Formula One

Formula One ( F1 ) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one of the world's premier forms of motorsport since its inaugural running in 1950 and is often considered to be the pinnacle of motorsport. The word formula in the name refers to the set of rules all participant cars must follow. A Formula One season consists of a series of ...

Formula One cars are the world's fastest regulated road-course racing cars, owing to high cornering speeds achieved by generating large amounts of aerodynamic downforce , most of which is generated by front and rear wings, as well as underbody tunnels . The cars depend on electronics, aerodynamics , suspension , and tyres . Traction control , launch control , automatic shifting , and other electronic driving aids were first banned in 1994 . They were briefly reintroduced in 2001 , and have more ...

With the average annual cost of running a team—e.g. designing, building, and maintaining cars; staff payroll; transport—at approximately £ 220 million, [ 2 ] Formula One's financial and political battles are widely reported. The Formula One Group is owned by Liberty Media , which acquired it in 2017 from private-equity firm CVC Capital Partners for US$ 8 billion. [ 3 ] [ 4 ] The United Kingdom is the hub of Formula One racing with six out of the ten teams based there. [ 5 ] [ 6 ]

Formula One originated from the World Manufacturers' Championship ( 1925 – 1930 ) and European Drivers' Championship ( 1931 – 1939 ). The formula is a set of rules that all participants' cars must follow. Formula One was a formula agreed upon in 1946 to officially become effective in 1947 . The first Grand Prix in accordance with the new regulations was the 1946 Turin Grand Prix , anticipating the formula's official start. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] Before World War II , a number of Grand Prix racing organisat...

This era featured teams managed by road-car manufacturers, such as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati . The first seasons featured prewar cars like Alfa Romeo's 158 , which were front-engined , with narrow tyres and 1.5-litre supercharged or 4.5-litre naturally aspirated engines. The 1952 and 1953 seasons were run to Formula Two regulations, for smaller, less powerful cars, due to concerns over the dearth of Formula One cars. [ 18 ] [ 19 ] When a new Formula One formula for engines ...

The first major technological development in the sport was Bugatti 's introduction of mid-engined cars. Jack Brabham , the world champion in 1959 , 1960 , and 1966 , soon proved the mid-engine's superiority over all other engine positions. By 1961 all teams had switched to mid-engined cars. The Ferguson P99 , a four-wheel drive design, was the last front-engined Formula One car to enter a world championship race. It entered the 1961 British Grand Prix , the only front-engined car to compete that...

During 1962 , Lotus introduced a car with an aluminium-sheet monocoque chassis instead of the traditional space-frame design. This proved to be the greatest technological breakthrough since the introduction of mid-engined cars.

In 1968 , sponsorship was introduced to the sport . Team Gunston became the first team to run cigarette sponsorship on its Brabham cars, which privately entered in orange, brown and gold colours of Gunston cigarettes in the 1968 South African Grand Prix on 1 January 1968. [ 23 ] Five months later, the first works team , Lotus, initially using the British racing green , followed this example when it entered its cars painted in the red, gold, and white colours of the Imperial Tobacco 's Gold Leaf ...

Aerodynamic downforce slowly gained importance in car design with the appearance of aerofoils during the 1968 season. The wings were introduced by Lotus's owner Colin Chapman who installed modest front wings and a rear spoiler on his Lotus 49B at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix . In the late 1970s, Lotus introduced ground-effect aerodynamics, previously used on Jim Hall 's Chaparral 2J in 1970, that provided enormous downforce and greatly increased cornering speeds. The aerodynamic forces pressing th...

Beginning in the 1970s, Bernie Ecclestone rearranged the management of Formula One's commercial rights; he is widely credited with transforming the sport into the multi-billion dollar business it now is. [ 25 ] [ 26 ] When Ecclestone bought the Brabham team during 1971, he gained a seat on the Formula One Constructors' Association , and in 1978, he became its president. [ 27 ] Previously, the circuit owners controlled the income of the teams and negotiated with each individually; Ecclestone pers...

The formation of the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) in 1979 set off the FISA–FOCA war , during which FISA and its president Jean-Marie Balestre argued repeatedly with FOCA over television revenues and technical regulations. [ 28 ] The Guardian said that Ecclestone and Max Mosley "used [FOCA] to wage a guerrilla war with a very long-term aim in view". FOCA threatened to establish a rival series and boycotted a Grand Prix, and FISA withdrew its sanction from races. [ 25 ] The...

