"I am an artist. The track is my canvas, and the car is my brush." Graham Hill, two-time F1 World Champion.
Formula 1, Formula One, or F1, is the most famous and prestigious
motor racing championship in the world. Featuring open-wheel, single-seater cars designed to a strict formula, F1 Grand Prix races are hosted and enjoyed all across the globe.
Formula 1 History
The first ever Formula 1 race took place in 1946, when the newly agreed "formula" for eligible racing cars was first put into action at the Turin Grand Prix. Motor races had existed prior to this – in fact, the European Drivers' Championship had been established since 1931 – but the acceptance of "Formula 1" rules set a new standard for the top level of racing. In the early years of the championship, around 20 races were held across Europe each season, from spring to autumn.
In 1950, after the founding of the Motorcycle World Championships, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) responded by creating the World Championship for Drivers. This included 6 major European Grands Prix and, until 1960, the
Indianapolis 500, even though the American race was not run to Formula 1 rules and the European teams rarely competed. Nino Farina won the first ever Formula One World Championship title in an Alfa Romeo car, before Ferrari and Mercedes began to dominate over the course of the 1950s.
The number of Grand Prix events per season has grown over time, from 7 races in 1950 to 24 races in 2024.
F1 Format & Scoring
The Formula 1 season comprises individual Grand Prix races. In 2025, there are 24 Grand Prix events scheduled. These races take place on designated circuits that must meet all Formula 1 specifications.
A Grand Prix is contested by 10 constructor teams, each of which is represented by 2 drivers/cars, so every event features 20 competitors. Most Grand Prix race weekends take place over 3 days. The first day (usually Friday) is practice where drivers get to warm-up their cars on the track.
The second day (Saturday) is qualifying, where timed laps determine how the cars will line up on the starting grid for the main race the following day, with the best performing earning front positions. Some races feature an alternative form of qualifying called sprint races, which is like a short Grand Prix, and the 8 drivers who cross the line first in sprint qualifying all receive championship points, with the first placed qualifier earning 8 points, the second placed earning 7 points, and so on.
In the main Grand Prix race (Sunday), the first 10 drivers to cross the finish line all receive points. The driver who finishes first wins 25 points, the second 18 points, the third 15 points, and the tenth placed driver just 1 point. The driver who completes the fastest single lap also receives 1 point, as long as they are placed in the top 10 overall.
At the end of the Formula 1 season, the driver with the most points over the whole season is named Drivers’ Champion, and the team with the most points across both drivers is named Constructors’ Champion.