| Formula One, abbreviated to F1, and also | | | | instance a driver who used a minimal |
| known as Grand Prix racing, is the | | | | amount of fuel to make his car lighter |
| highest class of auto racing defined by | | | | during qualifying in order to get a |
| the Fédération Internationale de | | | | better pole position would start the |
| l'Automobile (FIA), motor sport's world | | | | race with minimal fuel and would need |
| governing body. The "formula" in the | | | | more fuel stops. Other new restrictions |
| name is a set of rules which all | | | | included one making it mandatory for |
| participants and cars must meet. The F1 | | | | each engine to last two races; a driver |
| world championship season consists of a | | | | who had to have his engine replaced |
| series of races, known as Grands Prix, | | | | would be penalised by starting ten |
| held usually on purpose-built circuits, | | | | places lower than his actual qualifying |
| and in a few cases on closed city | | | | position in the starting grid of the |
| streets. The results of each race are | | | | race. In 2005, drivers were not allowed |
| combined to determine two annual World | | | | to change tyres during the race, unless |
| Championships, one for drivers and one | | | | the tyres were dangerously worn. This |
| for constructors. | | | | rule was removed for the 2006 Formula |
| It is a massive television event, with | | | | One season. In 2007, Bridgestone will |
| millions of people watching each race in | | | | become Formula One racing's sole |
| more than 200 countries. The cars race | | | | supplier and each team will receive only |
| at high speeds, often well above 300 km | | | | two specifications of tyre per event. |
| h (190 mph). The formula introduces a | | | | The first few years of the 21st century |
| number of restrictions and | | | | in F1 also saw some controversies and |
| specifications that cars must meet. | | | | scandals. At the 2002 Austrian Grand |
| These are designed, amongst other | | | | Prix, Rubens Barrichello, Schumacher's |
| things, to keep the ever-increasing | | | | teammate at Ferrari who was running |
| cornering speeds in safe ranges. The | | | | first in the race, was ordered by |
| performance of the cars is highly | | | | Ferrari to allow Schumacher to overtake |
| dependent on electronics, aerodynamics, | | | | him under "team orders" and win the |
| suspension and tyres. The formula has | | | | Grand Prix. Barrichello let him pass on |
| seen many evolutions and changes through | | | | the last lap at the finish line which |
| the history of the sport. There have | | | | greatly upset the spectators. At the |
| been many different types of engines; | | | | podium, in response to the jeers of the |
| normally aspirated, supercharged and | | | | crowd, Schumacher stood on the second |
| turbocharged, ranging from straight-4 to | | | | place spot and Barrichello stood on top. |
| H16, with displacements from 1.5 litres | | | | Schumacher took the trophy for first |
| to 4.5 litres. The maximum power | | | | place from the Austrian chancellor and |
| achieved in the history of the series | | | | gave it to Barrichello then took the |
| was around 1200 bhp (900 kW) in racing | | | | second place trophy. Barrichello, |
| trim, during the 1980s turbo era. | | | | Schumacher and Ferrari were fined one |
| Europe is Formula One's traditional | | | | million U.S. dollars for the failure to |
| centre and remains its leading market. | | | | observe Article 170 of the Formula One |
| However, Grands Prix have been held all | | | | Sporting Regulations concerning the |
| over the world and, with new races in | | | | podium ceremony.[5] As a result of this |
| Bahrain, China, Malaysia, Turkey and the | | | | the FIA declared new rules against "team |
| United States since 1999, its scope | | | | orders" artificially affecting race |
| continues to expand. As the world's most | | | | results. The 2005 United States Grand |
| expensive sport, its economic effect is | | | | Prix at Indianapolis saw only three out |
| significant, and its financial and | | | | of ten teams race in a bizarre mishap |
| political battles are widely observed. | | | | when it turned out (after several |
| Its high profile and popularity makes it | | | | failures) that the Michelin tyres for |
| an obvious merchandising environment, | | | | the other seven teams could not be |
| which leads to very high investments | | | | safely used on the surface of the track, |
| from sponsors, translating into | | | | causing them to withdraw from the |
| extremely high budgets for the | | | | race[6] when the FIA refused a change |
| constructor teams. However, in recent | | | | for safety reasons, insisting on keeping |
| years several teams have gone bankrupt | | | | to the letter of the regulations. |
| or been bought out by other companies. | | | | Michelin subsequently elected to stop |
| The sport is regulated by the | | | | supplying tyres to F1 teams in 2007, |
| Fédération Internationale de | | | | sparking debate on whether this new |
| l'Automobile (International Automobile | | | | system would make all teams compete on a |
| Federation more commonly abbreviated as | | | | more equal ground. |
| FIA), with its headquarters in Place de | | | | 2005 marked the end of the V10 era in |
| la Concorde, Paris. Its current | | | | Formula One. After the banning of |
| president is Max Mosley. Formula One's | | | | turbocharged engines in 1989, V10 became |
| commercial rights are vested in the | | | | the most popular engine configuration in |
| Formula One Group, now owned by Alpha | | | | Formula One. To keep costs down, the |
| Prema. Although now a minority | | | | configuration was made mandatory in |
| shareholder, the sport is still | | | | 2000[7] (although only V10s had been in |
| generally promoted and controlled by | | | | use since 1998) so that engine builders |
