What is Formula 1?
Formula 1 is the highest class of international racing for single-seater formula racing cars, the
pinnacle of motorsport and the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition.
It’s a team sport with mechanics an engineers. Every race the drivers are battling extreme
g-forces, making daring decisions in the blink of an eye – and at 370km/h.
Drivers compete for the F1 Drivers’ Championship, while the teams fight for the F1 Constructors’
Championship and prize money based on their position at the end of the season.
Each race is known as a Grand Prix, and they’re held all around the world. The 2025 Formula 1
calendar features 24 Grand Prix weekends, including six F1 Sprint races, taking place from
March through December.
Why is it called Formula 1?
The reason why Formula 1 is called Formula 1 is two-fold.
First up, the ‘Formula’ is a set of rules – covering car design, engine size, component usage and
much, much more – that all competitors must abide by. Secondly, the ‘1’ simply denotes that it is
the premier formula.
F1 support championships Formula 2 (left) and Formula 3 (right) are single-make
championships, each with their own ‘Formula’
How many drivers and teams race in F1?
A total of 20 drivers and 10 teams makes up the current Formula 1 grid, with each squad
fielding two cars. (from next year there will be an 11th team)
Driver experience ranges from multiple world champions, to rookie racers in their first full-time
F1 seasons.
When it comes to teams, there are those who have been in F1 since the early years, such as
Ferrari (competing continuously since the very first season in 1950) and McLaren, or relative
newcomers like Haas who entered the sport ahead of the 2016 season.
Where does F1 race?
A total of 24 races in 21 countries across five continents are included on the Formula 1
calendar.
Monaco (Montecarlo), Monza (Italy), Silverstone (UK) and Spa (Belgium) are circuits that still
feature on the F1 calendar from the very first season in 1950, although plenty of safety-based
changes and track layout modifications have been made since then.
Silverstone hosted the first F1 race in 1950 and remains an incredibly popular venue today
Formula 1’s inaugural season featured seven rounds, spread out from May to September,
predominantly staged in Europe – the exception being the Indianapolis 500 in the United States,
which most F1 drivers sat out.
How does the F1 weekend work?
The standard Formula 1 weekend sees each event take place over three days – typically Friday,
Saturday and Sunday, and the media day on Thursday
Friday features two 60-minute Free Practice sessions (FP1 and FP2) for teams to set up their
cars. These are typically used to make sure the car works as it should, before set-up changes
are then made and race preparations continue.
On Saturday, after a final practice session (FP3), drivers head into a three-stage session called
Qualifying. The slowest five drivers from the 18-minute Q1 phase are eliminated from the
session, before five more go out after the 15-minute Q2 segment. That sets positions 20-11 on
the grid prior to any penalties. The final 12-minute-long Q3 then decides the top 10 grid slots,
along with the pole position for the fastest driver.
Sunday brings the Grand Prix itself, where drivers battle it out to score points, grab a spot on
the podium and reach the chequered flag first to win the race.
How long do F1 races last?
Formula 1 races generally last between an hour-and-a-half and two hours, though this can be
impacted by Safety Car periods that slow the field down or red flags that halt the action.
Each race on the calendar has a set number of laps based on the length of their circuit. The
distance of every race is almost always equal to the fewest number of laps that exceed 305
kilometres.
Monaco is an exception to the rule, where the race length is equal to the fewest number of laps
needed to exceed a distance of 260km, given the lower speeds of its street circuit nature.
F1 Sprint events have added even more action in recent seasons
What’s the F1 Sprint?
The F1 Sprint is a short race. It covers 100km – about one-third of a typical Grand Prix distance
– and should last about 30 minutes. and it has no mandatory pit stop.
A Sprint weekend is still a three-day affair with the Grand Prix as the main event, but the Sprint
Qualifying session (which sets the grid for the Sprint) replaces FP2 on Friday afternoon. The
Sprint itself takes place on Saturday (instead of FP3), before Qualifying for the Grand Prix
happens as normal.
The venues chosen for Sprint events are all tracks with great overtaking potential, picked to try
and ensure the Sprint is a flat-out, aggressive melee from start to finish. Points are on offer, from
eight down to one, awarded to the first eight cars to finish.