FISA imposed a ban on ground-effect aerodynamics during 1983 . [ 31 ] But by then, turbocharged engines, which Renault had pioneered in 1977 , were producing over 520 kW (700 bhp) and were essential to be competitive. By 1986 , a BMW turbocharged engine achieved a flash reading of 5.5 bar (80 psi) pressure, estimated [ who? ] to be over 970 kW (1,300 bhp) in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix . The next year, power in race trim reached around 820 kW (1,100 bhp), with boost pressure limited to...

The development of electronic driver aids began in the 1980s. Lotus began to develop a system of active suspension , which first appeared during 1983 on the Lotus 92 . [ 34 ] By 1987, this system had been perfected and was driven to victory by Ayrton Senna in the Monaco Grand Prix that year. In the early 1990s, other teams followed suit and semi-automatic gearboxes and traction control were a natural progression. The FIA, due to complaints that technology was determining races' outcomes more tha...

The teams signed a second Concorde Agreement in 1992 and a third in 1997. [ 36 ]

During this period, FIA frequently changed the championship rules with the intention of improving the on-track action and cutting costs. [ 40 ] Team orders , legal since the championship started during 1950, were banned during 2002, after several incidents in which teams openly manipulated race results, generating negative publicity, most famously by Ferrari at the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix . Other changes included the qualifying format, the point-scoring system, the technical regulations, and ru...

Starting in 2000, with Ford's purchase of Stewart Grand Prix to form the Jaguar Racing team, new manufacturer-owned teams entered Formula One for the first time since Alfa Romeo's and Renault's departures in 1985. By 2006, the manufacturer teams—Renault, BMW , Toyota , Honda, and Ferrari—dominated the championship, taking five of the first six places in the Constructors' Championship. The exception was McLaren, which at the time was part-owned by Mercedes-Benz. Through the Grand Prix Manufacture...

In 2008 and 2009, Honda , BMW , and Toyota all withdrew from Formula One racing within a year, blaming the economic recession . This resulted in the end of manufacturer dominance of the sport. The Honda F1 team went through a management buyout to become Brawn GP , with Ross Brawn and Nick Fry running and owning the majority of the organisation. Brawn GP laid off hundreds of employees, but won the year's world championships. BMW F1 was bought out by the original founder of the team, Peter Sauber ...

McLaren also announced that it was to reacquire the shares in its team from Mercedes-Benz (McLaren's partnership with Mercedes was reported to have started to sour with the McLaren Mercedes SLR road car project and tough F1 championships, which included McLaren being found guilty of spying on Ferrari ). Hence, during the 2010 season, Mercedes-Benz re-entered the sport as a manufacturer after it purchased Brawn GP and split with McLaren after 15 seasons with the team.

During the 2009 season, Formula One was gripped by the FIA–FOTA dispute . FIA President Max Mosley proposed numerous cost-cutting measures for the next season, including an optional budget cap for the teams; [ 45 ] teams electing to take the budget cap would be granted greater technical freedom, adjustable front and rear wings, and an engine not subject to a rev limiter . [ 45 ] The Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) believed that allowing some teams to have such technical freedom would have c...

On 24 June, Formula One's governing body and the teams reached an agreement to prevent a breakaway series. It was agreed teams must cut spending to the level of the early 1990s within two years; exact figures were not specified, and Max Mosley agreed he would not stand for reelection to the FIA presidency in October. [ 48 ] Following further disagreements, after Mosley suggested he would stand for reelection, [ 49 ] FOTA made it clear that breakaway plans were still being pursued. On 8 July, FOT...

To compensate for the loss of manufacturer teams, four new teams were accepted entry into the 2010 season ahead of a much anticipated 'cost-cap'. Entrants included a reborn Team Lotus —led by a Malaysian consortium including Tony Fernandes , the boss of Air Asia ; Hispania Racing —the first Spanish Formula One team; and Virgin Racing — Richard Branson 's entry into the series following a successful partnership with Brawn the year before. They were also joined by the US F1 Team , which planned to...

