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