04. Teams, Cars and Drivers

Formula 1, the Teams, Cars and Drivers.

A contest at the highest level of global motorsport, where highly talented teams create the fastest cars they can conjure up, continuously seeking out gains of thousands of a second.  They contract the most talented drivers on the planet to race each other over 24 events in a tournament traversing the planet. 

In a tournament run by Liberty MediaLiberty Media are an investment company that owns Formula One Group which in turn owns the commercial rights to Formula... There's more... and presided over by 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..., ten teams and 20 cars will take to the gridThe grid is a reference to the starting order of the race is typically determined by qualifying, however, with the... There's more... for the 2023 season. Hundreds of thousands of spectators will attend the events, and millions will tune in to watch the spectacle on streaming services. 

The season starts in February when the teams launchLaunch - dual terms...  F1 teams lunch their challenger at the beginning of each season, and drivers launch the car... There's more... their new challenger, shakedownA shakedown is where the team run the car for the first time to make sure that the car is... There's more... and complete 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... before heading to Bahrain for the official test. 

But before this, the teams must design, model, prototype, test, refine and build the cars. 

Teams

The ten teams currently entered are based in the UK (7), Italy (2) and Switzerland (1). F1F1 is the pinnacle of open wheel,  single seater car racing and arguably the highest level of any motorsport globally.... There's more... allows up to 26 cars on the grid, but the cost of developing and entering a new team makes it prohibitive for new teams to join. But not impossible for a prospective team with sufficient fundingF1 is an expensive sport with significant costs for developing and building the car, drivers, engineers, replacement parts, development throughout... There's more.... 

Each team will have a design studio and factoryEach team has a home base where the factory is typically based. From there teams of talented people, design, model... There's more... with between 600 and 2500 staff. Roles within an F1 team are varied, with roles ranging from assembly technicians to team bosses. 

Works teams will have a separate Power UnitF1 cars no longer have engines as such, they run a hybrid power unit (PU) that delivers in the order... There's more... factory; others will buy their PU as a customer teamA customer team is one who buys their PU from one of the works teams. Not all the teams have... There's more.... A few richer teams will have their own wind tunnelA wind tunnel is a tool used in F1 to study the way the air moves past the car enabling... There's more..., and others will lease time in a private facility. This doesn’t allow those with their own facility to do more testing as time in the wind tunnel is regulated. 

Often referred to as a marqueThe Cambridge dictionary defines a marque as "the name of a range of cars", thus the famous brands in F1... There's more..., the name or brand of a team is huge. MercedesMercedes-Benz, a brand of the Mercedes-Benz Group, has been involved in Formula One as both team owner and engine manufacturer... There's more..., 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... and McLarenMcLaren Racing Limited is a British motor racing team, under the Marque of the Mclaren Group, based at the McLaren... There's more... represent their car brands, while teams like Red BullRed Bull Racing, also simply known as Red Bull or RBR and competing as Oracle Red Bull Racing in 2022,... There's more..., AlphaTauri or HaasHaas Formula LLC, competing as Haas F1 Team, is an American Formula One racing team established by NASCAR Cup Series... There's more... promote their parent company businesses. SauberSauber Motorsport AG is a Swiss motorsport engineering company. It was founded in 1970 by Peter Sauber, who progressed through... There's more... (as Alpha Romeo) and WilliamsWilliams Racing is one of Formula 1's longest-running and most successful teams. Founded in 1977 by Frank Williams and Patrick... There's more... are long-standing race teams born to race. 

Teams, evolution

Over the years, teams have come and gone or changed hands and identities. Still, the fundamental core remains, a group of highly talented people designing, building and driving the fastest car they can create, constantly testing the boundaries to eke out the smallest of gains and beat their competition. 

Teams compete for one race at a time, but in this sport, the end goal of fighting for the top can be as far out as five years, with incremental goals set over a season. 