A major rule shakeup in 2014 saw the 2.4-litre naturally aspirated V8 engines replaced by 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid power units. This prompted Honda to return to the sport in 2015 as the championship's fourth power unit manufacturer. Mercedes emerged as the dominant force after the rule shakeup, with Lewis Hamilton winning the championship closely followed by his main rival and teammate, Nico Rosberg , with the team winning 16 out of the 19 races that season. The team continued this form in ...

After revised aerodynamic regulations were introduced, the 2017 and 2018 seasons featured a title battle between Mercedes and Ferrari. [ 54 ] [ 55 ] [ 56 ] [ 57 ] Mercedes ultimately won the titles with multiple races to spare and continued to dominate in the next two years, [ 58 ] eventually winning seven consecutive Drivers' Championships from 2014 to 2020 and eight consecutive Constructors' titles from 2014 to 2021. During this eight-year period between 2014 and 2021, a Mercedes driver won 11...

This era has seen an increase in car manufacturer presence in the sport. After Honda's return as an engine manufacturer in 2015, Renault came back as a team in 2016 after buying back the Lotus F1 Team . In 2018, Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo became Red Bull and Sauber's title sponsors, respectively. Sauber was rebranded as Alfa Romeo Racing for the 2019 season, while Racing Point part-owner Lawrence Stroll bought a stake in Aston Martin to rebrand the Racing Point team as Aston Martin for 2021. In...

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the sport to adapt to budgetary and logistical limitations. A significant overhaul of the technical regulations intended to be introduced in the 2021 season was pushed back to 2022, [ 65 ] with constructors instead using their 2020 chassis for two seasons and a token system limiting which parts could be modified introduced. [ 66 ] The start of the 2020 season was delayed by several months, [ 67 ] and both it and 2021 seasons were subject to several postponements, can...

In 2022, the F1 governing body announced a major rule and car design change intended to promote closer racing through the use of ground effects , new aerodynamics, larger wheels with low-profile tyres, and redesigned nose and wing regulations. [ 69 ] [ 70 ] Red Bull emerged as the dominant force after the rule shakeup. The 2022 and 2023 Constructors' and Drivers' Championships were won by Red Bull and Verstappen, with multiple races to spare. [ 71 ] [ 72 ] [ 73 ] [ 74 ]

In early 2024, the Formula One landscape underwent a significant change in the sphere of team sponsorships and collaborations. Having competed for five seasons under the Alfa Romeo name, Sauber introduced a title partnership with the online casino Stake.com , resulting in the team's new identity as Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber . Sauber will hold Stake's sponsorship name until the end of 2025, after which it will become the Audi works team for the 2026 season onwards. [ 78 ] [ 79 ] Scuderia AlphaTau...

The regulations governing Formula One are set to be revised for the 2026 season, with big changes planned to help encourage closer and more competitive racing. [ 83 ] Changes include:

In November 2024, General Motors reached an agreement to enter Formula 1 in 2026 with its Cadillac brand. [ 84 ]

A Formula One Grand Prix event spans a weekend. It typically begins with two free practice sessions on Friday, and one free practice session on Saturday. Additional drivers (commonly known as third drivers ) are allowed to run on Fridays, but only two cars may be used per team, requiring a race driver to give up their seat. A qualifying session is held after the last free practice session. This session determines the starting order for the race on Sunday. [ 85 ] [ 86 ]

Each driver may use no more than thirteen sets of dry-weather tyres, four sets of intermediate tyres, and three sets of wet-weather tyres during a race weekend. [ 87 ]

Each car is allocated one set of the softest tyres for use in Q3. The cars that qualify for Q3 must return them after Q3; the cars that do not qualify for Q3 can use them during the race. [ 90 ] As of 2022, all drivers are given a free choice of tyre type to use at the start of the Grand Prix, [ 91 ] whereas in previous years only the drivers that did not participate in Q3 had free tyre choice for the start of the race. Any penalties that affect grid position are applied at the end of qualifying...

Once all the cars have formed on the grid, after the medical car positions itself behind the pack, [ 96 ] a light system above the track indicates the start of the race: five red lights are illuminated at intervals of one second; they are all then extinguished simultaneously after an unspecified time (typically less than three seconds) to signal the start of the race. The start procedure may be abandoned if a driver stalls on the grid or on the track in an unsafe position, signalled by raising t...

