F1
F1
27 NO DRIVER IN FERRARI’S HISTORY AROUSED THE PASSIONS OF THE TIFOSI MORE STRONGLY THAT GILLES VILLENEUVE. THE DIMINUTIVE CANADIAN IS ONE OF FORMULA ONE’S MOST REVERED HEROES, A MAN WHOSE THRILLING TALENT AND WHOSE NAME STILL REPRESENTS THE HEROIC QUALITIES THAT EPITOMIZES THE VERY NATURE IF A GRAND PRIX DRIVER. HE PERISHED IN WHILE IN HIS FERRARI MARKED 2,7 AND IT HAS BECOME A SYMBOL OF GILLES AND STANARD FOR FUTURE DRIVERS WITH THAT NUMBER.
9
vocabulary
10
rules & regulations
12
team and flags
14
race tracks
18
cars
26
timeline
34
conclusion
42
CONTENT
introduction
FORMULA
ONE?
the international auto race... Formula One (also Formula 1 or F1 and officially the FIA Formula One World Championship) is the highest class of single-seat auto racing that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been the premier form of racing since the inaugural season in 1950, although other Formula One races were regularly held until 1983. The “formula”, designated in the name, refers to a set of rules, to which all participants’ cars must conform. The F1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix (from French, meaning grand prizes), held worldwide on purpose-built F1 circuits and public roads The results of each race are evaluated using a points system to determine two annual World Championships, one for drivers, one for constructors. The racing drivers are required to be holders of valid Super Licences, the highest class of racing licence issued by the FIA. The races are required to be held on tracks graded 1, the highest grade a track can receive by the FIA. Most events are held in rural locations on purpose-built tracks, but there are several events in city centres throughout the world, with the Monaco Grand Prix being the most famous example. Formula One cars are the fastest road course racing cars in the world, owing to very high cornering speeds achieved through the generation of large amounts of aerodynamic downforce. Formula One cars race at speeds of up to approximately 375 km/h (233 mph) with engines currently limited in performance to a maximum of 15,000 RPM. The cars are capable of lateral acceleration in excess of five g in corners. The performance of the cars is very dependent on electronics – although traction control and other driving aids have been banned since 2008 – and on aerodynamics, suspension, and tyres. The formula has radically evolved and changed through the history of the sport While Europe is the sport’s traditional base, and hosts about half of each year’s races, the sport’s scope has expanded significantly and an increasing number of Grands Prix are held on other continents. F1 had a total global television audience of 425 million people during the course of the 2014 season.Grand Prix racing began in 1906 and became the most popular type internationally in the second half of the twentieth century.
9
10
Aerodynamics
The study of airflow over and around an object and an intrinsic part of Formula One car design.
Appeal
An action that a team takes on its drivers’ behalf if it feels that they have been unfairly penalised by the race officials.
Compund
Tread compound is the part of any tyre in contact with the road and therefore one of the major factors in deciding tyre performance. The ideal compound is one with maximum grip but which still maintains durability and heat resistance. A typical Formula One race compound will have more than ten ingredients such as rubbers, polymers, sulphur, carbon black, oil and other curatives. Each of these includes a vast number of derivatives any of which can be used to a greater or lesser degree. Very small changes to the mix can change compound performance.
Debreif
The meeting between a team’s drivers and engineers after an on-track session in which car set-up, performance and strategy are discussed.
Delta Time
A term used to describe the time difference between two different laps or two different cars. For example, there is usually a negative delta between a driver’s best practice lap time and his best qualifying lap time because he uses a low fuel load and new tyres.
Drag
The meeting between a team’s drivers and engineers after an on-track session in which car set-up, performance and strategy are discussed.
Drive-Through Penalty
One of two penalties that can be handed out at the discretion of the Stewards whilst the race is still running. Drivers must enter the pit lane, drive through it complying with the speed limit, and re-join the race without stopping.
Drivers’ Briefing
A meeting of all the drivers and the FIA race director to discuss issues relating to that particular Grand Prix and circuit. Other subjects, such as driving standards and safety, may also be discussed.
Formation Lap
The lap before the start of the race when the cars are driven round from the grid to form up on the grid again for the start of the race. Sometimes referred to as the warm-up lap or parade lap.
Installation Lap
A lap done on arrival at a circuit, testing functions such as throttle, brakes and steering before heading back to the pits without crossing the finish line.
Oversteer
When a car’s rear end doesn’t want to go around a corner and tries to overtake the front end as the driver turns in towards the apex. This often requires opposite-lock to correct, whereby the driver turns the front wheels into the skid.
Pits
An area of track separated from the start/finish straight by a wall, where the cars are brought for new tyres and fuel during the race, or for set-up changes in practice, each stopping at their respective pit garages.
Protest
An action lodged by a team when it considers that another team or competitor has transgressed the rules.
Qualifying
The knock-out session on Saturday in which the drivers compete to set the best time they can in order to determine the starting grid for the race.