There is space on the grid for 26 cars or 13 teams, and there is always talk of new teams joining. Doing so is another thing entirely. At the very least, a new team will need to fund a $200m joining fee, the $250m to start a car and agree to forgo prize moneyPrize money is a significant part of the. funding structure for an F1 team. Teams receive a share of the... There's more... for the first year. They will also face considerable pushback from most existing teams as another competitor will dilute the prize pool. 

Cars

F1 is arguably the fastest open-wheel racing car on the planet. Yes, Indycars come close and may even have an edge in a straight line, but the F1 car’s superior aeroSlang for Aerodynamic Aerodynamics is the science of controlling how the air behaves as the car cuts through it at... There's more... means they will win over a full lap of a race track. And these mighty beasts are regulated to maintain a maximum speed for safety reasons. 

Cars, regulations

The FIA does not use a speed limiter or have the cars top out at a fixed speed; rather, it sets regulations around the size of the car, weight, engine size and aerodynamicAerodynamics is the science of controlling how the air behaves as the car cuts through it at speed. F1 cars... There's more... requirements. All teams on the grid work to these parameters to create and run the fastest cars possible. 

In addition, teams are restricted to cost caps, restricted testing and work curfews. 

Teams are restricted to the amount they can spend on the cars with the 2023 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... set at $154.7m after adjustments for pre-set reductions, inflation and additional funds to compensate for the additional Sprint races ($300k per sprint raceThe sprint race is an additional race over selected weekends. Being is a 100km dash and expected to take approximately... There's more...). In addition, a cost cap of $95m for teams to supply or source power units and the number of specific parts is limited. In 2023, teams can use four power units before invoking a penalty – up from three in previous years due to the longer calendarThe race calendar includes all the official dates and start times for Formula 1 races, qualifying and practice sessions for... There's more... and additional sprint races.

F1 cars are incredible machines able to accelerate to 200kph in 4 seconds, travel at 350kph or 88mps and cornerIn formula 1, a corner is much more than a turn on the track, it is a considered and deliberate... There's more... at extremely high speeds generating massive G-forces. 

They must not weigh less than 796kgs (down 2kgs from 2022), including driverOK, so we all know what the driver is, right. I've always liked the description that F1 drivers are like... There's more... but excluding fuelIn 2022 F1 cars run on 87 octane fuel which is 10% ethanol As part of their green strategy, Formula... There's more..., and are powered by V6 hybridThe current Formula 1 regulations require the cars to be hybrids. Instead of conventional hybrid systems, with an electric motor,... There's more... power units generating 1000 horsepower. 

The cars are designed within strict regulations set by the FIA, and the teams search out every opportunity to push the limits and eke out a few thousandths of a second. Speed is maximised on the straight by minimising dragDrag is the resistance caused by air hitting a solid object as it is propelled forward. When the solid object... There's more... and maintained through the corners with applied downforceDownforce is a measure of how much vertical aerodynamic load is created by a Formula 1 car’s aerodynamic surfaces. The... There's more.... The current cars use a technique known as ground force, where suction is created, holding the car on the track as it speeds through the corners. 

Cars, performance

An F1 car creates more downforce than it weighs, so arguably, it could drive upside down in a tunnel. 

Another key part of the performance of the car is the tyresToday's F1 cars are running 18-inch wheels (up from 13 inches in recent years) with the widths unchanged - 305mm... There's more.... Designed and supplied by PirelliPirelli is the exclusive supplier of tyres to Formula 1 having secured the contract in 2011. The range consists of... There's more..., F1 cars have set wheel sizes, and teams are supplied with tyres that have been selected to suit the characteristics of the track. Three compoundsThe compound is a reference to the rubber that the tyre's wearing surface is constructed from. Pirelli has developed a... There's more... are provided, hard, medium and soft, along with wets and mediums. The different compounds will perform differently and offset durability with reduced speed. 