This role involves managing the logistics of each F1 Grand Prix, inspecting cars in parc fermé before a race, enforcing FIA rules, and controlling the lights which start each race. As the head of the race officials, the race director also plays a large role in resolving disputes among teams and drivers. The race director may also refer incidents to the race stewards, who may give penalties, such as drive-through penalties (or stop-and-go penalties), demotions on a pre-race start grid, race disqu...

Following an accident at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix , which saw driver Jules Bianchi suffer a serious head injury that led to his death, the FIA established an "accident panel" to investigate the dynamics of the accident and ways to minimise the risk of a crash during similar circumstances that do not warrant the deployment of a safety car and cannot be simply managed with yellow flags . When the virtual safety car is deployed, the virtual marshal panels around the track display "VSC". All dri...

Since the 2010 season, refuelling – which was reintroduced in 1994 – has not been allowed, to encourage less tactical racing following safety concerns. The rule requiring both compounds of tyre to be used during the race was introduced in 2007, again to encourage racing on the track. The safety car is another relatively recent innovation that reduced the need to deploy the red flag, allowing races to be completed on time for a growing international live television audience.

Various systems for awarding championship points have been used since 1950. The current system, in place since 2010, [ a ] awards the top ten cars points in the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships, with the winner receiving 25 points. All points won at each race are added up, and the driver and constructor with the most points at the end of the season are crowned World Champions. Regardless of whether a driver stays with the same team throughout the season, or switches teams, all points ear...

A driver must be classified in order to receive points, as of 2025 [update] , a driver must complete at least 90% of the race distance in order to receive points. Therefore, it is possible for a driver to receive points even if they retired before the end of the race. [ 112 ]

From some time between the 1977 and 1980 seasons to the end of the 2021 season if less than 75% of the race laps were completed by the winner, then only half of the points listed in the table were awarded to the drivers and constructors. This has happened on only five occasions in the history of the championship, and it had a notable influence on the final standing of the 1984 season. The last occurrence was at the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix when the race was called off after just three laps behind...

A Formula One constructor is the entity credited for designing the chassis and the engine. [ 116 ] If both are designed by the same company, that company receives sole credit as the constructor (e.g., Ferrari ). If they are designed by different companies, both are credited, and the name of the chassis designer is placed before that of the engine designer (e.g., McLaren - Mercedes ). All constructors are scored individually, even if they share either chassis or engine with another constructor (e...

Since 1981 , [ 119 ] Formula One teams have been required to build the chassis in which they compete, and consequently the distinction between the terms "team" and "constructor" became less pronounced, though engines may still be produced by a different entity. [ 120 ] This requirement distinguishes the sport from series such as the IndyCar Series which allows teams to purchase chassis, and " spec series " such as Formula 2 which require all cars be kept to an identical specification. It also ef...

The sport's debut season, 1950 , saw eighteen teams compete, but due to high costs, many dropped out quickly. In fact, such was the scarcity of competitive cars for much of the first decade of Formula One that Formula Two cars were admitted to fill the grids. Ferrari is the oldest Formula One team, the only still-active team which competed in 1950.

Early manufacturer involvement came in the form of a "factory team" or " works team " (that is, one owned and staffed by a major car company), such as those of Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, or Renault. Ferrari holds the record for having won the most Constructors' Championships (sixteen).

Companies such as Climax , Repco , Cosworth , Hart , Judd and Supertec , which had no direct team affiliation, often sold engines to teams that could not afford to manufacture them. In the early years, independently owned Formula One teams sometimes also built their engines, though this became less common with the increased involvement of major car manufacturers such as BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, and Toyota, whose large budgets rendered privately built engines less competitive....

Every team in Formula One must run two cars in every session in a Grand Prix weekend, and every team may use up to four drivers in a season. [ 86 ] A team may also run two additional drivers in Free Practice sessions, [ 86 ] which are often used to test potential new drivers for a career as a Formula One driver or gain experienced drivers to evaluate the car. [ 133 ] [ 134 ] Most drivers are contracted for at least the duration of a season, with driver changes taking place in-between seasons, in...

