| |
Formula One\n Formula One, or Grand Prix racing, is the best known single-seater (open-wheel) auto racing class; though it has traditionally been centered in Europe, it is a worldwide sport, and involves an annual World Drivers Championship and World Constructors Championship. Many regard it as the pinnacle of auto racing; it is the most expensive sport in the world, with average annual team budgets in the hundreds of millions of US dollars. It is based around a series of races (18 in 2004), known as grands prix, on custom-constructed road courses or closed-off street circuits.
While Europe undoubtedly remains the leading market for the sport, races have also been held in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. New races in Bahrain, Malaysia, one planned for China and another discussed for Russia, show an international tendency to move away from Europe.
The sport is regulated by the FIA, Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, and is generally promoted and controlled by Bernie Ecclestone.
History
Main Article: History of Formula One
See also: Grand Prix motor racing
Historically, the series evolved from pre-war European Grand Prix motor racing of the 1920s and 1930s. With the reestablishment of motor racing post-WWII, the drivers championship was formalised in 1950 and in 1958 a championship for constructors was started. Additional non-championship Formula One races were held around the world, but ended in the early 1980s. Regulations have changed greatly as car technologies have improved, with the appearance of rear-engined cars in the late 1950s, the introduction of wings in the late 1960s, then ground effect aerodynamics in the late 1970s by Lotus, followed by the 1980s era of turbocharged engines developing upwards of 1000 horsepower (750 kW). The 1980s remain the time of the most powerful circuit racing cars of all time.
The late 1980s saw the creeping inclusion of all manner of electronic driver aids to help drivers control the skyrocketing horsepower, including active suspension, anti-lock brakes, automatic gearboxes, four-wheel steering and traction control. Some of these were borrowed from contemporary road cars; some, like active suspension, were primarily developed for the track and later made their way to the showroom.
In any case, whilst they made the cars faster, fans perceived that the new aids were taking away the need for driver skill and so in 1989 the series changed to naturally-aspirated engines and removed many of the driver aids. Some, like traction control, launch control and automatic gearboxes have gradually returned (at the Spanish GP in 2001) due in part to rumours that teams were evading the restrictions.
Since 1984, the championship has been dominated by just three teams, McLaren, Williams, and Ferrari, who have provided the vehicle for all but two of the World Champions for that period.
The cars
Main Article: Formula One cars
Modern F1 cars are single-seat, open cockpit, open wheel, race cars. They must be constructed by the racing teams themselves and be powered by a 3.0-liter, ten-cylinder naturally aspirated engine. Estimates put the best engines at or about 900 bhp at 19,000 rpm. Transmissions are mostly 7-speed and may be manually controlled (i.e. the driver must signal a gear change); however, the clutch, throttle control, and actual gear change are handled electronically.
The cars rely heavily on aerodynamics, using large front and rear wings to create about twice as much downforce as weight; thus in theory an F1 car could easily drive sideways or upside down. They are constructed of ultra-lightweight carbon fiber and use a finely-tuned blend of fuels which rather closely approximate normal gasoline. They use grooved tires made of highly-engineered compounds built for maximum grip and very short lifespan.
Racing & Strategy
Main Article: Formula One racing
A Formula One grand prix event takes an entire weekend, beginning with free practice on Friday. Two qualifying sessions take place on Saturday during which each driver sets one timed "flying lap" on the empty track. The first session determines the order of qualifying in the second session, which in turn determines each driver's starting position on the grid for the race itself, which takes place Sunday afternoon. Each team is allotted two entries and though DNQ (Did Not Qualify) was a common designation in the past, teams cannot afford to show up and not race; thus all cars who participate in qualifying take part in the race. The teams may not change anything to the car between qualifying and race. The drivers have to qualify with the same tyres, setup and amount of fuel as they start in the race.
The race begins with a warm-up "parade lap," after which the cars are assembled on the starting grid in the order they qualified. They are then started by a light system above the track. Races are a little over 300 kilometres (180 miles) long and will never last more than two hours.
Points are awarded to the top eight drivers in each race and their respective teams. The winner of the annual championship is the driver (or team, for the constructor's championship) with the most points at the end of the season.
Lists
Constructors & Drivers
See List of Formula One constructors for teams that are no longer active.
Formula One's 1950 debut season saw eighteen teams compete, but due to rising costs many dropped out quickly. Ferrari is the only still-active team which competed in 1950, and for the 2004 season only ten teams remain on the grid, each fielding two cars. Of the ten, four are subsidiaries of major car companies (Ferrari, Renault, Jaguar, and Toyota) and one is a division of a tobacco company (BAR). Williams and McLaren, both privately-owned teams, have their engines produced by major car companies, BMW and Mercedes-Benz respectively, and Honda produces engines for BAR. The final three teams, Jordan, Sauber and Minardi, are also privately owned but receive little substantial sponsorship, and consequently tend to end up toward the back of the grid.
