A man destined to create history Nino Farina set the tracks on fire with his mind-numbing pace every time he raced. Perhaps not the most naturally talented of Formula One drivers, Farina was still the most stylish with his trademark 'straight-arm' driving technique and the most courageous, unafraid to crash and burn in his pursuit to win close races. During his severe accident stricken racing career, many considered him to be indestructible having survived so many lethal crashes in an era when drivers were often killed in accidents. It was this attitude and the sheer will to win that saw Farina imprint his name in record books. As the spearhead of the mighty Alfa Romeo trio in 1950 comprising of Farina, Fangio and Fagioli, also known as the three Fs, Farina became the first ever Formula One (F1) World Champion after dominating the 1950 season. After conquering the first world championship and surviving numerous racing accidents, ironically, the Italian legend eventually died in a tragic road accident in 1966.

Giuseppe Farina, nicknamed Nino, was born on October 30, 1906 in Turin, home to many car-manufacturing industries in Italy. As the nephew of Pinin Farina of the prestigious coach building firm and the future owner of his father's Stabilimente Farina, a bodywork shop in Turin, Farina was bound to be a part of the automotive industry. It was the racing side of this industry that Farina developed an increasing attachment to since the age of 16 when he accompanied his uncle as a passenger in a race. Yet, being academically inclined, Farina's racing career had to wait as he enrolled into the University of Turin to get his doctorate in law.

After becoming Dottore Giuseppe Farina, he began his military service as a cavalry officer while simultaneously kick-starting his racing dream. In 1932, Farina initiated his motor racing career in hill climb competitions in his brand new Alfa-Romeo. A bad crash in one of these competitions then led Farina to switch to circuit racing with Maserati. Though, he had his fair share of accidents in circuit racing too, Farina did enough to prove his competence as an upcoming race car driver to be promoted as the number two driver to the great Tazio Nuvolari of the Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo team.

Under the guidance of Nuvolari and powered with the roaring Alfa Romeos, Farina honed his driving skills to clinch numerous minor races in the Voiturette class and dominate the Italian Drivers' Championship three years in a row (1937-1939). By 1940, Farina in the peak of form, secured his first major race win at the Tripoli Grand Prix in Libya. However, his booming racing career came to an abrupt halt at the outbreak of World War II, which saw Farina serve during the war under a tank regiment.

Post war, Farina re-entered Grand Prix racing in a privately owned Maserati and immediately got back to his winning ways by securing the Monaco Grand Prix in 1948. The rejuvenated and in-form Farina was then recalled to the Alfa Romeo team where he was to partner the then team leader Jean-Pierre Wimille. By 1949, Farina had stepped into the shoes of his new partner as team leader following the tragic death of Jean-Pierre Wimille at the start of the 1949 season. The next year, Farina was paired alongside Juan Manuel Fangio and countryman Luigi Fagioli to take on the inaugural World Championship of 1950. As the leader of the fully loaded Alfa Romeo team, driving the invincible Tipo 158 cars, Farina was set to create history.

In the 1950 season, Farina took 3 wins from the 7 races to become the first driver ever to lift the premier F1 championship title. Conquering the first world championship was indeed the pinnacle of Farina's racing career, as he could not withstand the increasing pressure from his younger competitors in the seasons that followed. Farina's 1951 title defence proved completely futile thanks to the raging pace of his teammate Juan Manuel Fangio. A win at the Belgian Grand Prix was the only victory Farina managed to secure in the entire 1951 season. To counter this unsuccessful season, Farina moved to Ferrari in 1952, to face another streak of disappointing seasons at the hands of his younger teammate, Alberto Ascari. Racing for Ferrari, Farina stood no chance of recovering his world title with Ascari winning nine successive World Championship Grand Prix in 1952 and 1953.

The last positive of Farina's deteriorating F1 career came in 1953 when he won his first race for Ferrari at the Nurburgring in the 1953 German Grand Prix. His win at Germany was also the last of his 5 World Championship wins. However, a determined Farina continued to make waves in other racing championships. Teaming up with fellow F1 driver Mike Hawthorn, he won the Spa 24 Hours endurance race in 1953 and won a round of the World Sports Car Championship in 1954.

After facing another unsuccessful season in F1, Farina retired from the sport at the end of the 1955 season. Following his retirement from F1, he made were several half-hearted comebacks at Indianapolis in 1956 only to sustain more crashes, adding to his long list of racing wreckages.

Having endured so many accidents in his racing career, Farina could not dodge death in a road accident in 1966 to mark one of the greatest ironies in F1 history. The Italian legend was lost in a car crash at Chambery in France, whilst driving to the 1966 French Grand Prix.