Video: 1950 British GP in colour for the first time to celebrate birth of F1
Formula 1 has released footage of the first-ever world championship grand prix, in colour as never before, to celebrate 75 years since the Silverstone race in 1950
At last weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed I was lucky enough to catch a ride with Sébastien Loeb around the Forest Rally Stage. The word lucky doesn’t really cut it – if you were going to get a ride-along with any rally driver he’d be at or near the top of anyone’s list. It wasn’t just any car either, it was a 2014-spec Citroën DS3 WRC.
Sitting there waiting for the start signal, I was unsure where to look. Straight ahead? Or do I look at his feet and watch them dance over the pedals? I hadn’t made my mind up by the time he dropped the clutch but the acceleration sorted that out for me by sending my head flying back into the seat. That’ll teach me to stop paying attention.
There’s one aspect of a modern rally car that I wasn’t prepared for: the grip. Watching from the outside they look like they’re gliding lightly over the gravel, but the forces on the inside are pretty impressive. Sitting in Daniel Elena’s usual spot, my admiration for WRC co-drivers grew massively. How they keep it together and read their notes in the chaos of a stage is beyond me. As much as it was a demonstration of Loeb’s skill, it was a reminder that there are two people in the car; neither job is a walk in the park.
Formula 1 has released footage of the first-ever world championship grand prix, in colour as never before, to celebrate 75 years since the Silverstone race in 1950
Live-stream all of the racing action from the 2024 Goodwood Revival: plus full schedule for the weekend
Don't miss the final day of the Silverstone Festival with a live stream of all the on-track action. Plus: a schedule of all 20 races as well as Ayrton Senna and F1 demonstrations
Don't a miss a moment of the Silverstone Festival with a live stream of all this week's on-track action. Plus: a schedule of all 20 races celebrating the best of the circuit's 75 years