03. F1 The Tournament

F1 The Tournament

History

traces its roots back to the earliest days of motor racing. But it wasn’t until 1946 that it became an officially sanctioned motorsport tournamet.

From the start, it was established as the highest tier of single-seater, open-cockpit racing in the world. And it has, for the most part, lived up to that definition.

Over the years, the cars have evolved, as have the teams and the tracks. Technology has played an increasing role, aiding the design and progressively pushing the boundaries regarding the build. Constant advances can be seen in testing, racing and upgrades bought during the season.

Formula

The term “formula” refers to the regulations set by the sport’s governing body, the FIAFédération Internationale de l'Automobile is the association responsible for the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users across the... There's more... (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile). These rules have been ever-changing from the beginning, sometimes multiple times within a single season. The rules are in place to maximise safety, increase competition, and drive innovation.

More recently, changes have sought to even the playing fieldThe field is a reference to the full grid of cars, from pole to the backmarkers. Consider it in the... There's more... between the teams and slow the rampant pace of the wealthy teams. Examples include implementing a cost capThe cost cap, or budget cap, is the amount of money a team can spend on the car's performance in... There's more... and rationing wind tunnelA wind tunnel is a tool used in F1 to study the way the air moves past the car enabling... There's more... time with more time available to those at the bottom of the field.

F1 Today

Formula 1 is a truly global super sport with a rapidly growing fan base and venues in exciting cities worldwide. Currently, there are ten teams and 20 drivers competing over a 24-race season (2023 – with a Chinese replacement to be announced), all fighting to accumulate pointsFormula 1 runs two competitions over the course of the season, the Constructor's title and the Driver's title. Points are... There's more..., secure the titles and maximise their share of the prize money.

Formula 1 is hugely competitive and super expensive, but the amount of money a team can spend is capped. This is an attempt to ensure the smaller teams can keep up with well-funded entries like FerrariScuderia Ferrari S.p.A. is the racing division of luxury Italian auto manufacturer Ferrari based in Marinello, Italy The 2022 Ferrari... There's more..., Mercedes’ and Red BullRed Bull Racing, also simply known as Red Bull or RBR and competing as Oracle Red Bull Racing in 2022,... There's more.... Prize moneyPrize money is a significant part of the. funding structure for an F1 team. Teams receive a share of the... There's more... is allocated based on where the teams finish.

F1F1 is the pinnacle of open wheel, single seater car racing and arguably the highest level of any motorsport globally.... There's more... is available to audiences to addend live and through F1TVFormula 1's streaming service, covering all race weekends, streaming all sessions and delivering plenty of off-track content. Watch F1 live... There's more..., local sports channels, YouTube channels, podcasts and social media. It is the subject of TV shows, books and movies. Drive to SurviveFormula 1: Drive to Survive is a documentary series produced in a collaboration between Netflix and Formula One to give... There's more... on NetflixNetflix, Inc. is an American subscription streaming service and production company. And the creators of Drive to Survive, the behind... There's more... is a recent addition, proven popular with a wide audience and responsible for drawing in more fansThe fans are the life-blood of F1, without us the sport wouldn't be what it is today. From the 300,000... There's more....

Titles and other competitions

There are two primary competitions in Formula 1, the World Constructors Title and the World Drivers Title. The Constructor’s titleFormula 1 runs two competitions over the course of a season, the Drivers title and the Constructors title. Points are... There's more... is about the team’s overall performance, based on the combined points from two cars (irrespective of who is driving, specifically, a reserve driver’s points count). The team’s ranking determines the share of the prize money they will receive.

The drivers are contractors fighting as individuals for the Drivers title. The fight for the two titles can cause conflict throughout the season as the best strategy for the team may not be the best for the driverOK, so we all know what the driver is, right. I've always liked the description that F1 drivers are like... There's more... and team ordersTeam orders is a scenario whereby the team's principal and or strategist will decide what is best for the team... There's more... may be used.

