Formula 1 Releases Colourised Footage Of First Race To Celebrate 75th Anniversary

Formula 1 releases colourised footage of first race to celebrate 75th anniversary (Image Source: IANS)

World Drivers Champion: To mark the 75th anniversary of this historic occasion, Formula 1 has released restored and colourised footage of the first race as a moment in history brought to life.

On May 13, 1950, the cars raced off the line to start the very first Formula 1 World Championship at Silverstone, UK. The event, part of a seven-race series at the time, set in motion 75 years of excitement, drama and innovation, which have led to the global sporting phenomenon.

A team of experts at Formula 1 have expertly brought the race footage and a historic news reel to life, showing the victory by Italy's Giuseppe "Nino" Farina in the Alfa Romeo in vibrant colour and giving new perspective to the making of the first Formula 1 World Drivers Champion, which will forever stand as a milestone in world sport.

Using advanced Al software, reference imagery, and manual painting techniques, the process painstakingly implants the original colours of the scene onto the moving imagery, bringing to life the people and surroundings of that day.

Specific elements such as the sky, grass, cars and faces are electronically painted manually to truly bring the scene to life, using images of the cars and subjects, and F1 archive footage, to ensure accuracy.

The release of the footage is part of a day of celebration from Formula 1, which also includes a 24-hour YouTube stream featuring 7 full classic races, highlights from across the decades, and the drivers and team principals from the current F1 grid reflecting on their earliest memories of the sport.

Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of Formula 1 said, "75 years ago today our sport roared to life, and we are privileged to continue the incredible legacy of the brave drivers who raced for the ultimate prize on this day in 1950. It is fantastic to see this footage brought to life in full colour, and an amazing way to mark this historic moment."

The release of the footage is part of a day of celebration from Formula 1, which also includes a 24-hour YouTube stream featuring 7 full classic races, highlights from across the decades, and the drivers and team principals from the current F1 grid reflecting on their earliest memories of the sport.

Article Source: IANS