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Formula J is an alternate reality open-wheel racing series, simulated using Microprose GP2 that began in 1950 that diverges from Formula One in a number of ways. The biggest difference is that drivers do not pick up injuries or die while driving leading to very different championships and outcomes. For example, the 1955 Le Mans disaster does not occur in this timeline, meaning Mercedes remain in F1 and other manufacturers such as Honda, Porsche and Ford enjoy longer stays in the competition. Points are awarded to each classified finisher with 26 points for the winner down to one point for the 26th-placed finisher.

While some championships played out along similar lines to in reality (Juan Manuel Fangio took four title in the 1950s, for example), others didn't with the likes of Bruce McLaren (twice) and Wolfgang von Trips winning titles that they did not in reality. It also leads to more of an overlap between dominant drivers and closer battles as a result, with Alberto Ascari racing on until the 1960s and Jochen Rindt and Jim Clark spearheading Lotus' charge well into the 1970s. One other addition is the creation of the Pennington racing dynasty, a member of which has raced in every single Championship race.

1950s

Nino Farina (Alfa Romeo) opens with a win and goes on to claim the 1950 title before Fangio dominated the decade with four titles - two for Mercedes (1954, 1957) one for Maserati (1953) and one for Alfa Romeo (1951) - as the series expands. Luigi Villoresi triumphs for Ferrari in 1952 while Fangio was on course for another title in 1955 only for throttle failure in the final race to hand victory and the title to compatriot Jose Froilan Gonzales and Ferrari. Alberto Ascarfi salvages the 1956 title for Ferrari, who open the season with a 1-2-3-4-5 finish! John Pennington claims his first pole at Zandvoort 1952, his first win in 1953 and takes Vanwall's first win as a constructor in 1957. Mike Hawthorn wins for Ferrari in 1958 by seven points from Stirling Moss (Vanwall) and the final winner of the decade is Phil Hill (Ferrari) in 1959, who effectively inherits the title when team-mate Tony Brooks' transmission fails in the final race at Monza.

1960s

Bruce McLaren beats Cooper team-mate Jack Brabham to the 1960 title while Ferrari are the first marque to pass 50 wins, achieving the feat in 1961, a year which they dominated with Eugenio Castellotti winning the title. But it's the Brits who are generally on top with Graham Hill (1964, 1965, 1968), Jim Clark (1962, 1966) and Jackie Stewart (1969) - who won the first GP he contested in 1965 - winning the crown while in Auckland in 1961, Pennington beats Wolfgang von Trips to the line by 0.095 of a second! Mandatory pit stops are introduced in 1964, a season in which Pennington loses the title to Graham Hill on the penultimate lap due to engine failure. Four years later, the same happens again with Hill once again benefitting. Von Trips is a dominant champion for Mercedes in 1963 while Mike Hailwood (Lotus) almost wins the 1965 title with no finish better than third - showing how the new points system can sometimes reward consistency over outright pace. After comfortably winning the title in 1967 driving his own machinery, Jack Brabham retires. Graham Hill also calls it a day after his 1968 triumph only to later return driving for Brabham and Hill-BRM in the 1970s! The decade ends with Stewart utterly dominant, winning the last eight races (and four previously) to claim the 1969 title for Matra.

1970s

Next to achieve the feat of winning the title in his own machinery was Bruce McLaren, who did so in 1970 despite only one race win in a calendar now visiting 20 different countries. Clark is runner-up just seven points behind while rookies Emerson Fittipaldi and Ronnie Peterson fail to prequalify for the first eight races for March before accruing 225 in the remaining ten. John Pennington retires after his 1970 season is marred by technical failures after 235 races for ERA, Cooper, Vanwall, BRM, Ferrari and McLaren, winning a then-record 25. His record is soon passed by Stewart, who claims the 1971 title as rookie Niki Lauda (Mercedes) fades.

William Pennington debuts with BRM as Stewart passed his father's record for total wins (25). Jochen Rindt is a popular champion in 1972, with Clark leading until the final lap of his last race with another former champion, McLaren, also retiring. 1973 sees Jackie Stewart retire with a then-record 37 wins as his team-mate Francois Cevert is the first Frenchman takes the title. Runner-up Denny Hulme and Graham Hill also make their exits as something of a changing of the guard takes place with the likes of Cevert, Niki Lauda, Ronnie Peterson, Emerson Fittipaldi and Jody Scheckter coming to the fore.

For 1974. there were big changes as with 24 teams entering, a new 'B' race format is set up with the top eight drivers qualifying for the main event. The likes of Roger Williamson, Leo Kinnunen and Helmuth Koinigg impress in the new format, earning full-time drives with more established teams for 1975. The 1974 battle is a thriller with Peter Revson, Ricardo Rodriguez, Ronnie Peterson and Jody Scheckter all fighting for the title before Rodriguez finally prevails for Porsche.

For 1975, more changes came in as a relegation-style elimination saw the 24 teams involved throughout the weekend whittled down to 14 for the final race of the season based on points scored. Scheckter claims his first title in dominant fashion for McLaren, winning nine times with Rodriguez and Lauda his nearest challengers. Team-mate Pennington leads McLaren's charge in 1976 but is unable to overhaul the Mercedes of Mario Andretti while James Hunt, now at Lotus, takes his first win but poor reliability prevents him challenging for the title.

1977 sees the introduction of a 'C' race with some 31 teams entering and with Scheckter heading for Wolf, McLaren recruit Tom Pryce from Shadow to form an all-British line-up to take on Mercedes, Ferrari and Porsche. A season of high drama goes down to the final lap when Ricardo Rodriguez retires from third place, allowing Carlos Reutemann into fourth to claim the title by a single point from Ferrari team-mate Niki Lauda. Pryce finishes the season in fourth, just behind Ferrari-bound Gilles Villeneuve (Wolf) while there's a first win for Ligier at the hands of Jacques Laffitte. Reutemann is the first man to win the title without winning a race, neither managing a pole nor a fastest lap. As an unhappy Lauda leaves for Brabham, Emerson Fittipaldi closes his own team and signs for Mercedes alongside Andretti with Peterson returning to Lotus alongside Hunt for 1978.

Hunt comes close to the title in 1978 but hits bad form at the end of the season allowing Rindt (Porsche) to claim his second title immediately before retiring. Peterson is third but immediately leaves for McLaren with Reutemann taking his place at Lotus. A first win for Tom Pryce isn't enough to save his McLaren seat and after a desperate season with Wolf, Scheckter heads for Ferrari. Gilles Villeneuve registers his first win before taking Ferrari's 100th win at the Nurburgring; Pennington claims nine poles but appalling reliability means only two of those are converted to wins. Things get worse in 1979 and as Andretti claims his second title for Mercedes, Pennington leaves McLaren for Porsche. New winners this year are John Watson, Patrick Tambay (both Porsche), Alan Jones (Williams), Patrick Depailler (Ligier) and Kazuyoshi Hoshino (Honda).

1980s

A new decade sees a new champion as Andretti's replacement at Mercedes, Patrick Tambay, wins just once but excellent consistency wins him the title from Alan Jones (Williams) and Hans-Joachim Stuck (Porsche), who is the only driver to claim their maiden win in this season. In contrast, 1981 opens with maiden wins for Nelson Piquet (Brabham) and Eddie Cheever (Tyrell) as the calendar expands to some 28 races including visits to Chile, Colombia and Ireland!