F101
What is Formula 1™?
Formula 1™ (or F1™ for short) is a class of motor racing. This class of racing has very specific and an ever-changing set of rules, or the “formula” it must follow, which are governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (the “FIA”). Over the course of an annual F1 season, multiple rounds of racing the Formula 1 World Championship are held around the world; these individual Formula 1 races are more commonly referred to as Grands Prix. One individual driver wins each grand prix race, but the results of each race over the course of the F1 season are combined and at the end of the FIA Formula One World Championship season, two world champions are announced: an F1 driver and an F1 team, or “constructor.”
When did F1 racing start?
Shortly after man realized the speed of an automobile, he wanted to discover its full capabilities. Many historians consider the Paris-Rouen race of July 22, 1894 to be the first automobile race. The f1 series itself is traced back to the European Grand Prix motor racing of the 1920s and 1930s, but it wasn’t until 1950 that the FIA standardized racing rules and had the first World Drivers’ Championship. For most of the content in this F101 dialogue, we will refer to the Formula 1 World Championship as it applies since 1950.
How many F1 Grands Prix are there annually?
The number of races changes each year. Grands Prix have been a part of the FIA World Championship since its inception in 1950, when 7 races were held. There were 15 F1 grands prix in 1981 and 19 races in 2011. For 2012, there are a record 20 races scheduled; what some consider the maximum number of races.
Where are the races held?
The F1 World Championship travels to almost every continent. F1 races are held on public roads and purpose-built circuits, which are tracks built specifically for racing. Over the years, circuits and their corresponding F1 races have come and gone. For 2012, here is a chart of the official F1 Grands Prix, their location, and the circuit name (if applicable):
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Round |
Date |
Official Formula 1 Race Title |
Grand Prix Name |
Circuit |
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1 |
March 18, 2012 |
Australian Grand Prix |
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2 |
March 25, 2012 |
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3 |
April 15, 2012 |
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4 |
April 22, 2012 |
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5 |
May 13, 2012 |
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6 |
May 27, 2012 |
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7 |
June 10, 2012 |
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8 |
June 24, 2012 |
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9 |
July 8, 2012 |
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10 |
July 22, 2012 |
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11 |
July 29, 2012 |
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12 |
September 2, 2012 |
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13 |
September 9, 2012 |
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14 |
September 23, 2012 |
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15 |
October 7, 2012 |
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16 |
October 14, 2012 |
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17 |
October 28, 2012 |
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18 |
November 4, 2012 |
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19 |
November 18, 2012 |
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20 |
November 25, 2012 |
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What is a Formula 1™ car?
An F1 car has one driver and is an “open wheel” type of racing automobile. Open wheel means that the wheels are outside of the car and fully exposed, instead of inside the body of a car, like so:
From http://wonderduck.mu.nu/archive/2011/6
F1 cars are constructed with the most technologically available resources in order to follow the FIA’s rapidly changing rules and make them go as fast as possible with the least amount of weight (because weight slows them down). F1 cars race at speeds of up to 220 mph (360 km/h) and due to their aerodynamic construction, are able to turn sharp corners at very fast speeds.
Though the engine requirements change, according to FIA formula, today’s F1 car consist of a 2.4-liter V8 engine that is limited to 18,000 RPM. (This is about the size of a 4 to 6 cylinder family sedan engine.)
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_1#History
http://www.fia.com/en-GB/the-fia/about-fia/Pages/AboutFIA.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Formula_One_season
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Formula_One_season
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Prix_Motor_Racing