Each driver chooses an unassigned number from 2 to 99 (excluding 17 which was retired following the death of Jules Bianchi ) [ 141 ] upon entering Formula One and keeps that number during their time in the series. The number one is reserved for the reigning Drivers' Champion, who retains their previous number and may choose to use it instead of the number one. [ 142 ] At the onset of the championship, numbers were allocated by race organisers on an ad hoc basis from race to race. [ 143 ]

Permanent numbers were introduced in 1973 to take effect in 1974 , when teams were allocated numbers in ascending order based on the Constructors' Championship standings at the end of the 1973 season. The teams would hold those numbers from season to season with the exception of the team with the World Drivers' Champion, which would swap its numbers with the one and two of the previous champion's team. New entrants were allocated spare numbers, with the exception of the number 13 which had been ...

As teams kept their numbers for long periods of time, car numbers became associated with a team, such as Ferrari's 27 and 28. [ 143 ] A different system was used from 1996 to 2013 : at the start of each season, the current Drivers' Champion was designated number one, their teammate number two, and the rest of the teams assigned ascending numbers according to previous season's Constructors' Championship order. [ 145 ]

American open-wheel car racing has also contributed to the Formula One grid. CART champions Mario Andretti and Jacques Villeneuve became F1 World Champions, while Juan Pablo Montoya won seven races in F1. [ 165 ]

Since 2008, the Formula One Group has been targeting new "destination cities" to expand its global reach, with the aim to produce races from countries that have not previously been involved in the sport. This initiative started with the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix . [ 196 ]

A typical circuit features a stretch of straight road on which the starting grid is situated, with the pit lane normally located right next to it. The pit lane is home to each team's garage, where cars are stored and serviced before a race. During a pit stop , drivers enter the pit lane to change their tyres, receive repairs or aerodynamic adjustments from their pit crew, or retire from the race (if the car is in a condition to do so). Prior to the 2010 season, pit stops also facilitated mid-rac...

The Circuit of the Americas in Austin , the Sochi Autodrom in Sochi and the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan have all been introduced as brand new tracks since 2012. In 2020, Algarve International Circuit debuted on the F1 calendar as the venue of the Portuguese Grand Prix , with the country having last hosted a race in 1996. [ c ] In 2021, Circuit Zandvoort returned to the F1 calendar as the Dutch Grand Prix , having last hosted a race in 1985. [ 205 ] The Las Vegas Grand Prix entered the sport ...

Modern Formula One cars are mid-engined , hybrid, semi-open cockpit, open-wheel single-seaters. The chassis is made largely of carbon-fibre composites , rendering it light but extremely stiff and strong. The whole car, including the driver but not fuel, weighs only 800 kg (1,800 lb) – the minimum weight set by the regulations. [ 207 ] If the construction of the car is lighter than the minimum, it can be ballasted up to add the necessary weight. The race teams take advantage of this by placing th...

The cornering speed of Formula One cars is largely determined by the aerodynamic downforce that they generate, which pushes the car down onto the track. This is provided by "wings" mounted at the front and rear of the vehicle, and by ground effect created by low air pressure under the flat bottom of the car. The aerodynamic design of the cars is very heavily constrained to limit performance. The previous generation of cars sported a large number of small winglets, "barge boards", and turning van...

The other major factor controlling the cornering speed of the cars is the design of the tyres . From 1998 to 2008 , the tyres in Formula One were not " slicks " (tyres with no tread pattern) as in most other circuit racing series. Instead, each tyre had four large circumferential grooves on its surface designed to limit the cornering speed of the cars. [ 209 ] Slick tyres returned to Formula One in the 2009 season. Suspension is double wishbone or multilink front and rear, with pushrod operated ...

Carbon-carbon disc brakes are used for reduced weight and increased frictional performance. These provide a very high level of braking performance and are usually the element that provokes the greatest reaction from drivers new to the formula. The carbon [ 213 ] material enhances the brakes by maintaining an effective performance [ 214 ] under extreme heat. To optimise this, the brakes feature 1,000 ventilation holes, ensuring for maximum performance and cooling.

In 2022 , the technical regulations changed considerably in order to reduce the turbulence (commonly referred to as "dirty air") produced by the aerodynamics of the car. This includes a redesigned front and rear wing, larger wheels with a lower tyre profile, wheel covers, small winglets, the banning of barge boards, and the reintroduction of Ground effect downforce production. These have been changed to promote racing, meaning cars lose less downforce when following another car. It allows cars t...