Six venues will host F1 Sprint events in 2025: China, Miami and Austin (USA), Qatar, Belgium
and Brazil.
How do F1 cars work?
Thousands of parts are involved in creating spanning detailed bodywork, suspension elements,
turbo-hybrid power units, eight-speed paddle shift gearboxes, 18-inch tyres and much, much
more.
F1’s current technical regulations are based around a ‘ground effect’ aerodynamic concept, with
several carefully designed tunnels underneath the car’s floor sucking the car to the track surface
to generate even more downforce.
F1 cars are made from a combination of expert human skills and cutting-edge technology
What are F1 cars powered by?
F1 cars are powered by turbocharged V6, 15,000 RPM engines, featuring kinetic and thermal
energy recovery systems that together create the ‘power unit’.
Today’s F1 power units comprise the following elements: the internal combustion engine (ICE),
motor generator unit-heat (MGU-H), motor generator unit-kinetic (MGU-K), turbocharger, energy
store (ES), control electronics (CE) and exhaust.
Over the course of the season, a driver may use no more than four ICEs, MGU-Hs, MGU-Ks
and turbochargers, two energy stores and control electronics, and eight of each of the four
elements that make up a set of exhaust systems – otherwise grid penalties will apply.
F1 cars currently use E10 fuel – 10% renewable ethanol – but the sport is pushing for more and
is working with major fuel manufacturers to develop a 100% sustainable fuel that will be
introduced in 2026 – when the new era of F1 hybrid power units is introduced.
Where are F1 teams based?
Most Formula 1 team factories can be found in the United Kingdom, with seven operations
calling England their primary home.
This includes a couple of caveats, such as Haas also having facilities in Italy and the United
States (where their other motorsport activities are based), and Alpine supplementing their UK
headquarters with a division in France.
As for the other three teams, Kick Sauber are located in Switzerland, while Ferrari and Racing
Bulls both operate out of Italy.
What’s the difference between F1 and the FIA?
F1, more specifically Formula One Management (FOM), is owned by United States-based
media company Liberty Media and hold the sport’s commercial rights.
The FIA, founded in 1904, is the governing body for a host of motorsport competitions around
the world, including Formula 1. They oversee the technical, sporting and financial regulations,
ensuring that competitors are sticking to the rules, and set stringent safety standards.
F1 works closely with the FIA to put on a show each year – hence the official name: ‘FIA
Formula One World Championship’.
What is the F1 Drivers’ Championship?
The Drivers’ Championship or the FIA Formula One World Championship for Drivers is one of
the two world championships contested in Formula 1. The F1 driver with the most championship
points at the end of the season becomes the world champion.
The championship has been contested every year since 1950, though prior to 1950, each race
was a standalone affair. Winning a Grand Prix carries with it huge acclaim and distinction, so the
creation of the world championship amalgamated those great races and created a greater prize
for the best of the best.
In those early years, the Drivers’ Championship was the only championship. This changed in
1958, when a second competition was added, allowing a constructor to compete for a world
championship.
There’s more points available for success in the F1 Sprint. The driver with the most points at the
end of the year wins the title.
Nino Farina's last victory in Giuseppe Antonio 'Nino' Farina was the first ever Formula 1 world
champion
What do F1 drivers get for winning?
Formula 1 drivers don’t get prize money for winning, though they’ll receive a nice financial
bonus on top of the base salary they’re paid by their team. Prize money is awarded to F1 teams.
Of course, success can also potentially create further endorsement and sponsorship
opportunities.
Even though an F1 driver might clinch the title before the end of the campaign (when it’s no
longer mathematically possible for anyone else to catch them), it’s at the end of the season that
the driver with the most championship points officially receives the prestigious FIA Formula One
World Drivers' Championship Trophy.
How many F1 world champions have there been?
34 different drivers have been crowned world drivers’ champions.
17 drivers have taken a solitary title, 17 more drivers have won multiple F1 championships. Of
those, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton lead that list with seven titles each.
How many F1 world champions are racing in 2025?
