See Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari 375 F1 at Silverstone

The 1951 Grand Prix of Great Britain was the first time that Scuderia Ferrari won a Formula 1 race. The Prancing Horse celebrated the 70th day last weekend at Silverstone. Now we have the chance to watch Ferrari F1 driver Charles Leclerc get behind the wheel of the team’s first race day winner.

The Ferrari 375 F1 is a glorious reminder of the early days of Grand Prix racing. The controls look almost ancient by today’s standards, with a centrally mounted accelerator pedal and a right brake. His large 4.5-liter Lampredi V-12 is also a blast from the past and can produce a whopping 350 hp. Not much power by today’s standards, but the 375 F1 weighs just 1230 pounds. Combine the big V-12 with those thin tires and huge steering wheel, and it’s no surprise the 375 F1 is a bit of a handful. Regardless, the 375 F1 proved capable enough to give Ferrari its maiden pole position and race win, both with José Froilán González inside. After the monumental show at Silverstone, the 375 F1 won victories at both the Nürburgring and Monza in 1951. Ferrari had officially arrived as the dominant competitor in motorsport.

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After a short shakedown, Leclerc was treated to a few laps of Silverstone in this piece of automotive history. The laps themselves don’t look particularly spirited, but Leclerc firmly believed he was pushing the car a bit. The racer later noticed how psychological the experience was and explained that his hands were sore after just a few laps. Leclerc also stated that despite the slower speeds, the feeling of danger inside the 375 F1 was central to the experience. Right next to that wonderful exhaust note, of course.

The last time the Ferrari 375 was launched at Silverstone was in 2011. Fernando Alonso was behind the wheel at the time, and it turned out to be a lucky charm. After the stint in the 375, Alonso won the British Grand Prix. Leclerc seemed ready to repeat history this past weekend, but unfortunately it wasn’t in sight. Lewis Hamilton overtook Leclerc with two laps to go, leaving Ferrari on the podium in second. Not exactly the 70th anniversary Ferrari was hoping for, but at least we got some great clips of the 375 F1 in action.

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