Formula One

Formula One, often called F1, is the top level of racing for open-wheel, single-seater race cars. It has been one of the world's most exciting forms of motorsport since it began in 1950. In Formula One, drivers race on special tracks in many countries around the world. These races are called Grands Prix.

There are two main championships each year: one for the best driver and one for the best team. Drivers need a special racing license, and the tracks must meet the highest safety standards. Formula One cars are some of the fastest race cars in the world, using clever designs to go very fast on the track.

Today, Formula One is owned by Liberty Media Corporation, which added new races in places like Miami, Las Vegas, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Dutch. Many of the teams are based in the United Kingdom, making it a very important place for this exciting sport.

History

Main article: History of Formula One

Formula One began from older racing championships. The rules, called a "formula," set standards for all cars. After World War II, a new set of rules was created, and the first official race happened in 1950 at Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom. Giuseppe Farina won the first Drivers' World Championship, and Juan Manuel Fangio later won five championships in a row.

New rules and technologies changed the sport over time. Mid-engine cars became common, and new designs like sponsor logos and aerodynamic shapes improved speed and style. Bernie Ecclestone helped turn Formula One into a big business by organizing how teams and race tracks worked together.

Famous drivers like Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost raced for years, but Senna sadly passed away during a race in 1994. Since then, safety rules have been made stricter to keep drivers safer.

In recent years, new teams and technologies have kept Formula One exciting. Hybrid engines were introduced in 2014, and new rules in 2022 aimed to make races closer and more fun to watch. The sport continues to grow with new teams and partners joining in.

Racing

A Formula One Grand Prix event happens over a weekend. It usually starts with two practice sessions on Friday and a third on Saturday. Extra drivers, called third drivers, can join on Fridays, but each team can only use two cars, so a race driver might need to give up their seat. After the last practice session, there is a qualifying session to decide the order of cars for the race on Sunday.

Each driver gets thirteen sets of dry-weather tyres, three sets of wet-weather tyres, and four sets of intermediate tyres for each race weekend. All unused tyres must be returned.

For much of its history, qualifying was similar to practice, with drivers trying to set the fastest lap. Now, qualifying is a "knock-out" format with three stages: Q1, Q2, and Q3. Drivers try to set fast laps to move to the next stage, and the slowest drivers are eliminated each round. In Q1, the slowest six drivers are eliminated after 18 minutes. In Q2, the remaining 16 drivers have 15 minutes to set one of the ten fastest times to move to Q3. Q3 lasts 12 minutes and decides the first ten starting positions. Each car gets one set of the softest tyres for Q3, which they must return after the session.

In 2021, a "sprint qualifying" race was tested on Saturdays to try a new way of qualifying. The traditional qualifying decided the order for the sprint, and the sprint result decided the order for the Grand Prix. From 2023, sprint races no longer affect the main race order, which is decided by traditional qualifying. Sprints have their own qualifying called the "sprint shootout," which is shorter and requires new tyres for each part.

The race starts with a formation lap to check the cars and warm up tyres. Cars line up on the grid in qualifying order. Five red lights turn on above the track, then go off to start the race. If there is a problem, the race can start behind a safety car. Drivers can stop during the race to change tyres or fix damage. They must make at least one stop and use two different tyre types. The race ends when the leader finishes the set number of laps. If the race is stopped early for safety, a warning is given before it restarts.

The race director manages each Grand Prix, making sure rules are followed and handling any problems. The safety car, driven by Bernd Mayländer since 2000, helps keep everyone safe if there is an incident. Drivers must follow the safety car and cannot pass others. A Virtual Safety Car (VSC) can also be used to slow down the race without needing a physical car.

Points are given to the top ten drivers and teams at each race. The winner gets 25 points. Points are added up over the season to decide the World Champions. Drivers must finish at least 90% of the race to earn points, even if they don’t finish the whole race.

Constructors

See also: List of Formula One constructors, List of Formula One engine constructors, and List of Formula One World Constructors' Champions

In Formula One, a constructor is the group that designs the car's body and engine. If one company makes both, they get all the credit, like Ferrari. If two different companies make them, both get credit, with the body designer's name first, like McLaren-Mercedes. Each constructor gets its own score, even if they share parts with another team. To join Formula One, a new team must pay a large fee, which is shared among the existing teams.

Since 1981, Formula One teams have had to build their own car bodies. This is different from other racing series where teams can buy their car bodies or where all cars must be exactly the same. In 2007, two teams used car bodies made by other teams, but this was stopped in 2010 with new rules.

Most Formula One teams are based in England, in an area called "Motorsport Valley" near Oxfordshire. The only team not based in England is Ferrari, which builds its cars in Maranello, Italy. Other teams have bases in places like Faenza, Milton Keynes, Hinwil, Switzerland, and Kannapolis, North Carolina, in the United States.

