16 iconic photos that depict the history of F1

Over the course of its 75 championship years so far, Formula 1 has witnessed countless iconic moments both on and off the track. From thrilling battles to fierce rivalries, emotional outbursts to dramatic crashes, the sport has continued to deliver unforgettable scenes.

Many of these have been captured on camera, with these photos going on to become legendary in their own right.

As F1 enters into the latter stages of its 75th year, we’ve been taking a look back at some of these particularly special images from the archive, ranging from the early days right through to the modern era…

The first-ever championship race – 1950 British Grand Prix

On May 13, 1950, Silverstone hosted the first race of the inaugural Formula 1 World Championship. Over 70 laps, 24 drivers went racing in front of a crowd estimated to number up to 120,000 spectators, while prestigious guests included His Royal Highness King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.

Giuseppe ‘Nino’ Farina took victory; while the Italian’s fellow Alfa Romeo driver Juan Manuel Fangio had led, a broken oil pipe forced the future five-time World Champion to retire. It was the first of three wins for Farina that season, who went on to become the sport’s maiden championship victor.

Hill lends Siffert a visor – 1968 French Grand Prix

Graham Hill was leading the 1968 championship standings ahead of Round 6 of the campaign at France’s Rouen-Les-Essarts Circuit. In a race marred by the tragic death of Jo Schlesser following a crash on Lap 2, Hill retired his Lotus on Lap 14 owing to an issue with his car.

Despite his retirement, the Briton seemed keen to help team mate Jo Siffert, who was still running amid damp conditions. Siffert stopped by the side of the track as Hill gave him his rain visor to help with driving against the spray, a moment that has since become a famed image depicting this particular era in the sport.

Hunt and Lauda – 1977 Belgian Grand Prix

The story of James Hunt and Niki Lauda’s battle for the title in 1976 is well known, with the ups and downs of that season – which featured Lauda’s remarkable comeback from a horrifying crash at the Nurburgring – leading to the tale being retold in the 2013 film Rush.

But despite their on-track rivalry, the two drivers also shared a friendship away from racing. Lauda went on to describe Hunt as an “open, honest to God pal” – something that this photo, captured at the Belgian Grand Prix in 1977, seems to capture.

Four icons fight for the title – 1986 Portuguese Grand Prix

The 1980s saw the emergence of some big icons of the sport – and, ahead of the 1986 Portuguese Grand Prix, four of these star names posed for a famous photograph, with all still in contention for the title prior to the race.

Lotus’ Ayrton Senna, McLaren’s Alain Prost and the Williams pair of Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet all smiled for the cameras amid a close championship fight amongst them. It was ultimately Prost who took the crown on this occasion – and these four drivers would be responsible for every title victory that followed until 1994.

Prost walks away from infamous Senna collision – 1989 Japanese Grand Prix

After that aforementioned 1986 triumph, Prost had to wait until 1989 for his third World Championship – which arrived in dramatic style following a controversial collision with Senna, now his McLaren team mate, at Suzuka.

Contact at the Casio Triangle chicane put Prost out of the race, with the Frenchman subsequently captured by photographers as he walked away from his MP4/5. While Senna had continued on, the Brazilian was later disqualified for cutting the chicane when he rejoined, meaning that the title went to Prost.

Mansell gives Senna a lift – 1991 British Grand Prix

Another memorable picture from that era came at Silverstone in 1991. Senna had arrived into the weekend as championship leader, having bolstered his points with a run of four consecutive victories when the season got underway.

It was Mansell’s time to shine at the British Grand Prix, however, with the home favourite taking the win. Senna ran out of fuel on the last lap, but was still classified in fourth – and famously hitched a ride on Mansell’s triumphant Williams after the chequered flag.

Hakkinen and Schumacher talk it out – 2000 Belgian Grand Prix

Later on in the 1990s, an iconic rivalry developed between McLaren’s Mika Hakkinen and Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher, one that was respectful but also featured some incredible battles on the track.

