Who Was Giuseppe “Nino” Farina?

Today we take an in-depth look at one of the early greats of Formula 1 racing. Giuseppe "Nino" Farina was the first ever winner of the now iconic racing sport and lives on in the memories of fans who take the sport seriously. While there are a handful of names that have risen to levels of fame that transcend the world of Formula 1 the first winner of them all is not among them. Few people are unfamiliar with names like Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna, and Michael Schumacher, but Giuseppe remains largely forgotten. Nevertheless, the great Nino is the granddaddy of them all and deserves a place in the hearts of all true Formula 1 fans.

Famous Wins

The most famous of them all is his first-place finish in the first-ever FIA Formula World Championship of 1950, but this wasn't his first victory or his last. It was, however, destined to be his only podium-topping finish on the Formula 1 circuit. The great Italian had been occupying space on the podiums since his 3rd place finish at the Coppa Principessa di Piemonte in 1933 driving an Alfa Romeo 2300. Many of his greatest wins were destined to be on the Alfa Romeo team including his 1950 first place in the inaugural Formula 1 contest. His first top spot came the following year in 1934 and he would continue to take podium spots consistently over the next two decades until his retirement in 1955.

Early Life

Nino was born into a well-heeled family which enabled him to take up the sport that was to be his lifelong passion at an early age. His father Giovanni Carlo Farina founded a successful coach-building company which allowed Nino to begin driving vehicles at the age of just 9. His family expected him to continue in the automotive industry, but his love of racing was too strong. When he was 16 his favorite uncle Pinin allowed him to ride shotgun with him in a race and the rest is history.

At the age of 19, just three years later, the hot-blooded young champion to-be took part in his first competitive racing event but crashed out of the competition. The idea of quitting the sport never entered his mind however and reckless driving was to remain a feature of his professional career. The young man excelled at school both academically and athletically and he graduated with a doctorate in law from the University of Turin. 

Rise to fame

While still at the University of Turin Nino bought an Alfa Romeo car only to crash it and break his shoulder in the 1925 Aosta-Gran San Bernardo Hillclimb. He was trying to overtake his own father at the time. Nothing could dampen his enthusiasm, however, and the young man continued to race, with Alfa Romeo's and Maserati's through the 20s and 30s. In the early 30s, his dedication began to pay off. He scored his first podium position (3rd place) in 1933, and his first podium-topping win came in 1934.

Later years

Although Nino raced successfully for another 5 years a pattern had already formed. His drive to win at any cost, combined with his fearlessness on the track meant that he was regularly involved in crashes.A mere 8 days after his 1950 F1 win he was involved in a pile-up in Monaco. In 1953 he was involved in a tragedy in Argentine. Spectators had been given free access to the race course and when Nino swerved to avoid a young boy crossing the track he plowed into the crowd. Seven people died as a result of his evasive action with many more injured.

In 1953 he broke his right arm in a crash and in 1954 he suffered serious burn injuries after his car went up in flames at the Grand Prix in Monza. He spent 20 days in hospital and it was during this period that he began to use morphine to ease the constant pain of his injuries. His last competitive listing was in the 1957 Indianapolis 500.

Nino’s legacy

Nino was famous for his reckless driving which was exciting to watch but provoked anxiety even in the likes of Enzo Ferrari who later claimed that he always worried about him on the race track. After his retirement, Nino went on to become a successful businessman in the automotive trade but never lost his love for racing. He died while driving through the Alps to the 1966 French Grand Prix, losing control of his vehicle and crashing into a telegraph pole. Maybe if he had been a little more careful on the track he could have raced a few more years, and won a couple of more titles. But would he have been such an exciting driver to watch? It's a hard one to answer. Whatever your thoughts, let's take a moment to remember an early great of one of the world's most exciting high-speed sports.