Formula 1 for beginners.

The “F1” competition is a series of races, known as Grands Prix, held across the world on both purpose-built circuits and closed public roads. F1 is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel, open-cabin, single-seater, and four-wheeled cars.

The word ‘Formula’ refers to a set of rules that all participants - drivers, constructors and their mechanics - have to follow. Constructors are people or corporate entities which design and run Formula One teams.

Movies on F1: Rush or Drive to Survive (documentary series).

Who governs F1?

F1 is governed by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) owned by the Formula One Group. Established on 20 June 1904, it is a non-profit organisation and represents the interest of motoring organisations and motor car users.

When does F1 happen?

A season is normally held between March and November with around 20-23 races at 23 venues across the world. It takes place over three days (usually Friday to Sunday), with a series of practice and qualifying sessions prior to the race on Sunday.

Practice - This session familiarises teams & drivers’ with the track & allows them to fine-tune their cars.

Qualifying - This session determines the starting order for the race on Sunday. The qualifying session lasts one hour and is divided into 3 knock-out stages − Q1, Q2, Q3.

There are two awards at the end of the season: the World Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ Championship. A point system is used to determine the winners for both. Each team (constructor) fields two drivers in each Grands Prix.

The drivers’ championship is decided by the cumulative number of points the driver has accumulated in that season. The constructors’ championship goes to the team with the highest total of the points accumulated by both its drivers during the season.

What is the Point System?

Points are awarded to first ten finishers, with 25 for winner, 18 for second, 15 for third, then 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 for the remaining finishers of the top ten. If a driver in the top ten scores the fastest lap then they score an additional point.

Famous teams and drivers - Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes are 3 teams in the F1 top 10. Their cars are effectively very fast-moving advertisements for the team brands. F1 drivers’ have a massive fan following. Famous ones include Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

Final Note: Huge amounts of money go into F1 racing and some might ask, is it worth it? But F1 is more than just entertainment, it is about the advancement of technology, engineering, aerodynamics, and passion - of the drivers, teams and fans.