Formula 1's technical revolution

Milestones in the art of engineering

The history of Formula 1 cars is characterized by courageous pioneers, technical milestones, and plenty of bizarre ideas. We look back at how the race cars of the 1950s evolved to become Mercedes-AMG's top class today.

Motorsport's premier league was born in Silverstone, Great Britain, in 1950. It wasn't long before Formula 1 was delivering the thrills fans hoped for. Alfa Romeo unleashed an incredible 430 horsepower with a straight-eight engine as early as 1951. The promising start was followed by two years of disillusionment. In 1952 and 1953, there were not enough cars available and the company had to resort to engines from Formula 2 with four cylinders and only 2 liters of displacement. Fewer cylinders meant less output, and the horsepower figures fell to a range between 175 and 190. However, it was only a few short years before the eagerly awaited return to Formula 1 engines.


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F1 car on the race track
F1 car on the race track

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