STORY OF THE DAY: González delivers Ferrari’s first World Championship victory

At Silverstone on 14 July 1951, José Froilán González drove Ferrari 375 F1 number 12 to victory in the British Grand Prix. The result was Ferrari’s first win in a World Championship Grand Prix and ended Alfa Romeo’s unbeaten championship run. González finished ahead of Juan Manuel Fangio, with Luigi Villoresi placing another Ferrari on the podium.

The race developed into a contest between the powerful Ferraris and Alfa Romeos, with González and Fangio setting the decisive pace. González led much of the distance, temporarily yielding during the pit-stop cycle before regaining control. Ferrari considered transferring his car to Alberto Ascari after Ascari retired, but the team allowed González to continue, and the Argentine converted his performance into a landmark victory.

Ferrari’s 375 F1 used a 4.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 designed under Aurelio Lampredi. Its comparatively economical fuel consumption was particularly valuable at Silverstone, where the supercharged Alfa Romeos required heavier fuel loads and more time in the pits. The car’s power, range and stability suited the circuit’s fast layout.

José Froilán González was an Argentine driver whose strength and forceful style earned him the nickname “El Cabezón.” A compatriot and contemporary of Fangio, he established a particularly important bond with Ferrari through the Silverstone breakthrough. He later won the 1954 British Grand Prix for the marque and remains inseparable from the moment Ferrari first conquered a World Championship race.