In March 2007, F1 Racing published its annual estimates of spending by Formula One teams. [ 234 ] The total spending of all eleven teams in 2006 was estimated at $2.9 billion US. This was broken down as follows: Toyota $418.5 million, Ferrari $406.5 m, McLaren $402 m, Honda $380.5 m, BMW Sauber $355 m, Renault $324 m, Red Bull $252 m, Williams $195.5 m, Midland F1/Spyker-MF1 $120 m, Toro Rosso $75 m, and Super Aguri $57 million.

Costs vary greatly from team to team. Honda, Toyota, McLaren-Mercedes, and Ferrari were estimated to have spent approximately $200 million on engines in 2006, Renault spent approximately $125 million and Cosworth's 2006 V8 was developed for $15 million. [ 235 ] In contrast to the 2006 season on which these figures are based, the 2007 sporting regulations banned all performance-related engine development. [ 236 ]

Formula One teams pay entry fees of $500,000, plus $5,000 per point scored the previous year or $6,000 per point for the winner of the Constructors' Championship. Formula One drivers pay a FIA Super Licence fee, which in 2013 was €10,000 plus €1,000 per point. [ 237 ]

There have been controversies with the way profits are shared among the teams. The smaller teams have complained that the profits are unevenly shared, favouring established top teams. In September 2015, Force India and Sauber officially lodged a complaint with the European Union against Formula One questioning the governance and stating that the system of dividing revenues and determining the rules is unfair and unlawful. [ 238 ]

The cost of building a brand-new permanent circuit can be up to hundreds of millions of dollars, while the cost of converting a public road, such as Albert Park , into a temporary circuit is much less. Permanent circuits, however, can generate revenue all year round from leasing the track for private races and other races, such as MotoGP . The Shanghai International Circuit cost over $300 million [ 239 ] and the Istanbul Park circuit cost $150 million to build. [ 240 ]

In the second quarter of 2020, Formula One reported a loss revenue of $122 million and an income of $24 million. This was a result of the delay of the racing championship start as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic . The company grossed revenues of $620 million for the same quarter the previous year. [ 243 ]

Since the beginning of Formula 1 back in 1950, the sport's governing body has not had any regulations limiting the spending of a team. This has led to a pattern where teams with large budgets perform significantly better than their competitors and the gap has only continued to increase. [ 244 ]

For instance, in 2019, the richest teams such as Mercedes and Ferrari spent $420 million and $435 million respectively, [ 245 ] whereas teams such as Williams or Haas, only spent $125 million and $150 million respectively. [ 246 ] This gap was widening by the season and disparities like this prompted the FIA to introduce a cost cap in February 2021.

The cap was $175 million in 2021, although was reduced further to $145 million in response to economic turmoil due to the COVID-19 pandemic . For 2022, the cost cap was further reduced to $140 million and in 2023 it fell to $135 million where it will remain for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. [ 247 ] [ 248 ]

McLaren CEO Zak Brown said that "the cap has been outstanding for the sport." He also went on to say that there is a feeling that at any point in the season, any team can challenge for a place it wasn't equipped to do so at the start of the season. [ 249 ]

The expense of Formula One has seen the FIA and the Formula One Commission attempt to create new regulations to lower the costs for a team to compete in the sport. [ 250 ] [ 251 ]

Following their purchase of the commercial rights to the sport in 2017, Liberty Media announced their vision for the future of Formula One at the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix . The proposal identified five key areas, including streamlining the governance of the sport, emphasising cost-effectiveness, maintaining the sport's relevance to road cars and encouraging new manufacturers to enter the championship whilst enabling them to be competitive. [ 252 ]

On 19 August 2020, it was announced that all 10 teams had signed the new Concorde Agreement. [ 253 ] This came into effect at the start of the 2021 season and changed how prize money and TV revenue is distributed. [ 254 ]

Formula One has initiated a plan to become carbon neutral by 2030. By 2025, all events should have become "sustainable", including eliminating single-use plastics and ensuring all waste is reused, recycled or composted. [ 255 ]

A report conducted by Formula One estimated that the series was responsible for 256,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in the 2019 season , finding that 45% of emissions were from logistics and only 0.7% were from emissions from the cars themselves. [ 256 ] [ 257 ]

In January 2020, FIA and Formula One signed the United Nations "Sports for Climate Action" framework. After the signing was announced, FIA President Jean Todt said: "As an international Federation comprising 244 members in 140 countries and the leader in motor sport and mobility development, we are fully committed to global environmental protection. The signing of this UN Sports for Climate Action Framework reinforces the momentum that has been growing in our Federation for many years. Since the...