There are three F1 drivers’ champions on the grid this season. Max Verstappen is the reigning
champion, having won the title in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. He succeeded seven-time title
winner Lewis Hamilton, champion in 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Finally,
there is Fernando Alonso, champion in 2005 and 2006.
Do F1 team mates often fight each other for the title?
Yes! It’s a peculiarity of Formula 1 that team mates are often the fiercest of rivals, and none
more so than when both are in contention for the Drivers’ Championship. Some of F1’s greatest
battles have seen team mates going head-to-head.
What is the F1 Constructors’ Championship?
The Constructor’s Championship or FIA Formula One World Championship for Constructors is
one of the two world championships contested in Formula 1. The F1 team with the most
championship points at the end of the season becomes the world champions.
Each championship runs side-by-side during the season, and it’s the Constructors’
Championship that all F1’s teams are fighting for
When the first F1 world championship took place in 1950 it was only for drivers. The
Constructors’ Championship didn’t come along until 1958. It’s had many scoring systems since
then but the current iteration, used since 1991, is the most straightforward. Each team enters
two cars at each race. All of the points scored across the season by both cars are added
together, and this is the team’s points total in the Constructors’ Championship.
It is important to note this is the aggregate of two cars, not two drivers. The Sporting
Regulations allow each team to use up to four drivers across the season, and all of their points
will count in the Constructors’ Championship.
What do F1 teams get for winning?
Formula 1’s prize money is allocated according to finishing position within the Constructors’
Championship, and usually this is reflected in the bonuses paid to team staff at the end of the
year.
The pit lane garage a team gets is based on where they finished in the Constructors'
Championship the previous season
What is the 2025 F1 calendar?
The 2025 calendar marks the 75th anniversary of the FIA Formula One World Championship.
How many F1 Sprint events are there in 2025?
Six circuits will host F1 Sprint weekends in 2025 – the fifth season of the Sprint format.
What are ‘double-headers’ and ‘triple-headers’?
Traditionally, F1 races were planned with a weekend-on, weekend-off approach, but an
expanding calendar brought about by the ever-increasing popularity of the sport led to the
arrival of double-headers and, in some cases, triple-headers.
A double-header is a sequence of back-to-back Grands Prix on successive weekends, while a
triple-header is three race weekends in a row – venues being grouped together by location
where possible. Simply put, this allows for more races within the 52-week year.
What are the most important flags?
Green flag
The green flag is used to indicate that the track is clear, whether this is at the start of a warm-up
lap, practice session or qualifying session, or immediately after an incident that needed the use
of one or more yellow flags.
Red flag
A red flag is waved at the start line and at each marshal post around the circuit when officials
have decided to stop a practice session, qualifying session or race, with reasons ranging from a
serious incident to poor weather conditions.
In practice and qualifying, all drivers are required to reduce their speed and proceed slowly back
to their respective pit garages, while in the race, all drivers are required to reduce their speed
and proceed slowly to the pit lane, line up at the exit and await instructions.
Yellow flag
Simply put, the yellow flag is a signal of danger and can be shown to drivers in two ways:
Single waved:
This means drivers need to reduce their speed, cannot overtake and must be prepared to
change direction, due to a hazard beside or partly on the track.
Double waved:
This means drivers need to reduce their speed significantly, cannot overtake and must be
prepared to change direction or stop, due to a hazard wholly or partly blocking the track and/or
marshals working on or beside the track.
Blue flag
The blue flag is normally waved to inform a driver that they are about to be overtaken, but it
takes on a slightly different meaning during the race compared to sessions earlier in the
weekend:
At all times:
It is shown to inform a driver leaving the pit lane that traffic is approaching from behind
(essentially telling the driver to take extra care when rejoining the circuit).
During practice:
It is shown to inform a driver that a faster car is close behind and is about to overtake. For
example, the driver of the slower car might be on a 'cool-down' lap before returning to the pit
lane, while the driver behind is on a much faster lap.
During the race:
It is shown to a driver who is about to be 'lapped' (having been caught by faster cars ahead of
them and so falling a full lap behind). When shown, the driver concerned must allow the
following car to pass at the earliest opportunity and, if three warnings to do so are ignored, they
will be penalised.
Black flag
The black flag is used to disqualify a driver and orders them to return to their pit garage at once.