Several other ‘competitions’ run over the course of the season, such as pole positionPole Position (Pole) is the first grid box closest to the start line. The rest of the field lines up,... There's more..., fastest lapThe driver who records the fastest lap in the race may receive the DHL Fastest Lap award as well a... There's more..., driver of the dayDriver of the Day is the 'fan favourite' voted by viewers during the race with the poll on F1TV and... There's more... and fastest pit-stop.

Liberty Media

Ae US-based investment company, , owns , which in turn owns the commercial rights to Formula 1. Liberty acquired Formula 1, a global motorsports business, in Jan 2017, valuing the enterprise at $8.0 billion.

They run the events and share part of the revenue with the teams. Each team receives a share of the TV rights, approximately $36m, and prize money based on where they finish (from approximately $60m down to $10m). In addition, there are bonuses, legacy payments and a few other peculiar allocations.

The details are stipulated in the , a contract between Formula 1, the FIA and the teams that compete in F1. Its name is due to the first iteration of the document, which was drafted in 1981, being discussed at the FIA offices on the Place de la Concorde in France’s capital Paris.

The FIA

The FIA is the governing body for world motor sport and the federation of the world’s leading motoring organisations. Founded in 1904, with headquarters in Paris, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) is a non-profit making association responsible for the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users across the globe.

It brings together 244 international motoring and sporting organisations from 146 countries on five continents. Its member clubs represent millions of motorists and their families.

For F1Newbies, the FIA is the governing body for Formula OneFormula One is the pinnacle of open wheel, single seater car racing and arguably the highest level of any motorsport... There's more..., responsible for setting and monitoring the rules and regulations that prioritise the safety of all involved while running a fair, competitive and entertaining event.

The FIA appoint a Race Director and Stewards as well as run the Safety CarThe FIA runs the event and is responsible for the safety of the drivers, crew, marshals and spectators. To manage..., Medics. They provide the head MarshalsMarshals, dressed in their distinctive orange overalls, have a number of roles but the majority are positioned around the circuit... There's more... to run the events with the aid of hundreds of local volunteers.

Regulations and application

The FIA set F1 technical and sporting regulations covered in a 112 page document (copy available here).

Clause 1.1 starts…

“The FIA will organise the FIA Formula One World Championship (the Championship) which is the property of the FIA and comprises two titles of World ChampionThe world champion is the winner of the driver's title for the year proceeding the current year. The world champion... There's more..., one for drivers and one for constructors. It consists of the Formula One Grand PrixA Grand Prix is a motorsport series sanctioned by the FIA and held in various countries for a world title.... There's more... races which are included in the Formula One calendarThe race calendar includes all the official dates and start times for Formula 1 races, qualifying and practice sessions for... There's more... and in respect of which the ASNs and organisers have signed organisation agreements with the FIA”.

The technical regulations cover all aspects of the sport in minute detail, including chassisThe chassis in F1 is a monocoque or shell construction that uses an external carbon fibre skin to support most... There's more..., engine, refuelling and tyresToday's F1 cars are running 18-inch wheels (up from 13 inches in recent years) with the widths unchanged - 305mm... There's more.... Parc fermé, race procedure, scoring, flags, penalties, and pit-to-car communications.

An FIA-appointed Race Director, Stewards and Marshals, manage the race weekends. They are present in the pitsThe Pits refers to the area immediately outside a team's garage where they are able to work on the car,... There's more..., scrutinising and monitoring team activities. They can call a car into the weigh station anytime over the weekend and carry out checks post-race: e.g. fuelIn 2022 F1 cars run on 87 octane fuel which is 10% ethanol As part of their green strategy, Formula... There's more... sampling.

During on-track sessions, the stewards are responsible for ensuring the teams follow protocol, staying within track limits, giving way where required and observing safety measures such as pit laneThe Pit lane is a 3.5m wide access lane that runs parallel to the race track that the cars use... There's more... speed limits.