From the 2021–22 season, all cars increased the bio-component of their fuel, using E10 fuel , rather than the 5.75% of ethanol previously used. This percentage is expected to grow again in the future. [ 259 ] In December 2020, the FIA claimed that it had developed a fuel with 100% sustainability, to be used in Formula One from either 2025 or 2026, when new engine regulations come into force. [ 260 ]

Prior to the beginning of the 2020 Formula One World Championship , F1 announced and launched the #WeRaceAsOne initiative. [ 261 ] The initiative primarily focuses on visible displays of solidarity in the fight against racism on Grand Prix Weekends, as well as the creation of a Formula 1 Task Force that will "listen to people from across the paddock [...] and make conclusions on the actions required to improve the diversity and opportunity in Formula 1 at all levels". [ 261 ] The move spurs from...

In addition to organization-wide measures, individual teams have also acknowledged deficiencies in the sport's cultural and political activism. During the 2020 season, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team conducted a study of its racial composition and found that approximately 95% of its workforce was white. [ 263 ] Due to the results of the study, the team changed the car's livery to promote anti-racism messages and also launched the Accelerate 25 programme. The program vows that approximately 25%...

Since the creation of Formula One, in 1950, there have been five women to compete in a Grand Prix, and only one managed to score. The involvement of women in the Formula One paddock ranges from race engineers and strategists to media and communications personnel. With the release of the Netflix show, Drive to Survive , the female viewership of the sport has risen. In 2019, 20% of the total Formula One viewership was female, and by 2022 this number had increased to 40%. [ 267 ]

Maria Teresa de Filippis was the first woman to compete in a Formula One Grand Prix at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix. She competed in a total of five Grand Prix, racing under the Italian flag and has been hailed a pioneer of women in motorsport. [ 270 ]

Lella Lombardi is the only woman to place within the points at a Formula One Grand Prix. She competed in three seasons, entering seventeen races, and starting twelve. After finishing sixth in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix , Lombardi became the first and only woman to score points during an official Formula Grand Prix. Due to the race not reaching full completion half points were awarded and Lombardi only gained .5 points. [ 271 ]

Giovanna Amati was the last female driver to attempt to qualify for a Formula One Grand Prix. In 1992, she was signed by Brabham and participated in three races—South Africa, Mexico, and Brazil—but failed to qualify for any of them. Amati faced significant challenges, including an underperforming car and limited testing opportunities. She was replaced by Damon Hill after Brabham struggled with financial difficulties and performance issues. Despite not making a race start, her entry remains signi...

Hannah Schmitz currently holds the role of principal strategy engineer at Red Bull Racing . She has been with the team since 2009 and played a strong presence in its victories in 2021, 2022, and 2023. In 2023 Schmitz won the McLaren Applied Female Engineer of the Year Award winner for her role within Red Bull Racing. [ 275 ]

Austrian Monisha Kaltenborn became the sport's first ever female Team principal when she took over the role at Sauber Formula 1 Team in 2010. [ 279 ]

Formula One is broadcast live, or tape delayed, in almost every country and territory and attracts one of the largest global television audiences. The 2008 season attracted a global audience of 600 million people per race. [ 280 ] The cumulative television audience for the 2001 season, which was broadcast to 200 territories, was calculated to be 54 billion. [ 281 ]

During the early 1990s, Formula One Group introduced updated branding, an official logo, an official TV graphics package and in 2003, an official website in an attempt to give the competition a corporate identity.

All broadcasters are provided with an identical world feed produced by Formula One Management (FOM) , though for some races it was previously provided by local broadcasters. The host broadcaster either had one feed for all, or two separate feeds – a feed for local viewers and a feed for international viewers. The one size fits all approach meant that there was bias to a certain team or driver during the event, which led to viewers missing out on more important action and incidents, while the two...

