what is Formula 1?
The basics
Formula 1 is the pinnacle of open-wheel formula racing and is governed by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (the FIA).
The category came into existence in 1946, with the first World Championship Grand Prix taking place in 1950.
Since then, 1,079 World Championship Grand Prix have taken place, over 72 seasons, in 34 countries.
Image via formula1.com
Image via formula1.com
the origins
Formula 1 derives itself from European Grand Prix racing competitions during the 1920s and 1930s. The rules were standardised by the FIA in 1946, before the championship began four years later.
Initially, the category was based on pre-World War 2 regulations that were determined by engine capacity. Non-supercharged 4.5-litre pre-war cars were allowed to race against pre-war 1.5-litre supercharged cars (‘voiturettes’). The first race under new regulations was the 1946 Turin Grand Prix, which took place on September 1st, won by Achille Varzi in an Alfa Romeo 158 Alfetta. Though this was before the formula was officially put in place, many consider this the official first Formula 1 race.
Formula 1 has changed a lot since the early years, with new-look aerodynamic packages, new engines, new fuel types and more shaping the way cars look, and how well they can race.
the format
A typical race weekend spans from Friday to Sunday, and includes free practice, qualifying and the Grand Prix race.
There are three practice sessions, lasting 60 minutes each: FP1, FP2 and FP3. FP1 and FP2 take place on a Friday, whilst FP3 takes place on a Saturday before qualifying. The practice sessions allow teams to drive their cars out on track, testing new upgrades, track conditions, and general car balance. As the weekend progresses, practice sessions become more closely connected to qualifying simulation and race day preparation.
Qualifying is the second session on a Saturday - determining the starting grid for the race on Sunday through a process of elimination. The starting grid position may be altered if the driver receives a grid penalty, perhaps for replacing a power unit on the car. The session is split into three segments over the duration of about an hour: Q1 (18 minutes), Q2 (15 minutes) and Q3 (12 minutes).
Image via formula1.com
In Q1, all 20 drivers are on track, and the five slowest lap times are ‘knocked out’ – these drivers will sit at the bottom of the starting grid in positions 16-20. Similarly, in Q2 the five slowest lap times are ‘knocked out’, and these drivers make up positions 11-15. Finally, Q3 sees the remaining 10 drivers fight to get the fastest lap and qualify on pole position. The results from Q3 make up the remainder of the grid (positions 1-10).
The Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, beginning with a formation lap (which essentially allows the tyres, cars and drivers to ‘warm up’). Following the formation lap, the drivers will line up in their starting grid position, waiting for the five lights to go out and racing to commence.
The race winner is announced after the chequered flag is waved, and the top three finishers will step up onto the podium, receiving a trophy. In 2023 and beyond, the winning driver will also receive a medal for finishing on the top step of the podium. All drivers finishing in the top 10 will receive championship points: 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1. There is also one championship point available for the fastest lap, if that is set by someone in the top 10.
On a sprint weekend, the above format is not followed. The Sprint is relatively new to the race weekend in Formula 1, introduced to shakeup the traditional format of a race weekend to give viewers more to enjoy across the weekend. The sprint is a 100km race with no pit stops, which takes place on a Saturday in the typical qualifying slot.
On these weekends, the Sprint determines the starting grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday. The driver who sets the fastest lap time in the qualifying session (which takes place in the typical FP2 slot on a Friday) will be given ‘pole position’ for the Sprint. Drivers finishing in the top eight in the Sprint will be given championship points: 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
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the Tyres
Tyres have a crucial strategic role over the course of a Grand Prix weekend. The ultimate goal with tyres is to get the most grip (and speed) out of them, without overusing it and wearing them out too soon.
Tyres have looked different throughout the years, with a change most recently from 13-inch to 18-inch tyres – all in the hopes of achieving better racing. Over the duration of Formula 1’s existence, many suppliers have provided tyres to F1 teams, such as Bridgestone, Michelin and Goodyear. Since 2011, tyres have been supplied by the Italian tyre manufacture, Pirelli.
In Formula 1, there are three types of ‘slick’ tyre compounds that a team is allowed to use over a dry race weekend. These are ‘hard’ (white walled), ‘medium’ (yellow walled) and ‘soft’ (red walled).
The soft tyres are typically the fastest tyre, but the rubber will wear out much quicker than it’s harder counterparts. Medium tyres are known as a ‘compromise compound’, they will last longer than soft tyres but not as long as hard tyres, and they will be faster than hard tyres and slower than softs. The hard tyres are typically the slowest, providing the car with the least grip, but they will last longest.
These are allocated by Pirelli in line with the 5 tyre compounds they create (C1, C2, C3, C4, C5), so for some races the tyres will be harder than other races, which is adjusted in line with the circuit grip levels and typical conditions.
In wet conditions, there are two tyre compounds available which offer more grip and clear water from the track to help dry the surface. In extreme conditions there is the ‘full wet’ compound (blue walled), and in damp conditions the ‘intermediate’ compound (green walled) is available.
the pitstops
During the Grand Prix, drivers are required to run two tyre compounds, meaning that the drivers must complete at least one pit stop per race. During the pit stop, crew members will replace the worn tyres with another set and make any rapid repairs to the car that are required, such as replacing the front wing. The pit stop is a major element of strategy for the team, as they consider every possible outcome during a race.
