With the advent of the 1930s, car racing ceased to be a show of physical strength, becoming a presentation of technical thought, precision and intuition. Dust-free surfaces and sloping turns were also helpful here, being an obvious requirement of a roundabout.
Formula of competition with 1931 year had the only condition: that races last not shorter, than 10 hours. However, it required the exchange of players at the steering wheel, therefore, there are two names in this year's winner's charts. The first prizes were won by Bugatti companies, Mercedes Benz, Alfa Romeo i Maserati. W 1934 Another German company joined them in the year – Auto Union.
The power of the engines has increased to an unprecedented limit 368 kW (500 KM), although you have to add, that engine power alone does not guarantee victory – in the German Grand Prix in 1935 Nuvolari, thanks to its technical skills, won the first prize on a car weaker than its competitors 100 KM. Racing car designers have already used an independent suspension for the rear wheels as well (Mercedes, Auto Union), thereby also improving the drive train. However, on the subject of maximum engine power, they have not yet said the last word – the peak was reached in 1937 year, in which the eight-cylinder Mercedes appeared on the Grand Prix tracks, hiding within itself incredible power - 475 kW (646 KM), then the best engine used in Grand Prix cars. This is also reflected in the speed achieved - Hermann Lang achieved an average speed on the Grand Prix circuit on the salty lake of el Mellah in Tripoli. 211,25 km/h.
The year has come 1939. While in Poland it is already the third day of the Second World War, car races are held in Belgrade. Tazio Nuvolari closed the period before the war, who won the last Grand Prix competition in the 1930s (3 September 1938) driving an Auto Union car.
German journalist Ernest Hornickel compiled a table of the best players of this period, also including the results of minor city Grand Prix events or circular routes, np. Avus circuit competition, "Eifelrennen" races, Mediolanu Grand Prix, Rome, Barcelona, Italian races for the Acerbo Coppa Cup, Cyan cup itp. Other authors used different selection and evaluation criteria. However, they all agreed on one thing: in the first four places the same surnames repeat over and over again - Caracciola, Nuvolari, Chiron, Varzi.
The post-war period began for the Grand Prix racing in 1947 year.
It's obvious, that new types of cars were still under preparation, Thus, pre-war models of rescued cars appeared at the starts. Alfa Romeo 158, having fuel consumption 100 l/100km, he had to refuel twice during the race, so Maserati cars, consuming three times less fuel, we had victories from time to time.
But a new era was coming. W 1950 In the year, order was introduced in the evaluation of Grand Prix - the international car federation FIA began to score individual prizes, selected competitions and announce the official world champion; behind the scenes there was a hitherto unknown car brand - Ferrari, the later long-time favorite of Grand Prix races; most companies have already prepared new models, even British riders can boast of the BRM national car
British Racing Motors (the sixteen-cylinder 1.5-liter engine had such small cylinders, that the British press nicknamed him "sixteen cups of coffee”). Laurels of Victory in 1951 In the year, they split up Alfa Romeo and Ferrari again. In year 1952 the situation looked even less interesting. After Alfa Romeo left the world of racing, the Ferrari Grand Prix was left with virtually no competition. The FIA decided, that the world championship will be held in the formula 2, making companies financially weaker as well, like the French Gordini or the British Cooper-Bristol, had a chance to participate.
Formula cars 1 came to the fore in 1954 year, in which the new regulations came into force. They were supposed to survive to 1960 r. and that meant, that it began to pay off investing in the development of new models. Regulations limiting supercharged engine capacity to 750 cm3 practically ruled out compressors as "doping agents."” from the Grand Prix race tracks. Cars of well-known companies appeared at the start again: Mercedes-Benz, Maserati, where Fangio won the world title and Lancia, which only appeared on the Grand Prix scene for a few seasons. The pressure of British cars also grew stronger: Vanwall, BRM, Cooper i Lotus. The concept of building vehicles went towards placing the engine at the rear in front of the rear axle. The development of vehicle design was characterized by a drive to reduce weight, improvement of dynamic properties, obtaining more effective brakes and reducing aerodynamic drag.
From 1960 This year saw the beginning of an era of comparatively significant British car advantage, with which only Ferrari could compete. The cars already have transistor ignition, plastics are also used. The organizers lowered the statutory upper limit of engine capacity to 1500 cm3, in order to approximate formula cars 1 for popular passenger cars. Achieving sufficient power with such a capacity without a compressor required the cooperation of highly qualified designers, constructors, as well as test drive technicians and competitors. In place of the affirmative people, that they "feel” vehicle in hands and in ears, ruthless technique enters, based on theoretical scientific calculations and proven on the most modern diagnostic and trial devices, based on the achievements of aviation and astronautics. Formula racing 1 entered in 1966 year in period, where other power sources are allowed, than a classic piston engine. Wankel engines, especially combustion turbines, require a thorough knowledge of mechanics and thermodynamics, and the pressure wings - from aerodynamics, not to mention electronics, which has not yet reached everywhere.
All these pinnacles in racing car development had to be paid for. Merchants took the place of the technicians, which is the reason to close one chapter in the history of the Grand Prix competition. In the following years, the commercial goals became more and more open, and the teams participating in the competition donated their vehicles to the advertising service, often promoting products that have nothing to do with cars.