Fangio clinched his first world title 75 years ago today at Pedralbes

Seventy-five years ago today, on 28 October 1951, the Spanish Grand Prix at the Pedralbes circuit was the eighth and final round of the Formula 1 World Championship. Juan Manuel Fangio won the race and took the first drivers' title.

Title decided in the final round

Three drivers went into the race with a chance of the championship. Fangio led with 27 points, Alberto Ascari had 25 and José Froilán González had 21. Fangio only needed to finish second to become champion. The source includes a points table showing the results each of the three drivers would need to win the title.

Fangio began the race two points ahead of Ascari.

Tyre choice shaped the race

Tyre choice decided the race. Ferrari chose a 16-inch rear wheel, while Alfa Romeo opted for 18-inch. The race showed that the 18-inch choice was the right one.

Ascari led early on, ahead of González. Ferrari then suffered repeated tyre failures. Piero Taruffi's tyre tread came off on lap 6. Luigi Villoresi had the same problem on lap 7, Ascari on lap 8 and González on lap 14. Ferrari were forced to pit frequently to change tyres.

Fangio won comfortably. Ascari finished fourth and could not overhaul Fangio's points total, so Fangio became the first drivers' champion.

Alfa Romeo's withdrawal

After the race, Alfa Romeo announced that it would not compete in the 1952 season because of a lack of financial resources. The team that had won the title therefore did not take part in the following season.

The source's lap and race result tables only include the top five finishers in the championship standings. In those years, only the best four results counted towards the championship. The Pedralbes race also awarded a point for the fastest lap.