Introduction
Formula One (also Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of single-seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and owned by the Formula One Group. The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one of the premier forms of racing around the world since its inaugural season in 1950. The word "formula" in the name refers to the set of rules to which all participants' cars must conform. A Formula One season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix (French for 'grand prizes' or 'great prizes'), which take place worldwide on purpose-built circuits and on public roads.
The results of each race are evaluated using a points system to determine two annual World Championships: one for drivers, the other for constructors. Drivers must hold valid Super Licences, the highest class of racing licence issued by the FIA. The races must run on tracks graded "1" (formerly "A"), the highest grade-rating issued by the FIA. Most events occur in rural locations on purpose-built tracks, but several events take place on city streets.
Selected biography
Thomas Maldwyn Pryce (11 June 1949 – 5 March 1977) was a British racing driver from Ruthin, Wales. He was famous for winning the Brands Hatch Race of Champions (a non-championship Formula One race) in 1975 and for the circumstances surrounding his death. Pryce is the only Welsh driver to have won a Formula One race and is also the only Welshman to lead a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix. Pryce started his career in Formula One with the small Token team, making his only start for them at the 1974 Belgian Grand Prix. Shortly after an impressive performance at the Formula Three support race for the 1974 Monaco Grand Prix, Pryce joined the Shadow team and scored his first points in Germany in only his fourth race. Pryce later claimed two podium finishes, his first in Austria in 1975 and the second in Brazil a year later. Pryce was considered by his team as a great wet weather driver. During the practice session for the 1977 South African GP, run in wet conditions, Pryce was faster than everyone, including world champion drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt. Pryce's third full season at Shadow was cut short by his fatal accident at the 1977 South African Grand Prix, where he collided at high speed with track marshal Frederik Jansen Van Vuuren.
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Archive/Nominations |
Did you know...
- ... that the McLaren MP4/4 (pictured) was the most dominant car in the history of Formula One, winning all but one of the races in the 1988 Formula One season?
- ... that the tyres at the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix had their grooves painted green to promote environmentally friendly driving?
- ... that AVUS, a track which consisted entirely of two straights and two hairpins, was once part of the Formula One Championship?
- ... that in 2009 Brawn GP won the first two Grands Prix they entered, becoming the first team to do so since Alfa Romeo in 1950?
Archive/Nominations |
Selected article
The 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix (formally the XXXVII Grande Prêmio do Brasil) was a Formula One motor race held on November 2, 2008 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, Interlagos, in São Paulo, Brazil. It was the 18th and final race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 71 laps, was won by Ferrari driver Felipe Massa after starting from pole position. Fernando Alonso finished second in a Renault, and Kimi Räikkönen third in a Ferrari. Massa started the race alongside Toyota driver Jarno Trulli. Massa's team-mate Räikkönen began from third next to McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton. Rain fell minutes before the race, delaying the start, and as the track dried Massa established a lead of several seconds. More rain late in the race made the last few laps treacherous for the drivers, but could not prevent Massa from winning the Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel of Toro Rosso finished in fourth place behind Alonso and Räikkönen. Hamilton passed Toyota's Timo Glock in the final corners of the race to finish fifth, securing him the points needed to take the Drivers' Championship. Massa's win secured him second in the Drivers' Championship, and helped Ferrari win the Constructors' Championship. The Grand Prix was David Coulthard's final race; the Scot retired after 246 race starts.
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Archive/Nominations |
Current World Championship standings
Drivers' Championship | Constructors' Championship | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Team | Points | Constructor | Points |
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Mercedes | 87 | ![]() |
173 |
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Mercedes | 86 | ![]() |
99 |
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Ferrari | 52 | ![]() |
64 |
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History of Formula One • Formula One regulations • Formula One cars • Formula One racing
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- November 14: Nico Rosberg takes pole for 2015 Brazilian Grand Prix
- July 19: Formula One driver Jules Bianchi dies aged 25
- June 20: Michael Schumacher wakes up from coma
- April 9: Hamilton wins 'incredible' Bahrain race, F1's 900th Grand Prix
- March 17: Opening race of 2014 F1 season brings 'fascination'
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