Welcome to the first part of F1ntastic.com‘s Guide To Formula 1! Here we’re talking about the definitions of F1, what the sport really is.
Formula 1, better knows as F1, is the pinnacle of motorsport. It’s the highest class of international open-wheel single-seater Formula auto racing. These words may seem complicated, but they’re actually pretty simple. F1 is the highest level of racing with a single-seater car and the wheels outside the body of the car. The image above is of an F1 car, and it shows clearly that an F1 car has only one seat, and the wheels of the car are outside the main body of the car. Since F1 is the highest level of Formula auto racing it’s called Formula 1; it’s the highest level of motorsport. Junior levels of motorsport are things like Formula 2 and Formula 3, which are feeder series to F1.
F1 is also the highest level of motorsport sanctioned by the FIA. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, more commonly known as the FIA, is an association representing the interests of motor organizations and motor car users. However, more people know the FIA for sanctioning and being the governing body for racing events. The FIA make and enforce the rules and regulations of certain motorsports, including Formula 1. The word Formula in the name of the sport refers to the set of rules to which all participants’ cars must comply with.
The F1 World Championships
Formula 1 is obviously a competitive sport, so every year, the drivers compete for the Drivers’ World Championship, and the teams, or the constructors, compete for the Constructors’ World Championship. In each race, the drivers gain a certain number of points based on where they finish in the race. Whatever points they gain keep adding up race after a race for the entire season until the last race of the year is finished. Then, the driver with the most points wins the Drivers’ Title. The Drivers’ World Championship started in 1950, while the constructors’ started in 1958. Look at the table below to see how the current points system works in F1.
For the constructors’ championship, the points gained by the 2 drivers in each team are added up to make the constructors’ points. For example, a team’s 2 drivers finish 1st and 2nd in a race. The winner and the runner-up get 25 and 18 points respectively. So the constructor (the team), gets 43 points added to their points total for the season. As is with the drivers’ title, the constructor with the most points at the end of the F1 season wins the Constructors’ Title.
So in conclusion of this segment, F1 is the highest class of single-seater open-wheel racing that the FIA governs. And F1 has 2 Championships: the Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ Championship. Obviously, there’s a lot more to the sport. Click here go back to the main guide to learn more about Formula 1.