Drivers must hold a Super Licence and demerit points can be applied for dangerous drivingWith the safety of the drivers, team, marshals and fans paramount, the FIA sets regulations and enforces them without latitude. ... There's more... or repetition of minor infringements. Teams and drivers can also receive grid penaltiesGrid penalties are where a team is penalised with a demotion from their qualifying position. Grid penalties are used when... There's more... or fines for breaking the rules. In Formula 1, this can be considered the lesser of two evils, and teams may take the penalty to benefit from the breach.

Teams

In 2023 there will be ten teams entering 20 cars and competing in 24 race weekends across the globe.

The FIA stipulates a maximum of 26 cars on the gridThe grid is a reference to the starting order of the race is typically determined by qualifying, however, with the... There's more..., but the cost for new entrants is high. In addition to the cost of the car, Power UnitF1 cars no longer have engines as such, they run a hybrid power unit (PU) that delivers in the order... There's more..., Senior Staff and Drivers (circa $300m per annum), there is the entry feeThe teams pay fees to the FIA to compete in the season. Fees are calculated based on the team's results... There's more... and a one-off payment of $200m. Further, any new team on the grid will not qualify for prize money in the first year.

Race Schedule

Liberty is responsible for setting the schedule, and over the years, there have been 69 venues, ranging from street circuits to fixed racetracks. Several events under the current schedule have been on the calendar from the beginning, like SilverstoneHome of the British Grand Prix having debuted in 1948. In 2022 there are seven teams and three drivers for... There's more..., MonacoMonaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west... There's more... and MonzaThe Monza Circuit is a historic 5.793 km (3.600 mi) race track near the city of Monza, north of Milan,... There's more.... The latter has hosted 71 events in total, having missed 1980.

Today we have a mix of day or night races, adding to the challenges for the teams to overcome. Other aspects to manage include downforceDownforce is a measure of how much vertical aerodynamic load is created by a Formula 1 car’s aerodynamic surfaces. The... There's more... level, track surface, temperatures, altitudeMost of the races over a season are at sea level, however, Mexico and Brazil are at Altitude and have... There's more..., weather conditions etc…

In 2023 F1 will host 24 race weekends with six sprint-format races. See the full schedule here and follow our calendar here

Circuits

The FIA grades circuits from 1 to 6, with a Grade 1 circuitThe grades issued by the FIA range from 1 to 6 depending on the suitability of the circuit for different... There's more... being the standard set for F1. Promotors and hosts invest millions of dollars to create and maintain the facilities to these exacting standards. The payoff is global exposure for the city, millions of viewers, hundreds of thousands of attendees and tens of thousands of visitors. All are paying for the pleasure, and those visiting the town are spending money.

Circuits vary considerably from dedicated race tracks to temporary street circuits. Straights, corners, climate, altitude, track surface and whether the race is day or night all play a part in how the cars work.

Preseason

Formula 1 never stops, well, nearly never. As soon as the season is over, the team is focused on the design and testing of next season’s car. Developing the design, testing scaled models in the wind tunnel and refining the aerodynamics.

The Power Unit must be assembled, fitted to the chassis and fired up before the team’s official launchLaunch - dual terms... F1 teams lunch their challenger at the beginning of each season, and drivers launch the car... There's more... and initial scrutiny by the sports punditspundit; plural noun: an expert in a particular subject or field who is frequently called upon to give their opinions... There's more.... The finished car must be packed up and shipped with all the team’s equipment in time for the official test. Working to a February launch and official test session, to be held in Bahrain over the weekend of 22 – 24th Feb 2023.

Testing and practice are limited, with teams allowed to run the car for a maximum of 100kms for a media day and then the three days of preseason testing. They will have a further testing day at the start of the summer breakFormula 1's 22 race schedule kicks off with testing in Feburary and runs through to the final in November (2022).... There's more.... Apart from this, the car can only be run during official sessions over the race weekend.