Drivers

See also: List of Formula One drivers, List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions, and List of Formula One driver numbers

In Formula One, each team must use two cars in every race weekend and can have up to four drivers in a season. Teams sometimes use extra drivers during practice sessions to test new talent or let experienced drivers try the car. Most drivers sign contracts for at least one full season, but sometimes teams change drivers even during the middle of a season.

To race in Formula One, drivers need a special licence called an FIA Super Licence. This licence is given to drivers who have done well in lower-level racing and have driven about 300 kilometres (190 miles) in a Formula One car over two days. Teams can also have backup drivers ready to step in if needed. These backup drivers often practice using a simulator, like rFpro, which helps them get ready for real races.

Each driver picks a unique number between 2 and 99 (except 17, which is not used anymore) when they join Formula One, and they keep that number as long as they stay in the sport. The number one is saved for the current Drivers' Champion, who can choose to use either their old number or the number one. In the early days, race organizers gave out numbers randomly for each race.

Formula One has been very physically demanding for drivers. They burn about 1,000 calories per hour and can lose up to 5% of their body weight in a single race. This is because the cars create strong forces called g-force when turning, braking, and speeding up. Drivers also face very hot temperatures inside the car, sometimes as high as 60 °C (140 °F), and must wear many layers of special clothing for safety. They need strength to control the steering wheel and brake pedal, and they must stay very fit to handle the strain of racing.

Most Formula One drivers start by racing small cars called karts and then move up through different racing levels. These levels include Formula Ford, Formula Renault, and Formula 4. After that, drivers often race in Formula Three series, such as British F3 and European F3, or in Formula Regional series. The next step is usually the FIA Formula 2 Championship. Some drivers skip a few steps—Max Verstappen, for example, moved to Formula One after just one season in European F3. A few drivers have even jumped straight from lower levels to Formula One, like Kimi Räikkönen.

Races in American open-wheel car racing have also produced Formula One drivers. Mario Andretti and Jacques Villeneuve both became F1 World Champions after racing in CART, and Juan Pablo Montoya won several races in F1.

Grands Prix

See also: List of Formula One Grands Prix

The number of big races, called Grands Prix, in each season of Formula One has changed over the years. The first season in 1950 had only seven races, and some extra races that were not part of the main championship. By 2024, there were 24 races in a single season, which is the most ever.

Most of the early races happened in Europe, with the Indianapolis 500 being the only one outside of Europe in 1950. Over time, races were added in other parts of the world. Argentina had the first race in South America in 1953, and Morocco had the first race in Africa in 1958. Later, races were added in Japan in 1976 and Australia in 1985. The Middle East got its first race in 2004. By 2014, races were held on every populated continent except Africa, with 10 races outside of Europe.

The British and Italian Grands Prix have been held every season since the start of Formula One. The Monaco Grand Prix, first held in 1929, is one of the most famous and important races in the world, and it has been held every year except in 2020.

For a long time, all Grands Prix were held during the day. But in 2008, the Singapore Grand Prix became the first night race, followed by the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009 and the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2014. Some races in Asia have also changed their start times to fit better for viewers in Europe.

Contracted Grands Prix

The following twenty-two Grands Prix have contracts to be hosted at the listed circuits for the (/wiki/2026_Formula_One_World_Championship) season:

The following Grands Prix are contracted for the 2027 season:

Circuits

See also: List of Formula One circuits

Formula One races take place on special tracks called Grade A tracks, which are the best quality allowed by the racing rules. These tracks can have different shapes and lengths, but every race must be about 305 kilometers long. Most tracks are driven in a clockwise direction, but a few are driven the opposite way.

Each track usually has a long straight section where drivers start the race, and next to it is the pit lane. This is where teams keep their cars and fix them during the race. When drivers need to change tires or make small fixes, they stop in the pit lane. Before 2010, drivers also stopped here to add more fuel to their cars. Special road markings help drivers enter and leave the pit lane safely.

Many Formula One tracks are built just for racing, but some are made from regular city streets. Famous examples include Monaco, Melbourne, Singapore, Miami, Jeddah, and Las Vegas. Safety features on tracks have become very important, and new tracks are designed to keep drivers safe, even if some people think they don’t feel as exciting as older tracks.

New tracks like the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, the Sochi Autodrom, and the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan have joined the racing calendar in recent years. The Algarve International Circuit in Portugal joined in 2020, and Circuit Zandvoort in the Netherlands returned in 2021. The Las Vegas Grand Prix began in 2023.

Cars and technology

Modern Formula One cars are special racing cars with a mid-engine design, hybrid power, and open wheels. They are made mostly from strong, light carbon-fiber material, so they weigh only 800 kilograms without fuel. If a car is too light, extra weight called ballast is added to meet this rule.