| Bernie Ecclestone. Since CVC's purchase | | | | would not develop and experiment with |
| the complicated (and according to some | | | | other configurations. Over this period, |
| sources such as The Economist "murky") | | | | the statistics show a supremacy of the |
| business structure has been simplified, | | | | Renault and Ferrari engines, with |
| leading to suggestions that the Formula | | | | Renault clinching six Constructors and |
| One Group could soon be floated. | | | | five Drivers championships as engine |
| Many records were broken in the first | | | | suppliers for Williams and Benetton from |
| few years of the 21st century by German | | | | 1992 to 1997, and their first ever |
| Michael Schumacher and a resurgent | | | | Drivers and Constructors Championships |
| Ferrari. In 2001, Schumacher set the new | | | | in a 100% Renault car in 2005. Renault |
| record for the most Grands Prix ever won | | | | was innovative during this period |
| (the previous record holder, Alain | | | | producing non-standard designs such as |
| Prost, had 51 wins). Schumacher | | | | the 111° 10-cylinder engine for the |
| eventually retired with 91 Grand Prix | | | | 2003 RS23 which was designed to |
| victories. Schumacher also holds the | | | | effectively lower the center of gravity |
| record for the most Grand Prix wins in a | | | | of the engine and thus improve the car's |
| season - in 2004, he won 13 of the 18 | | | | handling. This eventually proved too |
| races held. In 2003, Schumacher broke | | | | unreliable and heavy, so Renault |
| the record for most drivers' | | | | returned to a more conventional |
| championships by obtaining his sixth, | | | | development route. Ferrari also enjoyed |
| breaking Juan Manuel Fangio's previous | | | | great success in the V10 era, winning |
| record of five which had stood since | | | | six Constructors' championships and five |
| 1957. In 2004, he won the drivers' | | | | drivers' championships from 1999 to |
| championship for a seventh time. He also | | | | 2004. |
| broke the record for most points by | | | | In the 2006 season, the majority of |
| scoring his 801st point at the Japanese | | | | teams had developed V8 engines as per |
| Grand Prix. The previous record of 798.5 | | | | the newly introduced regulations. |
| was also set by Alain Prost. In 2002, | | | | However, 2006 also saw the introduction |
| Schumacher also set a new record by | | | | of new teams, and a number of teams |
| winning the championship earlier in the | | | | being reformed under new management. |
| season than any previous driver by | | | | After purchasing a 45% stake in the BAR |
| winning the French Grand Prix in July | | | | team, Honda re-entered F1 as a full |
| that year.[3] | | | | team, whereas previously they were only |
| Despite Ferrari's dominance, Kimi | | | | engine suppliers; Sauber was taken over |
| Räikkönen, driving for | | | | by BMW as Peter Sauber stepped down from |
| McLaren-Mercedes, and Juan Pablo | | | | top-level management; the long-standing |
| Montoya, driving for BMW Williams, had a | | | | Jordan marque was taken over by Alex |
| chance of claiming the 2003 championship | | | | Shnaider to become Midland F1 (and late |
| right until the end of the season at the | | | | in the 2006 season, purchased by a Dutch |
| Japanese Grand Prix. Also in 2003, | | | | consortium headed by the Spyker brand); |
| Fernando Alonso became the youngest ever | | | | Red Bull acquired the assets to Minardi |
| pole sitter by qualifying first at | | | | and created what effectively became a |
| Malaysia. Later that year he became the | | | | "junior" team to their main Red Bull |
| youngest ever winner of a Grand Prix | | | | marque, Scuderia Toro Rosso; finally, |
| when he took the chequered flag in | | | | Aguri Suzuki, a former F1 driver |
| Hungary. Schumacher's championship | | | | himself, acquired the assets to the |
| streak finally came to an end on | | | | ex-Arrows team from Minardi, which was |
| September 25, 2005 when Alonso clinched | | | | reformed into the Super Aguri team (The |
| the 2005 championship with a third place | | | | Arrows car had actually been on display |
| finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix to | | | | in a museum.). This amount of change was |
| become the youngest champion to date, | | | | guaranteed to cause some problem, |
| replacing previous record holder Emerson | | | | especially as most of the hand-overs |
| Fittipaldi of Brazil. By then, Michael | | | | occurred late into the 2005 season |
| Schumacher had been world champion for | | | | (especially with the new Super Aguri |
| more than 1,800 days. | | | | team). As such, Toro Rosso begun the |
| In the rulebook, several driver aids | | | | 2006 season using restricted V10 |
| returned due in part to developments | | | | engines, supplied by Cosworth. The 2007 |
| that allowed teams to evade the FIA | | | | season will also see great change as |
| "restrictions". Meanwhile, several | | | | engine homologation comes into effect, |
| changes to the rules were made with the | | | | requiring that engine design and |
| intention of improving the on-track | | | | development is frozen at the end of the |
| action and cutting ever-increasing | | | | 2006 season. In 2006, Renault and Alonso |
| costs.[4] Most notably, the qualifying | | | | once again won both titles. At the age |
| format changed several times between | | | | of 25, Alonso became the youngest double |
| 2003 and 2006. Another new regulation | | | | F1 world Champion, breaking Schumacher's |
| made drivers start each race with the | | | | record at 26. Also the seven times world |
| same level of fuel they had during | | | | champion Michael Schumacher retired |
| qualifying, introducing a new tactical | | | | after 15 years in F1. |
| element to each team's strategy. In this | | | | |