The typical length of a pit stop is 2-3 seconds. The fastest ever pit stop was by Red Bull Racing, who completed Max Verstappen’s stop at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix in 1.82 seconds.
Sometimes, teams will attempt an ‘undercut’ – where the driver completes their pitstop earlier than another driver that they are trying to finish ahead of and tries to make up the time lost on fresher tyres whilst the other driver still has to complete a stop.
Alternatively, the ‘overcut’ does the opposite – the driver ahead will try to build up a gap between himself and the car behind, so that when they complete their stop, they will hopefully remain ahead.
Under a safety car, the time lost from a pit stop is significantly less, so teams who are due a pit stop will take advantage of this to hopefully gain some positions when racing resumes.
Image via formula1.com
Image via formula1.com
the teams
There are currently 10 teams competing in Formula 1. Teams are allowed up to four different drivers, the two main drivers and up to two reserve drivers. Each year, the teams compete in the constructor’s championship (which runs alongside the driver’s championship).
While there isn’t an upper limit for the number of teams entering a Grand Prix, only a maximum of 26 cars are allowed to start – meaning only 13 teams are able to participate. The last time that there was a 26-car grid in Formula 1 was for the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix.
The teams are divided into ‘works’ and ‘customer’ teams. The works team are responsible for building their own car and engine. Typically, these are also major car manufacturers – such as Ferrari, Renault (Alpine) and Mercedes. Red Bull are officially a works team, after taking over the Honda engine programme for the 2022 season. The customer teams will build their own car, but their engine comes from an engine supplier. The customer teams are: Mclaren, Williams and Aston Martin (Mercedes), Alfa Romeo and Haas (Ferrari), and Alpha Tauri (Red Bull Power Trains – Honda).
the cars
Formula 1 cars are evolving all the time, and the 2022 season brought about a shakeup of the regulations and a major shift in the appearance of the car – all in the hopes of achieving closer racing and more overtakes across the grid.
This shakeup in regulations hopes to attract more manufacturers to the grid by simplifying the fundamentals of the car. The refreshed cars feature ‘ground effect’ aerodynamics, which can create more downforce and restrict the amount of ‘dirty air’ (turbulence) that can combat the downforce loss experienced during an on-track battle for position.
All teams interpreted these regulations somewhat differently, meaning that all cars look quite different to each other. In 2022 there was a combination of distinctive elements, such as quite large sidepods, hardly any sidepod, ‘gills’ appeared in different places, and the floor of a car looked very dissimilar across all 10 teams.
The new regulations also brought ‘porpoising’ – where the car bounces violently as a result of airflow through the car’s ground effects ‘stalling’. It can be combatted by raising the ride height of the car, but this can cost performance, meaning teams had to choose between painful porpoising and performance on track. This appeared to fade as the 2022 season progressed, but it is certainly something to look out for in the new season.
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the drivers
There are currently 20 Grand Prix drivers in Formula 1, and a number of reserve drivers up and down the grid. The drivers compete in the World Driver’s Championship each season, which is decided when the driver at the top of the table cannot be passed in championship points by any other drivers.
the tracks
The travelling circus of Formula 1 heads to more tracks per season now than ever before, with 24 Grand Prix scheduled for the 2023 season. To hold an F1 race, a track must be given a Grade 1 licence by the FIA – currently there are 38 circuits (with 45 layouts) across 24 countries that are licensed to hold a Grand Prix.
Each track features different qualities: new lengths, turns, inclines, conditions, and atmosphere. Some are historic, some have been constructed in the past few years, some get put together just for the Grand Prix every year. Each track provides a unique, thrilling experience, posing new challenges from one race to the next.
Image via formula1.com
Image via formula1.com
the feeder series
Formula 1 couldn’t be the pinnacle of motorsport without its supply of young talent both on and off-track. This comes from the ‘feeder series’ – categories which support young drivers hoping to progress into Formula 1.
The main feeder series are FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3. These categories run alongside the Formula 1 on certain race weekends. Typically, Formula 1 teams have ‘academies’, with drivers who run in these categories. Some of the recent notable names to come out of driver academies and through the feeder series are Max Verstappen, George Russell, and Charles Leclerc.
Something which has drawn attention to the connection between the feeder series and Formula 1 recently is the introduction of mandatory rookie driver FP1 sessions. In at least two FP1 sessions in the season, each team must run a ‘rookie’ driver – someone who “may not have participated in more than two F1 World Championship races during their career”. This is an opportunity for young drivers to experience a Formula 1 car on track, and it also allows teams to understand the driver’s skills and performance in their F1 car.
Drivers need to have a Super License in order to compete in Formula 1. To achieve the super license, drivers must: be 18 years of age, hold an International Grade A competition license, hold a valid road driving license in the country of their nationality, pass a FIA theory test, complete 80% of two full seasons of any single-seater championship, and have achieved at least 40 points over the past three seasons in any of the championships within the rules.
The Super License rules make the feeder series all the more important, ensuring drivers perform to reach the top step of the motorsport ladder.
Now that’s the basics of Formula 1, click below to keep up with the news, see the series’ schedule, meet the teams and drivers and check the standings
