Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo S.p.A. are an Italian auto maker and constructor based in Milan, Italy. Alfa Romeo has competed in motorsport since the 1910s and has achieved great success in Grand Prix racing, Sportscars and Touring Cars.
A dominant force in the early years of Formula One, Alfa Romeo have won the driver's championship three times; in 1950, 1951 and 1955 as well as the constructor's title in 1955.
Formula One
1950s: Early dominance
Alfa Romeo entered the inaugural season of Formula One in 1950 with a lineup initially consisting of Juan Manuel Fangio, Giuseppe Farina, Maurice Trintignant and Mauri Rose. The team used an evolution of their venerable 158 chassis that had dominated post-war Grand Prix racing prior to the setup of the new World Championship. Although they did not win the first ever F1 race, Alfa Romeo vehicles won five out of the seven races in 1950 - with an independent 8C-308 chassis winning the Indianapolis 500 at the hands of Johnny Mauro. Rose was replaced at the team by Myron Fohr after the Swiss Grand Prix when Fohr's performance in the 500 impressed top brasses in Milan. Fohr was later replaced himself for the season ending Italian Grand Prix by pre-war ace Paul Pietsch. Farina won three out of the five races (Fangio won the other) and as such was crowned as the first World Driver's champion.
1951 saw Alfa Romeo start their second season with the lineup of Farina, Fangio, Pietsch and Stirling Moss although Pietsch was dropped when financial issues restricted the team to three cars after the first round. Farina and Alfa Romeo were only able to win one race all season - the British Grand Prix - although his consistent form saw him comfortably take his season Driver's crown.
1970s: Engine Supply and Works Team
In the mid-to-late 1970s, Alfa Romeo were also engine suppliers to several teams including Brabham, Penske, Shadow and Ensign, before purchasing the Fittipaldi team in late 1977 to return as a constructor in its own right into the 1980s.
