THEY DIDN'T INHERIT FORMULA 1. THEY CREATED IT.

Front-engined machines from Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Maserati and Mercedes. Open-face helmets, primitive pits and great road circuits where the consequences of a mistake were frighteningly real.

This was Formula 1 before anyone knew what Formula 1 would become.

Follow Fangio, Ascari, Moss, Farina and Hawthorn through the championship's first decade. Discover shared drives, extraordinary sportsmanship, forgotten podium finishers and privateers taking on the great factory teams.

It was a different world: glamorous, dangerous, sometimes gentlemanly and always fiercely competitive. Every race added another piece to a World Championship still creating its traditions, its heroes and its legends.

Start with a free Race Story. You may find yourself wanting the decade where Formula 1 began.

The 3 most successful cars of the decade

THE CARS RACED INTO THE FUTURE ON CIRCUITS BUILT IN THE PAST.

Rear engines. Lighter, faster cars.  And alll the while stone walls, trees and unforgiving roads remained threateningly close. The technology raced ahead. The drivers had to keep up.

Follow Clark, Hill, Brabham, Surtees and Stewart — and discover the drivers, victories and unexpected podiums history remembers less readily.

Their skill, determination, competitive drive and courage didn't just take them through a decade of extraordinary change. They drove Formula 1 into the modern age.

Start with a free Race Story. You may find yourself wanting the whole decade.

The 3 most successful cars of the decade

The drivers were heroes, rivals, rebels and survivors. And Formula 1 had never felt more human. The 1970s put the drivers centre stage.

They raced spectacularly fast cars on circuits that demanded total commitment, accepting risks that today seem almost unimaginable.

Then came Hunt and Lauda.

One flamboyant. One fiercely disciplined. Two utterly different men fighting for one World Championship — in a season of rivalry, friendship, fire and extraordinary courage that transcended Formula 1 itself.

But theirs was only one story in a decade overflowing with unforgettable characters and unforgettable races.

This was Formula 1 at its most raw, colourful and compelling.

Come inside the 1970s. Read a free chapter today.

The 3 most successful cars of the decade

More power. More speed. More rivalry. Formula 1 had become ferocious.

The 1980s unleashed the turbo era — monstrous power, relentless innovation and a technological arms race fought at breathtaking speed.

And then there were the drivers.

Lauda brought wisdom. Piquet brought cunning. Mansell brought commitment. Prost brought precision.

Senna brought something the world had never seen before.

Championships were won by fractions. Teammates became bitter rivals. Some of the greatest drivers in history pushed each other — and their machines — to the absolute limit.

This was the decade that forged modern Formula 1.

Feel the power of the 1980s. Read a free chapter today.

The 3 most successful cars of the decade

Senna. Schumacher. Häkkinen. One decade that changed Formula 1 forever.

The 1990s were where the modern sport took shape.

Technology became decisive. Strategy became a weapon. Engineering grew relentlessly sophisticated. Formula 1 became faster, sharper and truly global.

And at the centre of it all were extraordinary drivers.

Senna began the decade as its defining genius. Schumacher emerged to challenge everything that had gone before. Häkkinen rose to meet him — and produced one of Formula 1's great rivalries.

By the end of the decade, Formula 1 would never be the same again.

Rediscover the 1990s. Read a free chapter today.

The 3 most successful cars of the decade

First Schumacher ruled. Then a new generation came to take Formula 1 away from him.

The 2000s began with Ferrari building one of the most formidable winning machines the sport had ever seen.

Schumacher seemed untouchable.

Then Alonso arrived — with the conviction of someone who had never considered waiting. Hamilton followed, sensational from his very first race. Räikkönen was already there, devastatingly fast and determined to claim his turn.

Suddenly, everything was up for grabs.

New regulations changed the cars. New teams challenged the established order. Championships went down to the final race — and sometimes the final corners.

An empire dominated the beginning. A new generation owned the end.

Experience the decade when Formula 1 changed hands. Read a free chapter today.

The 3 Most Successful Cars of the Decade

Vettel ruled first. Then Hamilton took over. And before the decade was finished, Verstappen was coming.

The 2010s gave Formula 1 two extraordinary eras of domination.

Vettel and Red Bull began with four consecutive World Championships — a young champion seemingly rewriting the record books at will.

Then the rules changed.

Mercedes emerged. Hamilton seized the opportunity. Together they built one of the most formidable partnerships Formula 1 had ever seen.

But beneath the dominance, another story was developing. The midfield grew fiercely competitive. New rivalries emerged. And a fearless teenager named Max Verstappen arrived with absolutely no intention of waiting his turn.

Two great champions defined the decade. Another was already preparing to challenge the future.

Experience when the balance of power shifted in Formula 1. Read a free chapter today.

The 3 Most Successful Cars of the Decade

History isn't always something you look back on. Sometimes, you're watching it happen.

The 2020s began in uncertainty. Formula 1 responded by reinventing itself — and emerged with a new generation of drivers, new audiences and new battles.

Then Verstappen raised the bar.

Records fell. Rivalries intensified. The established order was challenged, the midfield fought harder, and a new generation began pushing its way towards the front.

All while Formula 1 grew into a truly global phenomenon, finding millions of new fans without losing the passion of those who had followed it for decades.

And the most exciting part? We don't know how this story ends yet.

The 2020s are still being written. Catch up with the story so far. Read a free chapter today.

The 3 Most Successful Cars of the Decade