Teams have a mandatory two-week shutdown over Christmas and the new year. at Launch – Testing – media day – Preseason, testing, first half, summer break, second half, tyre tests

Race Weekend

Race weekends are busy times for the drivers and team management, and the team responsible for the cars. Drivers and Team Principals have media dutiesDrivers have to talk to the press. When you see a driver go directly from the track to interviews, it's... There's more... as well as their own sponsor hosting obligations.

The standard format is three Free PracticeFree Practice consists of three sessions (FP1, FP2 & FP3) held prior to qualifying. It is referred to as 'free... There's more... sessions, each for an hour. This is where teams will run set run plans to simulate aspects of QualifyingQualifying (Quali) is a one-hour session used to determine pole position and the order the cars will line up behind... There's more... and the Race, collecting data to inform the strategists. Terms used include QualiQuali (Qualifying) is a one-hour session used to determine pole position and the order the cars will line up behind... There's more... run, race simulation, and high fuel run. Drivers will have the opportunity to do a practice start at the end of Free Practice.

Qualifying, or Quali, is held on Saturday afternoon. Quali is a one-hour session used to determine polePole (Pole Position) is the first grid box closest to the start line. The rest of the field lines up, in pairs behind... There's more... position and the order the rest of the cars will line up behind pole. The hour is structured in three knock-out sessions – Q1 at 18 minutes (five slowest care eliminated), Q2 at 15 minutes (next five slowest cars eliminated) and Q3 at 12 minutes to set the order for the top ten.

The race is held on Sunday afternoon and is approximately 300km. Drivers will participate in a drivers paradeThe driver's parade is where all 20 drivers are driven slowly around the track, prior to commencing their pre-race routines,... There's more... before the grid opens, and the cars carry out an installation lap before being positioned in their grid boxAt the start of the race, the cars form a grid from the pole position on the start line. The... There's more... for final checks.

The teams will set their own strategy based on the gathered data; the cars will have one mandatory pit stop and must run a minimum of two tyre compoundsThe compound is a reference to the rubber that the tyre's wearing surface is constructed from. Pirelli has developed a... There's more....

In 2023 there will be six sprint events where a shorter 100km race will be held on Saturday afternoon. Friday will see the cars run one practice session and qualification. Saturday morning is for Free Practice 2 before the sprint raceThe sprint race is an additional race over selected weekends. Being is a 100km dash and expected to take approximately... There's more... on Sunday afternoon.

The finishing positions of the sprint race determine the order of the starting grid for the race on Sunday.

Prizes and Points

PodiumPodium is the name of the platform that is used for the prizegiving ceremony following the race. Prizes are awarded... There's more... positions are awarded to first, second and third. Points are allocated to the first ten finishers (first eight in the sprint), and a bonus point is available for the fastest lap of the race, but the driver must finish in the top ten.

Awards are given out for Pole Position and fastest pit stopPit stops are a key factor for F1 race strategy with each team required to complete at least one and... There's more....

Logistics

The logistics of F1 are massive. With partners DHLDHL is the longest-standing global partner of Formula 1 delivering up to 2,000 tons of race cars, fuel and equipment... There's more..., the FIA is responsible for moving the cars, and the team’s entire set-up from one event to the next with enough time to get the garageAn F1 garage is just that. A secure area for teams to set up their equipment and work on their... There's more..., car, pit wall and hospitality centres set up before the first practice session. Curfews are in place to prevent crews from working excessive hours and making an error through being over-tired.

The logistical exercise is complicated further when the schedule presents back-to-backBack-to-back often refers to two races on consecutive weekends. The term can also be used for consecutive poles or wins.... There's more... events or a triple headerBack-to-back races on three successive weekends. Great for the fans, but a massive challenge for all involved with the event... There's more.... Truck fleets are utilised for short haul across Europe, and a fleet of jumbo jets for what are referred to as ‘fly away’ events in the Americas.