The cars themselves are designed and manufactured in the team’s factories. Components are modelled on computers before being formed at a reduced scale and tested in the wind tunnel. Front wings, rear wings, sidepodsSidepods are part of the car's bodywork in front of the engine covers. They play an important part in an... There's more..., floors, diffusers and the rear wingF1 cars require dowforce to travel and corner at such significant speeds, with the rear wing generating approximately 20% of... There's more... all work together to create the most aerodynamically efficient car. 

Teams are limited to the amount of wind tunnel testing they are allowed to undergo, regardless of whether they own the facility or rent it. The amount of time varies, with those finishing lower down the grid being allocated more testing time. This is, again, an attempt to maintain a level playing fieldThe field is a reference to the full grid of cars, from pole to the backmarkers. Consider it in the... There's more... and not allow the richer teams to have an unfair advantage. 

Cars, Safety

Motorsport is inherently dangerous, but the FIA has worked extensively to minimise the risk and make the sport as safe as possible. The drivers sit within a specially designed safety cell to withstand high impacts. The cars have many safety features, like tethers on the wheels to prevent a disconnected wheel from flying off and safety controls when the cars are 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.... 

Drivers

F1 drivers are amongst the most committed and focused sportspeople on the planet. The journey to F1 is long, hard and expensive. They will need determination and grit as well as natural talent and physical attributes like fitness, strength and lightning-quick reactions. Drivers can experience up to 6G’s through accelerationAcceleration is a calculation of how fast it takes the car to go from zero to a set time, usually... There's more..., braking and cornering, and they will lose around three kilograms during a 90-minute race. 

While drivers are a critical component of a winning race team, they are typically contracted to the team for the season, with multi-year contracts being signed for up to 5-years. Drivers can pay for the seat or be paid, with salaries for the latter between $500,000.00 and $50.0m. 

Securing a seat in an F1 car is amongst the most coveted drives in motorsport. Drivers must hold a Super License, and penalties can see demerit 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... applied with a license suspended if the maximum points are exceeded.  

Apart from the Super Licence requirement, there are few rules that dictate who can or can’t compete in Formula 1Formula 1 is the pinnacle of open-wheel,  single-seater car racing and arguably the highest level of any motorsport globally. Also... There's more.... The reality is that a potential driver must be super-talented and have well-funded backers to fund the journey through the feeder categories and lower formulas. A season in Formula 2A second-tier single-seater, open wheeler series run by the FIA as a feeder category to assist developing drivers gain experience... There's more... will cost around $3.0m. 

Drivers, In the wings

In addition to the contracted drivers, teams will recruit test drivers, sim drivers and reserve drivers. These individuals will have support roles throughout the year and may be seen trackside or focused on data gathering back at the factory. Often reserve drivers are active in other categories, like F2A second-tier single-seater, open wheeler series run by the FIA as a feeder category to assist developing drivers gain experience... There's more..., so they can have very demanding schedules over a race weekend. 

While men dominate F1, it does not exclude women. Over the years, there have been several women competing, with Susie WolffSusie is a Scottish born, former professional British racing driver and the most recent female to drive in an official... There's more... being the most recent to complete a formal session. Susie talks in her interview on Beyond the Grid about the many challenges faced by women chasing an F1 seat.

Each year, near 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..., the silly seasonThe period where the driver market is in full swing. Pundits speculate on where available drivers would be best suited... There's more... starts, the period when the driver marketF1 Drivers are private entities, with their own managers, trainers and support personnel, contracted to a team for a year... There's more... is in full swing and drivers without contracts for the coming season look to lock in seats. 

There are no set rules for how this unfolds or when, but it is not uncommon for one move to trigger a run of deals being announced, and that is the reason it is referred to as the silly season. 

