Just about each single side of Method 1 at this time is unrecognisable versus the form of grand prix racing at the beginning of the championship’s life – simply think about the thought of Juan Manuel Fangio and Giuseppe Farina sat side-by-side upon a settee enjoying the same old social media-friendly parlour video games, or Maurice Trintignant courting backlash for an ill-advised and unexpectedly deleted Instagram story. It appears fully incongruous with F1 then, however it’s a key a part of F1 now.
Fortunately, the core of the championship stays: construct the very best automotive with the supplies accessible, race, and whoever finishes on the entrance by the top of the requisite distance wins.
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As of 2025, is doing the very best job of that. As of 1950, it was Alfa Romeo that did so – successful six of the seven world championship races in F1’s inaugural season. The one it did not win was the Indianapolis 500, which it didn’t enter, however that is already contentious sufficient with out delving into the subject material…
Indy tangent apart, we thought it may be a enjoyable strategy to look again on F1’s development by way of the years with a comparability between our present class of the sphere – the MCL39 – with Alfa Romeo’s 158. Will this extol the virtues of contemporary know-how, or just lend credence to a better-back-then crowd that savoured the times when race victors lapped your entire area? We’ll attempt to be goal.
Dimensions
Alfa Romeo 158
McLaren MCL39
Size
≈4250mm
>5000mm
Width
≈1550mm
2000mm
Wheelbase
2500mm
<3600mm
Weight
≈650kg
800kg
There is a motive why the 158 was often called the ‘Alfetta’ when it was first produced in 1938 (think about turning as much as an F1 spherical with a automotive designed 12 years in the past now). It was an extremely small bundle, conceived then as a voiturette, which finally proved to be compliant with the unique F1 (initially Method A) laws.
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But, it was a contact longer than among the different vehicles on the grid in 1950, just like the Maserati 4CLT and 125, and much bigger than most F1 vehicles round within the Nineteen Sixties, as vehicles obtained smaller and lighter earlier than the swell in sizes started within the modern-day – a bit bit like how telephones turned tiny, earlier than smartphones began ballooning into pocket-sized tablets. It was additionally comparatively heavy, though cited weight figures range between 600kg-700kg, presumably to accommodate for gasoline.
F1 vehicles are a lot larger now in comparison with 75 years in the past
F1 vehicles are a lot larger now in comparison with 75 years agoAlexander Trienitz
Alexander Trienitz
Versus at this time’s vehicles, the 158 appears microscopic. McLaren’s MCL39 is typical of at this time’s period of vehicles, the place the positioning of hybrid methods and underbody aero necessitated the necessity to make vehicles longer, even in comparison with vehicles from 15-20 years in the past; at this time’s machines look large. The 2017 aero regs introduced again a most width of 2000mm after virtually 20 years of working to a ‘slim’ 1800mm, and the 2022-spec guidelines retained this way issue.
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After which there’s the load; once more, versus lots of the vehicles that succeeded it, the 158 was a lot heavier – however for the time, this was very a lot in the identical ballpark. Vehicles of the Nineteen Sixties slipped beneath the 500kg mark, however since then have continued to develop because of the protection methods, tyres and energy unit elements on board. The 800kg determine of at this time’s vehicles contains the driving force mass however excludes gasoline.
Chassis and suspension
Alfa Romeo 158
McLaren MCL39
Chassis
Tubular body
Carbon-fibre monocoque
Entrance suspension
Trailing-arm, transverse leaf spring
Pullrod-activated, carbon fibre/titanium wishbones, torsion bar springs/dampers
Rear suspenson
Swing axle (158, 1950), De Dion axle (159, 1951), transverse leaf springs
Pushrod-activated, carbon fibre/titanium wishbones, torsion bar springs/dampers
Earlier than the monocoque entered the F1 vernacular within the Nineteen Sixties, vehicles have been constructed onto frames, with the bodywork panels affixed to it. The 158 was additionally developed lengthy earlier than frequent conference decreed that the engine block ought to grow to be a confused member, that means that this was merely bolted into the prevailing framework.
The trailing-arm suspension on the entrance was underpinned by a transverse leaf spring linking each wheel hubs, whereas the 158 used a swing axle on the rear to make sure each rear wheels operated independently below bump and rebound situations. Nevertheless, the constraints of this technique – with little management over jacking, camber, and instability below excessive cornering situations – prompted a swap to a De Dion rear format.
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Suspension layouts in fashionable F1 have two capabilities: they need to fulfil a given position set out by automobile dynamics engineers, and contribute aerodynamically. In recent times, groups have experimented with pushrod and pullrod inclinations on the entrance and rear; McLaren took a front-mounted pullrod format and a rear-mounted pushrod when the present regs have been launched in 2022, and has additionally addressed the positioning of its suspension wishbone legs so as to limit chassis motion to make sure a steady aero platform.
Present vehicles have additionally used torsion bars as dampers for a number of years, given their smaller dimension and weight versus standard coil springs/damper models.
Powertrain, drivetrain and gasoline economyAlfa Romeo was powered by its personal engine in 1950, whereas McLaren is a Mercedes buyer squad
Alfa Romeo was powered by its personal engine in 1950, whereas McLaren is a Mercedes buyer squadMotorsport Photos
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Alfa Romeo 158
McLaren MCL39
Engine
Alfa Romeo 1.5-litre inline-eight, plus Roots-type supercharger
1.6-litre V6, direct injection, turbocharger plus MGU-Ok and MGU-H restoration methods
Gearbox
4-speed guide
Eight-speed seamless-shift semi-automatic
Gas
Shell (98% methanol)
Petronas
Gas consumption
≈1.5-2 mpg
Restricted to 100kg/hour
An inside combustion engine hasn’t actually modified in its total type, however the particulars and ancillary parts are very completely different. Alfa’s inline-eight made use of a supercharger; the unique 1938 automotive produced round 190bhp, however this was upped to round 350bhp by 1950.