The decision to show this flag rests solely with the stewards. A driver being shown the black flag
is a rare occurrence in F1.
Black and white flag
Not to be confused with the chequered flag, The diagonally-divided 'black and white flag' is
shown as a warning to a driver that they have been reported for unsportsmanlike behaviour, and
that any more will result in punishment. It is accompanied by the driver’s race number – which
also applies to the black flag.
Chequered flag
The black and white chequered flag waved from above the pit wall marks the end of any
practice session, qualifying session or race, and is waved until all competing cars have reached
it.
Why are penalties issued in F1?
Like most sports, Formula 1 is governed by a set of rules and regulations. These are set out by
the FIA for each season and can undergo changes from year to year, with any changes having
to be approved by the World Motor Sport Council.
Penalties issued can vary depending on the offence and its severity, with different types of
punishments being given by the FIA.
What kinds of penalties are given in F1?
Warnings/Reprimands
The FIA stewards will sometimes opt to hand a warning to a driver or a team rather than issuing
a penalty.
Perhaps the most common use of a warning is when a driver first exceeds track limits (meaning
that all four tyres cross the white line) during a race.
The next step up from a warning is a reprimand. A driver is allowed four of these in one season
– if they receive a fifth, they will be handed a 10-place grid penalty.
Reprimands can be issued for sporting and non-sporting offences (meaning both on-track and
off-track incidents), and the aforementioned grid penalty will only be applied if all four previous
reprimands were issued for driving offences.
On some occasions a driver or team may be fined for an offence. Fines can be issued on their
own or may be given alongside another penalty.
Time penalties
Perhaps the most commonly used penalty, time penalties are issued as either 5 or 10 seconds.
A driver serves this when taking a pit stop, with the car sitting stationary in the pit box for the
given amount of time before the mechanics are then allowed to start working on the car.
If the mechanics touch the car before the time penalty has been served, another penalty will be
issued.
If a driver doesn't pit again after receiving a time penalty, the amount of time will be added on to
their finishing time which could potentially drop them down the order.
Drive-through/stop-go penalties
A drive-through penalty requires a driver to drive through the pit lane before then returning to
the track.
In other instances, a 10-second stop-go penalty will be issued. This is more costly as a driver is
required to stop in their pit box for 10 seconds and then rejoin the race. The mechanics are not
allowed to work on the car during the stop.
When a drive-through or stop-go penalty is issued, a driver has two laps from when the team
were notified of the stewards’ decision to serve it. However, an exception is made if the Virtual
Safety Car or Safety Car has been deployed, with the driver required to serve the penalty after
this.
Grid penalties
A grid penalty will see a driver forced to drop a number of grid positions at the next race
weekend they participate in. While they can be given as a result of a sporting offence, grid
penalties are often handed out as a result of a driver changing engine components more times
than is allowed in their given allocation.
They are often given as five-place or 10-place penalties, though there have been variations.
In some more serious cases, a driver or team may be disqualified from the results of a race or
session. This may occur as the result of a technical infringement.
A step up from that is suspension, where a driver will be suspended from the next event. This is
a rare occurrence.
What are penalty points?
On some occasions, the FIA may issue penalty points on a driver’s Super Licence as part of a
punishment. These remain on a driver’s licence for 12 months and if a driver accumulates 12
points within that timeframe, they will receive a one-race ban.
How are F1 penalties decided?
During a session or race, the Race Director may report any incident or suspected breach of the
regulations to the stewards. It is then at the discretion of the stewards to decide whether or not
the incident or breach should be investigated, and the stewards may also investigate an incident
or breach that they note themselves.
If an incident is under investigation, a message will be sent detailing the driver(s) and/or team(s)
involved. The stewards will then communicate their decision after completing the investigation.
For incidents investigated after the race or session, those involved are generally summoned to a
hearing with the stewards, who will then decide on whether a penalty should be issued.
Can F1 penalties be appealed?
Drivers and teams can appeal the penalty decision with the FIA if they feel that it is incorrect.
This is known as a ‘Right of Review’ and will usually result in another hearing taking place.
To be successful in this, a team usually has to present new evidence that was previously
unavailable when the original decision was made.
