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Formula One, abbreviated to F1 and also known as Grand Prix racing, is the highest class of single-seater (open-wheel) auto racing; 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, as average annual team budgets are 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.
The sport has traditionally been centred in Europe, which undoubtedly remains its leading market, but races have also been held in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. New races in Bahrain, Malaysia, and China, one planned in Turkey, and others discussed for Mexico and South Africa, have reinforced the sport's "worldwide" image.
The sport is regulated by the FIA, Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, and is generally promoted and controlled by Bernie EcclestoneBernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone (born October 28 1930) is the president of Formula One Management and owns such large percentage shares in the various organizations which keep the sport going that he is generally considered the top man in Formula One.
200px FangioJuan Manuel Fangio ( June 24, 1911 July 17, 1995) was a noted Argentinian racing car driver and winner of the Formula One championship five times, including four in a row from 1954-57. He was born in Balcarce, Argentina. He began his racing career in Sout and MossSir Stirling Moss (born September 17, 1929 in London, England) was a Formula One auto racing driver. He was a pioneer in the British Formula One racing scene and is still regarded as one of the greatest drivers of all time despite never winning the Formul at Monza in 19551955 is a common year starting on Saturday. see link for calendar) Events January events January 2 Panama president Jose Antonio Remon is assassinated. January 19 The Scrabble board game debuts. February events February 8 Nikolai Bulganin ousts Georgi Mal
Main Article: History of Formula OneThe history of Formula One necessarily parallels the history of its technical regulations; see Formula One regulations for a summary of the technical rule changes. Formative years In 1950, as an answer to the Motorcycle World Championships introduced in 1
See Grand Prix motor racingGrand Prix motor racing has its roots in organized automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver. Innovation and the drive of competi for history before 1950Events January January 5 US Senator Estes Kefauver introduces a resolution calling for examination of organized crime in the USA January 6 The United Kingdom recognizes the People's Republic of China. The Republic of China severs diplomatic relations with.
Historically, the Formula One series evolved from pre-war European Grand Prix motor racingGrand Prix motor racing has its roots in organized automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver. Innovation and the drive of competi of the 1920sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 Events and trends Technology John Logie Baird invents the first working t and 1930s. A number of European racing organizations laid out rules for a World Championship before World War II, but due to the suspension of racing during the war, the drivers championship was not formalized until 1950; a championship for constructors followed in 1958. Non-championship Formula One races were held for many years, but due to rising costs and sinking interest, the last of these ended in the early 1980s.
Giuseppe Farina won the first World Championship event, the 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, and went on to win the first World Championship in his Alfa Romeo, barely beating team-mate Juan Manuel Fangio. Fangio won the title in 1951; Alberto Ascari won the next two championships in Ferrari cars, but Fangio then won four consecutive championships, 1954 through 1957. Though Stirling Moss was able to compete with him regularly, Fangio is remembered for dominating Formula One's first decade.The first major technological development, Cooper's introduction of mid-engined cars, occurred in the 1950s; Jack Brabham, champion in 1959 and 1960, soon proved the new design's superiority, and it quickly and permanently replaced the front-mounted engine model.
The first British World Champion was Mike Hawthorn, who drove a Ferrari to the title in 1958; however, when Colin Chapman entered F1 as a chassis designer and later founder of Lotus, British racing green came to dominate the field for the next decade. Between Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, and Denny Hulme, British teams and commonwealth drivers won twelve world championships between 1962 and 1973.
In 1962, the Lotus team ran the Lotus 25 with an aluminium sheet chassis called a monocoque instead of tubular chassis. It proved to be the next major technological breakthrough since the introduction of rear-engined cars.
In 1968, Lotus introduced sponsorship to the sport in the form of Gold Leaf (an Imperial Tobacco brand) livery painted on their cars. Sponsorship has since become the biggest source of income by far for teams and cigarette manufacturers remain a major financial resource for Formula One.
Aerodynamic downforce had slowly gained importance in car design since the appearance of aerofoils in the late 1960s. In the late 1970s Lotus introduced ground effect aerodynamics that provided enormous downforce and greatly increased cornering speeds; to Chapman's dismay, they were banned in 1983.
In 1977 Renault pioneered the use of turbocharged engines with their RS01 car and by 1983 these engines, some of which would go on to produce over 1000 bhp (750 kW), were essential to be competitive. These cars were and still are the most powerful circuit racing cars of all time, but to reduce speeds, fuel tank capacity and boost pressures were limited before turbochargers were banned in 1989.
In the early 1990s, teams started introducing electronic driver aids such as power steering, traction control, and semi-automatic gearboxes. Some were borrowed from contemporary road cars; some, like active suspension, were primarily developed for the track and later made their way to the showroom. The FIA, due to complaints that technology was determining the outcome of races more than driver skill, banned many such aids in 1994.
Williams were the most successful team during the mid 1990s with Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve driving their Renault powered cars to world championships, although Michael Schumacher did win two championships with Benetton during this period. When Williams lost their Renault engines in 1998, McLaren became the leading team winning a constructors championship whilst driver Mika Hakkinen won two championships.
The early 2000s have been dominated by Michael Schumacher and a resurgent Ferrari, whilst several driver aids returned due in part to rumours that teams were able to evade the restrictions.
Since 1984, three teams have dominated the championships: McLaren, Williams, and Ferrari, who have provided the vehicles for all but two of the World Champions for that period. Due to the vast technological advances of the 1990s, the cost to compete in Formula One has risen exponentially. The increased financial burden, combined with three teams' dominance, has caused less wealthy independent teams to struggle, not only to remain competitive, but also to stay financially stable; financial troubles forced several teams, such as Prost and Arrows, to withdraw during the 1990s.