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The gasoline tank was stored within the tail of the automotive and, though its excessive gasoline consumption was not a lot of a problem in 1950 given the pace of the 158 versus the opposite vehicles, it price victory in 1951’s British GP as each Fangio and Farina needed to cease twice for gasoline, versus Ferrari’s one-stop for winner Jose Froilan Gonzalez.
As we speak’s engines are 1.6-litre V6s with turbochargers, and the addition of the MGU-H for restoration and MGU-Ok for restoration and drive brings the last word energy determine as much as round 1000bhp. The powertrains boast effectivity figures of over 50%, because of each hybridization and advances in ignition, timing and precision. McLaren has been equipped by since 2021, after ditching its Renault deal, and can proceed with the German model to a minimum of 2030.
Present F1 automotive gearboxes are eight-speed models to handle the torque from the present energy models, and have been semi-automatic paddleshift operated because the Nineties. As engine energy and supply has progressed, so have the transmission models; Alfa’s four-speed ‘field was sufficient to place the straight-eight’s stunning would possibly onto the street, however F1 moved on; five-speed models began to permeate the grid later into the last decade and remained fashionable for years, notably by way of the turbo-era. F1 is as much as eight ahead gears now.
What else is completely different? We have direct injection over carburettors, engine administration methods, every kind of sensors… oh, and the engine sits within the again.
Brakes, tyres and extra
Alfa Romeo 158
McLaren MCL39
Brakes
Hydraulic drum brakes
Six-piston calipers, brake-by-wire system, carbon-carbon discs/pads
Steering
Worm-and-sector
Energy-assisted rack-and-pinion
Tyres
Pirelli
Pirelli
Wheels
17/18″ wire spokes
BBS 18″, magnesium alloy
The stopping energy of a modern-day F1 automotive is unbelievable, as drivers can stamp on the brakes 100 metres earlier than a slow-speed nook at nicely over 200mph, and guarantee an 800kg monster could make it by way of on the proper pace. The MCL39’s braking system has six-piston calipers to deal with the scale of the brake pads – carbon discs and pads have been in use in F1 for a number of years, because of their superior energy and efficiency over metal.
Regardless of huge adjustments, one fixed is using tyre producer
Regardless of huge adjustments, one fixed is using tyre manufacturerPirelli
Pirelli
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There’s a frequent thread right here: each vehicles use Pirelli tyres. While you take a look at them, nevertheless, there’s little or no in similarity right here apart from the model identify and the shape issue of a black, rubbery circle. Within the Nineteen Fifties, tyres have been extremely slim with a definite tread sample – and, whenever you take a look at them face on, usually used constructive camber; this was to scale back rolling resistance on the straights by decreasing the tyre contact patch. As tyre producers began to experiment with radial-ply tyre constructions over the then-common cross-ply construction, the tyres themselves may take extra load; in 1971, the primary slick tyre was produced by Firestone for the Spanish Grand Prix.
Twenty-seven years later, treaded tyres have been reintroduced as a measure to gradual vehicles down; grooved dry tyres lasted till the top of 2008, earlier than slicks have been reintroduced. As we speak’s tyres are produced solely by Pirelli, which has six dry compounds and two wet-weather constructions.
Drivers
Alfa Romeo (1950 common drivers)
McLaren
Juan Manuel Fangio (5x world champion – 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957)
(5x grand prix winner, runner-up in 2024 championship)
Giuseppe Farina (1950 world champion)
(6x grand prix winner, chief of 2025 championship)
Luigi Fagioli (third in 1950 championship)
Drivers have been constructed very otherwise within the early days of F1. Slightly than having to evolve to at this time’s commonplace of a lean, athletic determine to commerce off energy and weight, racers have been far burlier figures. They usually wanted to be, in the event that they have been to manage the vehicles of the time. Age didn’t weary them both; Farina was virtually 44 when he gained the inaugural Method 1 world championship for drivers, Fangio was 40 when he took his first F1 title in 1951 (and 46 when he gained his final), and Fagioli was 52 when he raced in 1950 (and 53 when he shared the successful Alfa with Fangio within the 1951’s French Grand Prix).
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In additional fashionable occasions, it was often frequent for F1 drivers to debut of their early-to-mid 20s earlier than Max Verstappen’s look in F1 on the age of 17 slightly modified the notion. F1 accordingly created a minimal age restrict of 18 to offer drivers extra time within the junior classes. Norris was 19 when he made his F1 grand prix debut on the 2019 Australian GP, whereas Piastri was 21 when McLaren signed him for 2023.
Drivers tended to span disciplines or championships throughout this period, straying past grand prix racing to drive in sportscars races. In that context, Norris’s expertise in endurance racing after taking part within the 2018 Daytona 24 Hours might be seen as one thing of a throwback – though this got here earlier than his F1 profession. Apart from exceptions comparable to , most drivers at this time are single-discipline racers, understandably so given the scale of the fashionable calendar.
F1 drivers are a lot youthful than they have been 75 years in the past
F1 drivers are a lot youthful than they have been 75 years agoRed Bull Content material Pool
Purple Bull Content material Pool
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