2023 Teams, Cars and Drivers

The grid comprises the following teams, drivers and cars (at the time of writing the 2023 cars are yet to be launched, so the 2022 cars are referenced and will be updated) 

Scudaria Ferrari S.p.A 

ScuderiaAn Italian word meaning 'Stable' and is used in both the Scuderia Ferrari and Scuderia AlphaTauri team names. First used... There's more... Ferrari S.p.A. is the racing division of luxury Italian auto manufacturer Ferrari and the racing team that competes in Formula OneFormula One is the pinnacle of open wheel,  single seater car racing and arguably the highest level of any motorsport... There's more... racing. Based in Maranello, Italy, the team first raced in 1950 and is the longest-competing marque on the grid, with 16 world titles to their credit. 

In 2023 the team is headed up by Frédéric VasseurFrédéric Vasseur is a French motorsport engineer and manager with a long track record of managing Formula-series teams. Today he... There's more... and contracts Charles LeclercCharles Leclerc (No 16) is a Monaco born F1 driver, racing under a Monocasque licence and contracted to Scuderia Ferrari.... There's more... and Carlos SainzCarlos Sainz (No 55) is a Spanish born F1 driver contracted to Scuderia Ferrari. For more on Carlos, visit our... There's more... as their primary drivers. 

Ferrari is a Works teamA works team, or factory team, is a constructor who builds the entire car, including the PU, in their own... There's more... designing and building their own Power Unit. The 2022 chassisThe chassis in F1 is a monocoque or shell construction that uses an external carbon fibre skin to support most... There's more... was registered as F1-75The Ferrari F1-75 is Scuderia Ferrari's 2022 Formula One World Championship challenger, piloted by Charles LeClerc and Carlos Sainz.  See... There's more.... 

Oracle Red Bull Racing

Winner of 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... in 2022, Red Bull Racing is a UK-based team with five titles to its name. 

The team’s origins go back to 1997 when it first entered under Stewart Racing. In 1999 it was sold to Ford, who ran it as Jaguar Racing. Red Bull took over in 2005 and today runs it as a Works team with their own Red Bull PowertrainsRed Bull Powertrains was created in 2021 to supply power units to Oracle Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri for the 2022... There's more... PU. 

Christian HornerChristian Edward Johnston Horner OBE (born 16 November 1973) is a British former racing driver and current Team Principal of the Red Bull Formula... There's more... has headed the team since 2005, and in 2023 Max VerstappenMax Verstappen (No 1 as 2021 World Champion, otherwise No 33) is a Belgium born F1 driver, racing under a... There's more... and Sergio PerezSergio (Checo) Perez (No 11) is a Mexican born F1 driver, racing under a Mexican licence and contracted to Red... There's more... are contracted to drive the RB18The RB18 is Red Bull Racing's Formula One car designed and constructed by Red Bull Racing to compete in the... There's more... chassis. 

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 TeamMercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, a brand of the Mercedes-Benz Group, has been involved in Formula One as both team owner... There's more... is a works team, formally Brawn GP. First entered in 2013 and won eight consecutive constructors titles (2014 – 2021). And seven drivers championships (2014 – 2020).

The 2022 car famously struggled with a phenomenon referred to as porpoisingThe term porpoising is given to the repetitive rise and fall, or bouncing, of the car, usually on the faster... There's more.... 

Based in Brackley (chassis) and Brixworth (Power Unit) England, the team is headed by Toto WolffToto is Team Principal & CEO of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. He is the managing partner of the team... There's more.... Lewis HamiltonLewis Hamilton (No 44) is an English-born F1 driver contracted to Mercedes in 2022. See more about Lewis on our... There's more... and George RussellGeorge Russell (No 63) is a English-born F1 driver contracted to Mercedes in 2022. Read up on George's stats on... There's more... are contracted to drive. The 2022 chassis is known as the W13W13 - Mercedes (Mercedes-AMG F1 W13 E Performance) is the 2022 Formula One racing car designed and constructed by the... There's more.... 

McLaren F1 Team 

Founded by New Zealander Bruce McLaren in 1963. Today the team is based in Woking, Surrey, UK.

