. Italian driver Giuseppe Nino Farina, driving for the Alfa Romeo, won first driver title in F1 history, ahead of his teammate Juan Manuel Fangio from Argentina. The following year, Fangio have won the title with Alfa Romeo. Next two years, the best was Italian driver Alberto Ascari with Ferrari, after which the crew of Alfa Romeo decided to retired prematurely from the competition. The reason was that they were outperformed by the Ferrari - a team that was formerly part of the Alfa Romeo racing team.

After the Alfa Romeo give up, from 1954 to 1957 Fangio has won four World Championships, driving for Mercedes, Lancia, Ferrari and Maserati. Although accidents and injuries he sustained in the first years of his career in Formula One, he won five titles and became the first great champion of the sport. His name remains synonym for the top drivers a few decades after his career in Formula One was over.

End of the fifties for Formula One was marked by English driver and constructor John Cooper and Australian driver Jack Brabham. Cooper was the first constructor who  put the car engine from bihinde of the car. That proved to be revolutionary because it that way  maney on power that was lost in transmission to the rear wheels was saved. Beacuse of that, Jack Brabham, Copers driver, won two titles in last two years of the decade. Domination of Team Cooper indicated the dominance of the upcoming teams from England, which has opposed just by the Ferrari, beacuse Maserati and Mercedes retired from Formula One.

The first decade of F1 history, gave the first great champion, the first large teams and the first major casualties. One of the losses was the death of Alberto Ascari, who died during the testing of the Ferrari in 1955. However, Formula 1 has reached incredible popularity already in the first ten years of its existence, and what was seen in these years, was only a prelude to stories which came later.