The Unbreakable Formula One Champion- Giuseppe Farina
With a nickname such as “Nino”, one cannot believe that the person can become one of the most dangerous drivers in the world. Giuseppe Farina from Italy holds the title of being the first ever World Champion in Formula One racing. The year 1950 gleamed on him as he drove for the formidable Alfa Romeo team in the first ever Formula One World Championship season. Driving the extravagant Alfa Romeo 158, Nino secured his victory at the British, Swiss and Italian Grand Prix in that year. At the close of the season, he had a total tally of 30 points which were the highest for that season. As a result, he was crowned as the first ever Formula One World Champion on his 43rd birthday.
Nino was a privileged son of a rich and well esteemed family of Turin, Italy. The big racer was born on 30 October, 1906. He had the heart of a sportsman, the nerves of a racer, the passion of a competitor and a spirit of a rebel. He defied death on more instances than one could recall. He loved the thrill, the adventure and the danger surrounding the game. His rich and glamorous wife Elsa Giaretto always thought that it was silly and dangerous to race - her statements in a bid to prevent him from racing were answered by the stubborn Italian through fleeing to a race in Argentina only three days after his wedding.
During the beginning of his career, he raced for teams like Maserati and Alfa Romeo. For the next five seasons, “The Gentleman of Turin” was outperformed as talented drivers like Juan-Manuel Fangio and Alberto Ascari entered his team. However, he was successful to win two more races. One of them was the 1952 Belgium Grand Prix for Alfa Romeo and the other was the German race held in the year 1953. By this time, he had switched to Ferrari.
Nino raced from 1950 until 1955. His raced for teams such as Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. He was able to bag five wins in total, with one championship to his name. During his 5 year career, he completed 34 races out of 33 starts. His 1953 win at the German Grand Prix was the last of the victories.
He was and still is the most daring drivers to enter a Formula One circuit. Some say that he had super powers protecting him. It is necessary to mention here that his entire career was spoiled by a series of life-threatening accidents. Despite this, he continued to race. He was famous for his unmatched bravery on the race track during times when safety standards and road accidents went hand in hand. In those times, people were surprised by the number of times he survived and came out in one piece after serious crashes. He has been severely wounded on a number of times during his career. In one accident, he had his collar bone broken and during another race he was severely burnt. Hence, in a way, Nino proved himself to be unbreakable on the circuit. It was strange and shocking that the man who looks in the face of death could not be defeated in an accident. But sadly, death waits for no one. It took its revenge in yet another accident but not on a race track. Nino died in a road accident, a little after he got retired. It was the year 1966 when he was driving to watch the French Grand Prix.
Giuseppe Farina, the icon, the legend, was famous for his straight-arm driving style. Many racers followed him and imitated his style of driving to be as daring and courageous as he was. He also proved himself to be a good strategist. Anybody who once met him was bound to remember the Italian arrogance of the man. Many think that he wasn’t the most popular man on the race track. However, he remains fresh in the hearts and minds of motorsports lovers as the first ever Formula One World Champion.
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