Henri Rougier, Voisin Laboratoire
Autosport Plus
Formula 1 Special feature

Grand prix racing’s forgotten year of change

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A century ago grand prix racing’s future as a fully fledged world championship remained some way off, but it was already a mixing pot for technical innovation, groundbreaking feats and drama aplenty

Grand prix history is often written as though it began in 1950, with the inauguration of the Formula 1 world championship that is now very much the pinnacle of motorsport. That certainly keeps things neat, but GP competition started as far back as 1906, and the season that took place a century ago is a forgotten milestone.

The 1923 campaign featured the arrival of a new technology that would revolutionise racing for decades, the appearance of a mid-engined design, and flirtations with other innovations, the potentials of which would not be realised for many years. And there was some controversy over a team copying the car of a rival…

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