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10 Facts About Formula 1 Racing

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Formula 1 racing is a widely popular motorsport that has captured a global audience across Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. Learn more about Formula 1, including the location of the F1 USA Grand Prix.

It Originated in 20th Century Europe

Early Formula 1 races were born out of the enthusiasm for grand prix racing that arose in Europe during the interwar period of the early-mid 1900s. The first-ever race took place in 1950 in Silverstone, England.

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The Formula Behind the Name

The "formula" in Formula 1 refers to a strict set of rules that all cars must adhere to. Formula 1 races have rigid rules not only for determining winners and timing races but also for specific materials that all cars in these races must use. For example, Formula 1 cars all need to use the same tires supplied by a single manufacturer.

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Race Weekends

Formula 1 races are a big deal that offer a full weekend event for fans. There are practice runs on Fridays and Saturday mornings followed by qualifying races on Saturday afternoons. If you want to see Formula 1 in action, but you don't have much time to spare, you should probably go see the Saturday afternoon races as those are the main event of the sport.

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A Team Sport

Americans may tend to think of race car driving as something that individuals do, but Formula 1 is a sport for teams. These teams consist of multiple drivers, though individual drivers can win championships too. Teams compete for the conductor's championship, while individual drivers compete for the driver's championship.

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Racing Season Significance

The racing season is significant for Formula 1 because champions are named at the end of a season, tallying total points from all previous races. In this sense, Formula 1 is a bit like pro football in the USA — it's possible to win individual games during the regular season, but only one team can win the Super Bowl championship title.

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Team Sponsors

Each Formula 1 team competes in every race throughout the season, and there's a set number of teams slated to compete at the beginning of each season. Teams are typically named after sponsors, which tend to be luxury car brands like Lotus, Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren. Each team can be worth several million dollars in prize money.

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Driver Fitness

Though the original Formula 1 champion driver was a 44 year old, drivers these days tend to be younger, and they need to be in good shape to handle the physical demands of the sport. Though they are sitting down in a car during races, they travel at high enough speeds that the Formula 1 organization claims drivers need to be in peak physical condition to cope.

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Race Strategy

Aside from simply driving fast and avoiding crashes, Formula 1 drivers and teams typically think about the balance between fuel weight and tire wear. The more fuel is in a car at the beginning of a race, the heavier it is, so it doesn't move as fast. But as the race progresses, tires wear out, meaning they have less grip to propel themselves forward.

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Race Locations

Formula 1 races take place in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia, often in major global cities like Abu Dhabi, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Barcelona. North American fans can catch Formula 1 races in Canada, the USA and Mexico. The USA Grand Prix taxes place at the Austin, Texas Formula One track.

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Rule Changes

Rules are important for understanding Formula 1, and they can also impact the strategies teams use to win races. The Formula 1 organization changes its rules relatively frequently, impacting things like pit stops and vehicle components.