Perhaps one of the most famous moments between the two occurred at the 2000 Belgian Grand Prix, where Hakkinen overtook Schumacher for the lead as both lapped backmarker Ricardo Zonta. As this post-race photograph shows, the duo were seen deep in conversation after Hakkinen went on to take the win.

A fairytale come true for Button – 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix

When the 2009 campaign began, Jenson Button and the Brawn GP team caused a shock by embarking on a stunning run of victories, winning six of the seven opening races.

While Button did not triumph again that season as the squad’s rivals caught up, that early success was enough to secure him a maiden title at the penultimate race in Brazil, sparking memorable scenes as the wide-eyed new World Champion celebrated his achievement.

Vettel bows down to the RB9 – 2013 Indian Grand Prix

After Button’s championship success, Sebastian Vettel was the next man to experience title glory for the first time in 2010, a feat he repeated three more times as he wrapped up an impressive four consecutive titles.

The final one of these arrived during a dominant 2013 season for Vettel, the German sealing his fourth crown with three races to spare at the Indian Grand Prix. Following his latest win, the four-time World Champion bowed down on his knees in front of his Red Bull RB9 machine.

Three World Champions perform donuts – 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

While both titles had been decided prior to the 2018 season finale in Abu Dhabi – having been won by Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes – the campaign came to a close in unforgettable style thanks to a special moment after the chequered flag.

With the event marking Fernando Alonso’s final race at the time – before his later comeback in 2021 – the Spaniard lined up alongside fellow World Champions Hamilton and Vettel to perform some celebratory donuts on the grid.

Hamilton equals Schumacher’s seven titles – 2020 Turkish Grand Prix

Amid a shortened season owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes had continued their run of success, the Briton having already notched up nine victories before Round 14 in Turkey.

Another win that weekend brought Hamilton a historic seventh World Championship, equalling Michael Schumacher’s tally. It was clearly an emotional moment for the driver, who knelt forwards on the halo of his W11 in parc ferme as he processed what he had done.

Grosjean escapes horror crash – 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix

One of the sport’s most shocking incidents of recent times took place in Bahrain during the latter stages of the 2020 season, when Haas’ Romain Grosjean suffered a crash through the barriers on the opening lap of the race that saw his car burst into flames.

The Frenchman managed to extricate himself from the wreckage and, with help from the attending medical team, made his way to the ambulance where he was subsequently transferred to hospital. He was treated for burns to his hands and his ankle, while the race would prove to be Grosjean’s last in Formula 1.

Verstappen’s frustrations show in title fight – 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

In 2021, a fierce battle for the Drivers’ Championship played out between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen that went right down to the wire, with several contentious moments along the way.

So tight was the duel that every point counted more than ever – and the intensity shone through when a late-race tyre failure for Verstappen put him out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Dutchman famously kicking the left rear that had suffered the blowout in frustration as he walked away from his stricken car.

Leclerc’s long-awaited home win – 2024 Monaco Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc had seemingly carried something of a home race curse across much of his F1 career when it came to the Monaco Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver having generally suffered bad luck at the event since his debut in 2018.

But all that changed at the 2024 race, in which the Monegasque converted pole position into an emotional win. The result sparked unforgettable scenes after the chequered flag had fallen as Leclerc celebrated the result with his team.

Title number four for Verstappen – 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix

The Las Vegas Grand Prix has delivered the spectacle both on and off track since joining the calendar in 2023 – and it was an especially important race for Max Verstappen in 2024, with it being the scene of the Red Bull driver sealing his fourth consecutive World Championship.

While he had been in dominant form during his previous title win, this one proved more hard-fought for the Dutchman, and the joy at securing the crown was clear to see as he held four fingers aloft for the cameras.

Hamilton makes his Ferrari debut – 2025 pre-season

News of Lewis Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari for the 2025 season sent shockwaves through the F1 world when it was announced before the 2024 campaign had even begun, with the move bringing an end to the Briton’s long and successful partnership with Mercedes.

Needless to say, there was much anticipation ahead of the seven-time World Champion’s first days with the Scuderia – and the photos showing him on his maiden visit to Maranello as a Ferrari driver quickly gained iconic status.