The following teams and drivers are currently competing in the Formula One World Championship:\n*Ferrari (Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro)\n**1 Michael Schumacher\n**2 Rubens Barrichello\n*Williams (BMW.WilliamsF1 Team)\n**3 Juan Pablo Montoya\n**4 Antonio Pizzonia (replacing Ralf Schumacher, inj. US GP) (Fra and Brit GP: Marc Gené)\n*McLaren (Team McLaren Mercedes)\n**5 David Coulthard\n**6 Kimi Räikkönen\n*Renault (Mild Seven Renault F1 Team)\n**7 Jarno Trulli\n**8 Fernando Alonso\n*BAR, British American Racing (Lucky Strike BAR Honda)\n**9 Jenson Button\n**10 Takuma Sato\n*Sauber (Sauber Petronas)\n**11 Giancarlo Fisichella\n**12 Felipe Massa\n*Jaguar (Jaguar Racing Ltd.)\n**14 Mark Webber\n**15 Christian Klien\n*Toyota (Panasonic Toyota Racing)\n**16 Cristiano da Matta\n**17 Olivier Panis\n*Jordan (Jordan Ford)\n**18 Nick Heidfeld\n**19 Giorgio Pantano (Can GP: Timo Glock)\n*Minardi (European Minardi Cosworth)\n**20 Gianmaria Bruni\n**21 Zsolt Baumgartner
The number 13 has not been used since 1974, before which it was occasionally assigned at the discretion of individual race organizers.
Grands Prix & Circuits
See also: List of Formula One Championship events, List of Formula One circuits
Eighteen tracks in sixteen countries host the eighteen races of the 2004 season (in order by date):
- Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Albert Park, Australia\n* Malaysian Grand Prix, Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia\n* Bahrain Grand Prix, Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain\n* San Marino Grand Prix, Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy\n* Spanish Grand Prix, Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain\n* Monaco Grand Prix, Circuit de Monaco, mostly in Monte Carlo, Monaco\n* European Grand Prix, Nürburgring, Nürburg, Germany\n* Canadian Grand Prix, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec, Canada\n* United States Grand Prix, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway, Indiana, United States of America\n* French Grand Prix, Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours, France\n* British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit, Near Towcester, Northampton, United Kingdom\n* German Grand Prix, Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, Germany\n* Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary\n* Belgian Grand Prix, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Francorchamps, Belgium\n* Italian Grand Prix, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy\n* Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China\n* Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan\n* Brazilian Grand Prix, Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, Interlagos, Săo Paulo, Brazil
People\n\nSee also: List of Formula One people
Formula One has been called the soap opera of the sports world: the exotic locations, vast quantities of money, and famous faces involved in the "F1 circus" lend the sport an aura of glamour entirely absent from most other world sports. Eccentric and flamboyant personalities have always populated the paddock; the men in power have traditionally contradicted and sniped at each other; the team bosses have been busy juggling their supermodel girlfriends. Of the numerous odd, rich, or eccentric people F1 attracts, a few are notable:
- Bernie Ecclestone, billionaire and president of Formula One Management; also his ex-model wife Slavica\n*Max Mosley, president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile; commonly known as "Mad Max" for his frequent and radical rule-change proposals\n*Jean Todt and Ross Brawn, Ferrari team principal and technical director, respectively\n*Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head, owners of the Williams team\n*Ron Dennis, owner of the McLaren team\n*Flavio Briatore, Renault team principal, famous for dating supermodels Naomi Campbell and Heidi Klum\n*Peter Sauber, Eddie Jordan and Paul Stoddart, Sauber, Jordan, and Minardi team principals, respectively; they enthusiastically continue racing though theirs are the only three entirely independent teams and thus never do very well; together the three men form a formidable lobbying force for lower costs and fair rules.\n*The royalty of Monaco, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Bahrain, among others\n*Tony George, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; he has put large amounts of money toward promoting F1 in the United States despite the rest of the F1 circus being rather uninterested in worldwide popularity\n*Michael Schumacher, World Champion and winningest driver ever; most highly paid athlete on the planet; popularly accused of overly aggressive driving and lack of personality\n*Eddie Irvine, former driver, known for his blatant honesty, willingness to express his opinion on any subject, and tendency to offend fellow drivers regularly (see his Wikiquote page)\n*ITV F1 commentators Murray Walker and Martin Brundle, known for their enthusiastic styles and famous gaffes
World Drivers & Constructors Champions
See also: List of Formula One Champions
See also
External links
Category:Auto racing\nCategory:Formula One
\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n |
|
