<< Prev Page 2 of 2 Running so many different cars during a single season was a huge undertaking for a fledgling company like Ferrari and not surprisingly, the 1950 season was not a great success. Most of the year's notable results were actually scored by the one-year-old 125 F1s. The 275 F1 debuted at Spa-Francorchamps, where Alberto Ascari went on to finish fifth after starting seventh. The car was raced again at the non-championship event in Geneva alongside the 340 F1. A heavy crash all but destroyed the former, while an engine failure ended the 340 F1's outing early. At the final Grand Prix of the season, in Monza, Ascari debuted the 375 F1 with a fine second place. He would end the year on a high by winning the Penya Rhin race at Pedralbes ahead of the second 375 F1 and the 340 F1.
For the 1951 season, Ferrari built up fresh 375 F1s, which were lined up against thoroughly updated Alfa Romeo Alfettas, which had an even more power than the all-conquering cars used the year before. Ferrari's honour was defended by Piero Taruffi at the first championship round, where he placed second in one of the 1950 cars. The Italian manufacturer's breakthrough victory finally came at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone where Jose-Froilan Gonzales claimed the win ahead of Juan Manuel Fangio in an Alfa Romeo. Ascari then went on to win at the Nürburgring and in the all-important Italian Grand Prix at Monza. While none of the Ferrari drivers had amassed enough points to win the World Championship, the quickly emerging manufacturer had surely made its mark in 1951.
With Alfa Romeo's imminent withdrawal from the sport and no real rival to Ferrari stepping up, the sport's governing body decided to run the 1952 World Championship for Formula 2 cars. This rendered the 375 F1 obsolete on the sport but it turned out to be of little concern to Ferrari as Alberto Ascari would go on to dominate Grand Prix racing in 1952 and 1953 with the four-cylinder engined 500 F2. The Lampredi V12 did power a quartet of single seater racers in 1952; the less than successful 375 Indy cars. With three Grand Prix victories, the 375 F1 was Ferrari's first successful Formula 1 car; the first of many. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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Running so many different cars during a single season was a huge undertaking for a fledgling company like Ferrari and not surprisingly, the 1950 season was not a great success. Most of the year's notable results were actually scored by the one-year-old 125 F1s. The 275 F1 debuted at Spa-Francorchamps, where Alberto Ascari went on to finish fifth after starting seventh. The car was raced again at the non-championship event in Geneva alongside the 340 F1. A heavy crash all but destroyed the former, while an engine failure ended the 340 F1's outing early. At the final Grand Prix of the season, in Monza, Ascari debuted the 375 F1 with a fine second place. He would end the year on a high by winning the Penya Rhin race at Pedralbes ahead of the second 375 F1 and the 340 F1.