Video Documentaries: Formula Ford in the 1960s

Schumacher, Hill, Senna – many of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time made some of their first waves behind the wheel of a Formula Ford. These thrilling documentaries take us back to the earliest days of the series.

Formula Ford as we know it was born at Brands Hatch on July 2nd, 1967. Later that year Belgium would play host to the first international race, and from there the reach of Formula Ford racing would expand rapidly across Europe and into the United States.

It wasn’t long before Formula Ford racers started filtering through the ranks of top-tier open wheel championships. Emerson Fittipaldi would become the first Formula Ford racer to win an F1 Grand Prix in 1970, and two years later he became the first to win the overall F1 World Championship. This was the shape of things to come.

By the early 1970s it was overwhelming clear that Formula Ford was a direct gateway to F1 for up and coming talent. This meant that some of the greatest Formula 1 heroes spent time behind the wheel of Formula Fords in their earlier days; Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill are just the beginning.