Video: Race of the Century – Ferrari vs Maserati and Mike Hawthorn’s first win | 1953 French GP. F1's Race of the Century - Ferrari vs Maserati.

What is the greatest Formula 1 race of all time? With 13 lead changes and a strong battle to the end of the race between Maserati and Ferrari, the 1953 French Grand Prix at Reims was described as ‘The Race of the Century’.

In the latest of Autosport’s “Short View Back to the Past” series, Chief Editor Kevin Turner rflects on Mike Hawthorn’s first ever win. Hawthorn won for Ferrari after a sixty lap battle with Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio, as they reportedly swapped the lead at virtually every corner on the Reims circuit. In addition, after 500 km of racing, the four lead cars were less than 5 seconds apart:

— see video above —