The Mclaren team boasts eight constructors titles and 12 drivers titles from 183 winsThe collective number of times a driver has won. Formula 1 pundits and fans have untold metrics to measure a... There's more.... McLaren has collected many famous names over the years, including Niki LaudaAndreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda was an Austrian Formula One driver and a three-time F1 World Drivers title holder. Niki suffered... There's more..., Alain Prost, and Ayrton SennaAyrton Senna da Silva is one of F1's all-time greats. A Brazilian racing driver who won the Formula One World... There's more..., who all added world titles to the team’s trophy case. 

Lando Noris and Oscar Pistari will drive the 2023 car under the leadership of Zac Brown and Andrea StellaAndrea Stella is an Italian engineer promoted to Mclaren F1 Team Principal for the 2023 season. Andrea joined the team... There's more....

BWT Alpine F1 Team

An F1 constructorIn formula 1 the Constructor is the team that enters the competition -  a company, manufacturer or entity that designs,... There's more... with a factory base in Earnstone, UK and Viry-Châtillon, France. The team was previously known as the Renault F1 Team, having purchased the Lotus F1 team in 2016. 

Considered a mid-field team, they finished 4th in the 2022 season. The team have two world titles for each of the constructor and driver under the Renault marque. 

The team is headed by Otma Szafnauer, with Esteban OconEsteban Ocon (No 31) is a French-born F1 driver contracted to Alpine in 2022. View Estebans profile - here There's more... and Pierre GaslyPierre Gasly (No 10) is a French-born F1 driver contracted to Scuderia AlphaTauri in 2022.  Read more about Pierre on... There's more... contracted to drive the 2023 chassis. 

Scuderia AlphaTauri

AlphaTauri is an Italian Formula One racing team and constructor running the Red Bull Power Train.

Previously entered under the name Toro Roso, AlphaTauri is the sister teamSister team refers to two teams with a close relationship, like Red Bull Racing & Scuderia Alpha Tauri being owned... There's more... to Red Bull. The team’s involvement in Formula One can be traced back to the 1985 season when they first competed as Minardi.

Based in Faenza, Italy, the team is headed by Franz Toast, and Yuki Tsunoda and rookieA rookie is a driver participating in their first season of a particular class. So a driver's first full year... There's more... Nyck de Vries will pilot the cars for 2023.

Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1

Aston MartinAston Martin's Grand Prix history can be traced back to 1922 at the French Grand Prix. From its debut, via... There's more... is a UK-based F1 team running a Mercedes PUMercedes is a constructor and supply its own Power Units (PU). They also sell the PU to other teams -... There's more.... 

The team’s Grand PrixA Grand Prix is a motorsport series sanctioned by the FIA and held in various countries for a world title.... There's more... history can be traced back to 1922 at the French Grand Prix. From its debut, via privateer heroics and a first attempt on the World Championship in 1959-60, to the modern-day and their comeback campaign in 2021, Aston Martin has a rich legacy in Formula One.

With a new factory in SilverstoneHome of the British Grand Prix having debuted in 1948. In 2022 there are seven teams and three drivers for... There's more..., UK. The team is headed up by Mike KrackMike Krack is a Luxembourgish motorsports engineer and the team principal of Aston Martin Aramco Cognizaand F1 Team. He has... There's more..., and Fernando AlonsoFernando Alonso (No 14) is a Spanish born F1 driver contracted to Alpine See more on Fernando on our profile... There's more... and Lance StrollLance Stroll (No 18) is a Canadian-born F1 driver contracted to Aston Martin in 2022. Check out our driver profile... There's more... will drive the cars. 

Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN

Alfa Romeo'Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN' is the sponsored name of the Sauber Motorsport F1 team. Sauber Motorsport AG is a... There's more... F1 Team ORLEN is the sponsored name of the Sauber Motorsport team, part of a Swiss motorsport engineering company.