The shape of the car helps it go fast. Wings on the front and back, plus a special design under the car, create a force that keeps the car stuck to the track at high speeds. This lets the car handle turns very well.

Formula One cars use special tyres that help them turn smoothly. In the past, they had grooves on the tyres, but now they use slick tyres made only by one company. The wheels are made from strong metal and covered with standard covers.

These cars can go very fast, over 350 kilometers per hour on some tracks. In 2014, the engines changed to smaller turbocharged ones that also use electric power to make them even faster.

Revenue and profits

In Formula One, teams and drivers have different costs. Some big teams spend a lot of money on their cars, while smaller teams spend much less. There have been discussions about how money is shared among the teams, with some feeling it is not fair.

The cost to build new racing tracks can be very high, but sometimes using public roads for races costs less. In 2020, Formula One had less money because the racing started late due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cost cap

When Formula One started, there were no rules to limit how much teams could spend. Over time, this led to bigger teams doing much better than smaller ones. To help make the racing more fair, rules were made to limit how much teams could spend. In 2021, this limit was set to $175 million, then lowered over the years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even with this limit, some say it doesn’t fix everything, but it has helped teams be smarter with their money. For example, McLaren improved a lot from the start of the 2023 season to becoming very competitive later on.

Future

Formula One is working on new rules to make it cheaper for teams to compete. After buying Formula One in 2017, Liberty Media shared plans to improve the sport. These plans include making the sport cheaper, keeping it relevant to real cars, and welcoming new car makers.

Formula One also wants to help the environment. They aim to balance out their carbon footprint by 2030 and make all events sustainable by 2025. This means no single-use plastics and reusing or recycling all waste.

The sport has also taken steps to address fairness and equality. Before the 2020 season, Formula One started the #WeRaceAsOne initiative to show support against racism and to create a task force to improve diversity in the sport. Teams and drivers have also shown their support for these causes.

Women in Formula One

Since Formula One began in 1950, five women have raced in Grand Prix events, with only one finishing high enough to earn points. Women have also taken on many important roles in teams, such as leaders, engineers, and strategists. Recently, more girls and women are watching and joining the sport.

Maria Teresa de Filippis was the first woman to race in Formula One, driving in the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix. Lella Lombardi is the only woman to earn points in a race, finishing sixth in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. Desiré Wilson won a race in the 1980 Aurora AFX F1 Championship, and Giovanna Amati was the last woman to try to qualify for a Grand Prix in 1992.

In 2022, Formula One started the F1 Academy to encourage more girls to race. Marta García won the first championship. Big companies like Tommy Hilfiger, Charlotte Tilbury, and Puma now support this effort.

Monisha Kaltenborn was the first woman to lead a Formula One team in 2010. Claire Williams also led a team in 2013. Today, Hannah Schmitz works as a top strategy engineer for Red Bull Racing, and Laura Müller is the first woman to be a full-time race engineer, working with Esteban Ocon at Haas.

Media coverage

See also: List of Formula One broadcasters

Formula One races are shown live or with a small delay in almost every country. This makes it one of the most watched sports in the world. In 2001, about 54 billion people watched the races, but by 2025, this number had dropped to 1.55 billion.

All the TV channels get the same basic video feed made by Formula One Management. In the past, each country made its own videos, which sometimes missed important moments because of local preferences.

In 1996, a special digital service called F1 Digital+ started, offering live races and extra views like cameras inside the cars. It was first only in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and later came to France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. But it was too expensive and stopped at the end of the 2002 season.

Today, fans can follow races in real time using the official website and a smartphone app available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. In 2018, Formula One started F1 TV, a streaming service where viewers can watch many different video feeds at once. In April 2024, a free channel called the Formula 1 Channel began showing old races and analysis in the United States.

Television and radio broadcasters

In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports F1 shows all races live without commercials and also covers practice and qualifying sessions. The BBC broadcast until 2015, and then Channel 4 took over until 2018.

As of 2025, BBC Radio 5 Live, 5 Sports Extra, and BBC Sounds have the rights to radio coverage until 2028.

In Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, beIN Sports broadcasts the races. In India, FanCode and Tata Play show the races. In China, Tencent, Guangdong TV, and Shanghai TV have the rights.

In the United States, ESPN has shown the races since 2013. In 2025, Apple Inc. bought the rights for the next five years, and most races will be only on Apple TV subscribers, with some practice sessions and races free to watch.

In Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland, pay TV channel Sky Sport has the exclusive rights. Before 2020, RTL also showed the races, but now only some sessions are shown on RTL and its streaming service RTL+ through agreements with Sky Sport.