An enhanced package called F1 Digital+ was launched by FOM in 1996, which included live broadcast of all sessions live as well as additional channels including onboard and pit-lane cameras. It was initially only offered in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, though it later became available in France, Italy, Spain and the UK. The service was never financially viable and was discontinued at the end of the 2002 season .

On 12 January 2011, F1 announced that it would adopt the HD format for the 2011 season. [ 282 ]

In March 2018, FOM announced the launch of F1 TV, an over-the-top streaming platform that lets viewers watch multiple simultaneous video feeds and timing screens in addition to traditional directed race footage and commentary. [ 287 ] In April 2024, FOM launched a free ad-supported streaming television channel known as the Formula 1 Channel in the United States , which shows classic Grands Prix, documentaries and analysis from past races. [ 288 ]

In south-east Asia, the middle east and north Africa, Formula One is broadcast by beIN Sports . In India, sessions are broadcast by streaming service FanCode and satellite television provider Tata Play . In China, the rights are held by Tencent , Guangdong TV and Shanghai TV . [ 295 ]

In the United States, ESPN has held the rights since 2013, carrying the broadcast and commentary feed provided by Sky Sports UK. [ 296 ] Some races are also broadcast free-to-air on ABC under the ESPN on ABC banner. [ citation needed ] According to The Athletic , the fee paid by ESPN is estimated at $90 million per year as of 2025, with the current deal set to expire after the 2025 season. [ 296 ]

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the exclusive rights are held by pay TV broadcaster Sky Sport . The rights were previously shared with free-to-air channel RTL for many years, which had broadcast all Formula One qualifying and racing sessions since 1991, but lost its rights after the 2020 season due to being outbid by Sky Sport. [ 297 ] Despite no longer holding the rights themselves, RTL has broadcast selected sessions on free-to-air television and its streaming service RTL+ as part of vari...

In France, Formula One is currently broadcast by pay TV channel Canal+ , having renewed its broadcasting rights until 2024. [ 299 ]

The distinction is most relevant when considering career summaries and all-time lists. For example, in the List of Formula One drivers , Clemente Biondetti is shown with a single race against his name. Biondetti actually competed in four Formula One races in 1950, [ 305 ] but only one of these counted for the World Championship.

In the early years of Formula One, before the world championship was established, there were around twenty races held from late Spring to early Autumn in Europe, although not all of these were considered significant. Most competitive cars came from Italy, particularly Alfa Romeo . After the start of the world championship, these non-championship races continued. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were many Formula One races which did not count for the World Championship; in 1950 a total of twenty-two...

South Africa's domestic Formula One championship ran from 1960 through to 1975. The frontrunning cars in the series were recently retired from the world championship although there were also locally built or modified cars.

The DFV helped in making the UK domestic Formula One championship possible between 1978 and 1980. As in South Africa a decade before, second-hand cars from manufacturers like Lotus and Fittipaldi Automotive were the order of the day, although some, such as the March 781, were built specifically for the series. In 1980, the series saw South African Desiré Wilson become the only woman to win a Formula One race when she triumphed at Brands Hatch in a Wolf WR3 . [ 306 ]

1950 G. Farina 1951 J. M. Fangio 1952 A. Ascari 1953 A. Ascari 1954 J. M. Fangio 1955 J. M. Fangio 1956 J. M. Fangio 1957 J. M. Fangio 1958 M. Hawthorn 1959 J. Brabham

1960 J. Brabham 1961 P. Hill 1962 G. Hill 1963 J. Clark 1964 J. Surtees 1965 J. Clark 1966 J. Brabham 1967 D. Hulme 1968 G. Hill 1969 J. Stewart

1970 J. Rindt 1971 J. Stewart 1972 E. Fittipaldi 1973 J. Stewart 1974 E. Fittipaldi 1975 N. Lauda 1976 J. Hunt 1977 N. Lauda 1978 M. Andretti 1979 J. Scheckter

1980 A. Jones 1981 N. Piquet 1982 K. Rosberg 1983 N. Piquet 1984 N. Lauda 1985 A. Prost 1986 A. Prost 1987 N. Piquet 1988 A. Senna 1989 A. Prost

1990 A. Senna 1991 A. Senna 1992 N. Mansell 1993 A. Prost 1994 M. Schumacher 1995 M. Schumacher 1996 D. Hill 1997 J. Villeneuve 1998 M. Häkkinen 1999 M. Häkkinen