Founded in 1970 by Peter Sauber, the team had several motorsport triumphs and first entered F1 in 1993. The team has been to the podiumPodium is the name of the platform that is used for the prizegiving ceremony following the race. Prizes are awarded... There's more... on several occasions but is yet to secure a win. However, the team took the top step in 2008 after selling it to BMW. Alpha Romeo has won from their earlier entries, including the prestige of winning the first-ever GP in 1950

Today the team is based in Switzerland, headed by Andreis Seidl with Valtteri BottasValtteri Bottas (No 77) is a Finnish-born F1 driver contracted to Alfa Romeo in 2022. Follow Valtteri on our profile... There's more... (No 77) and Zhou GuanyuZhou Guanyu (No 24) is a Chinese-born, and China's first, F1 driver contracted to Alfa Romeo in 2022. For more... There's more... (No 24). The team runs a Ferrari Power Unit.

Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited

Williams Racing is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. Owned and operated by Dorilton Capital which purchased the team from the Williams family in 2000. 

The team is amongst the most successful, with nine constructors titles, seven drivers titles and 114 victories to its name. 

For 2023, James VowlesJames Vowles is a British motorsport engineer.  On 13 January 2023, Williams Racing announced Vowles to be their new Team... There's more... will take over the leadership role with Alex AlbonAlexander (Alex) Albon (No 23) is a British-born, Thai, F1 driver contracted to Williams Racing in 2022.  See Alex's driver... There's more..., and rookie Logan Sargent will be contracted to drive.

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team

MoneyGram Haas F1 TeamHaas Formula LLC, competing as Haas F1 Team, is an American Formula One racing team established by NASCAR Cup Series... There's more... is an American Formula One racing team established by NASCAR Cup Series team co-owner Gene Haas in April 2014.

The team is yet to make it onto the podium, and its record currently stands at one 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..., two fastest laps and a fourth place once (end of 2022 season).

Kevin MagnussenKevin Magnussen (No 20) is a Danish-born F1 driver contracted to Haas F1 Team in 2022. There's more... and Nico HulkenbergNico Hulkenberg (No 27) is a German-born F1 driver having taken on reserve driver duties for Aston Martin in 2022.... There's more... are contracted to drive the team led by Gunther Steiner. 

Formula 1’s Famous names 

Over the years, there have been many famous and well-known teams, cars and drivers.

Teams, names from the past and on the grid today.

Teams like Ferrari, Mclaren and Williams have had long and successful pedigrees. Past teams include names like HRT, Jordan, HeskethHesketh Racing was a Formula One constructor from the United Kingdom, which competed from 1973 to 1978. The team competed... There's more..., Brawn and BrabhamBrabham is the common name for Motor Racing Developments Ltd., a British racing car manufacturer and Formula One racing team.... There's more.... And several car brands have tried their luck, including BMW, Honda, Jaguar, Lotus, Renault and Toyota.

Cars, iconic cars from over the years

The following list of iconic cars comes from carthrottle.com.

.1. Lotus 72,     2. McLaren M23,     3. Williams FW14,     4. Mercedes W05,     5. McLaren MP4/4,     6. Ferrari F2004,     7. Ferrari F2002,     8. Red Bull RB9Read the article and see the images – here

Drivers, famous names over the centuries of F1

Further to the champions currently on the grid – Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen – here are some of the greats…

• Michael SchumacherMichael Schumacher is a German former racing driver who competed in Formula One for Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari, and Mercedes and... There's more... (308 races, 91 wins,  7 drivers championships)
• Sebastian VettelSebastian Vettel (No 5) is a German-born F1 driver contracted to Aston Martin in 2022. See more Sebastian information on... There's more... (299 races, 53 wins, 4 drivers championships)
• Alain Prost (199 races, 5wins,  4 drivers championships)
• Ayrton Senna (161 races, 41 wins, 3 drivers championships)
• Nigel Mansell (187 races, 31 wins, 1 driver championship)
• Jackie Stewart (99 races, 27 wins, 3 drivers championships)
• Niki Lauda (171 races, 25 wins, 3 drivers championships)
• Jim Clark (72 races, 25 wins, 2 drivers championships)