Championship-winning cars from various years were gathered at Silverstone.

      This weekend Silverstone is hosting a motorsport festival dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the first British Grand Prix, which took place at this circuit on 13 May 1950.

      To mark the occasion, the organisers of the Silverstone Festival have managed to assemble championship-winning Formula 1 cars ranging from the Alfa Romeo 158, in which Giuseppe Farina won the title in 1950, to Max Verstappen’s Red Bull RB18.

      On Thursday evening the cars were brought out onto the start grid of the historic British circuit for a special photoshoot. However, Silverstone is not only showcasing championship cars but also those that, over the years, wrought something of a revolution and literally forced the technical regulations to be rewritten.

      That is to say, these include the first chassis to implement ground effect, chassis with clever suspension systems or unusual steering designs — all of which now serve as a reminder that the boldest ideas often bring success in Formula 1.

      In the front row of the aerial shot you can see five cars that between them won 24 titles over the years: besides the aforementioned Alfa Romeo 158, these are Juan Manuel Fangio’s Maserati 250F, Jackie Stewart’s Tyrrell 006, Alain Prost’s McLaren MP4/2B, Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes F1 W11 and Max Verstappen’s Red Bull RB18.

      Further back in the picture you can make out other famous examples, including Graham Hill’s BRM P578, Nigel Mansell’s Williams FW14B, Jim Clark’s Lotus 25 R4, Michael Schumacher’s Benetton 191 and Fernando Alonso’s Renault R25.

      The organisers paid particular tribute to John Surtees, the only man to become world champion on both two and four wheels: although he won the Formula 1 title racing for Ferrari, Silverstone is displaying one of the cars from his Team Surtees, and next to it you can see an MV Agusta racing motorcycle.

      Special attention has been paid to racing dynasties, so the cars of Graham and Damon Hill and of Keke and Nico Rosberg are parked side by side.

      Nick Wigley, the festival director: “When we see all this glorious machinery that has won championships over the past 75 years gathered together on Silverstone’s start grid, it is an incredible, unforgettable spectacle.”

      All this racing machinery from different generations will be on display in the Silverstone paddock throughout the weekend, allowing the public to trace the evolution of Formula 1.