Reconnaissance lap
A lap completed when drivers leave the pits to assemble on the grid for the start. If a driver decides to do several, they must divert through the pit lane as the grid will be crowded with team personnel.
Retirement
When a car has to drop out of the race because of an accident or mechanical failure.
Safety Car
The course vehicle that is called from the pits to run in front of the leading car in the race in the event of a problem that requires the cars to be slowed.
Sectors
For timing purposes the lap is split into three sections, each of which is roughly a third of the lap. These sections are officially known as Sector 1, Sector 2 and Sector 3.
Stop-go Penalty
A penalty given that involves the driver calling at his pit and stopping for 10 seconds with no refuelling or tyre-changing allowed.
11
RULES OF 12
1
FORMULA ONE RACES ARE OF IDENTICAL DISTANCES AND MUST HAVE ENOUGH LAPS TO GO OVER 305 KILOMETERS. MONACO IS THE EXCEPTION WITH 260 KILOMETERS. EVERY RACE AUTOMATICALLY ENDS WITHIN TWO AND A HALF HOURS.
4
WHEN A RACE IS SUSPENDED AND CANNOT BE RESTARTED, HALF POINTS WILL BE AWARDED IF LESS THAN 75% OF RACE DISTANCE HAS BEEN COMPLETED. IF LESS THAN TWO LAPS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, NOT POINTS WILL BE AWARDED. IN THE CASE OF A TIE, THE DRIVER WITH SUPERIOR RACE RESULTS WILL GAIN PRECEDENCE.
2
TEAMS MUST RUN THEIR TWO CARS WITH ESSENTIALLY THE SAME RACE LIVERY THROUGHOUT THE SEASON AND MUST SEEK PRIOR APPROVAL FOR ANY MAJOR CHANGES. THE TEAM’S NAME OR EMBLEM MUST APPEAR ON THE NOSE OF THE CAR AND THE DRIVER’S NAME AND NUMBER MUST ALSO APPEAR ON THE EXTERNAL BODY.
5
AT EVERY GRAND PRIX MEETING THERE ARE 7 KEY RACE OFFICIALS WHO MONITOR AND AND CONTROL THE ACTIVITIES OF THE STEWARDS AND MARSHALS TO ENSURE THE SMOOTH AND SAFE RUNNING OF THE EVENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH FIA REGULATIONS.
3
THE DRIVERS’ AND CONSTUCTORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES ARE AWARDED TO THE DRIVER AND CONSTRUCTOR WHO SCORE THE MOST POINTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON. POINTS ARE AWARDED TO THE TOP TEN IN A RACE ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 25 WITH FIRST PLACE RECEIVING 25 POINTS.
6
CAR MUST MUST WEIGH AT LEAST 722KG AT ALL TIMES DURING AN EVENT. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF COMPRESSED GASES, NO SUBSTANCE MAY BE ADDED TO THE CAR DURING THE RACE. A CAR CANNOT TAKE PART IN AN EVENT UNTIL IT HAS PASSED SCRUTINEERING.
8
30 MIN BEFORE THE START OF THE FORMATION LAP CARS WILL BE PERMITTED A RECONNAISSANCE LAP. A WARNING WILL BE GIVEN AT 17 MIN. 15 MIN BEFORE, THE PIT LANE WILL BE CLOSED. AT 10 MIN, EVERYONE EXCEPT DRIVER, OFFICIALS, AND TECHNICIANS MUST LEAVE. ALL CARS ON THE GRID MUST HAVE THEIR TIRES FITTED AT 3 MIN. ENIGINES MUST START AT THE 1 MIN MARK.
9
DURING THE FORMATION LAP, DRIVERS MUST CIRCULATE IN GRID ORDERM KEEPING THE FORMATION AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE. THERE IS NO OVERTAKING ALLOWED UNLESS A CAR IS DELAYED OR TRYING RE-ESTABLISH ORIGINAL ORDER. ALL CARS MUST BE IN GRID POSTIONS AFTER THE FORMATION LAP.
10
11
12
ONCE ALL CARS HAVE SAFELY TAKEN UP THEIR GRID POSITIONS AT THE END OF THE FORMATION LAP, FIVE RED LIGHTS WILL APPEAR IN SEQUENCE AT ONE SECOND INTERVALS. THESE LIGHTS ARE THEN EXTINGUISHED TO SIGNAL THE START OF THE RACE.
OFFENCES DURING THE RACE INCLUDE: JUMPING THE START OF THE RACE, CAUSING AN AVOIDABLE ACCIDENT, UNFAIRLY BLOCKING ANOTHER DRIVER WHILE BEING LAPPED, AND SPEEDING IN THE PIT LANE. ALL DRIVERS MUST MAKE AN EFFORT TO STAY ON THE TRACK UNLESS IT IS UNAVOIDABLE.
APART FROM DRYING OR SWEEPING, TEAMS ARE FORBIDDEN FROM IMPROVING THE GRIP OF THEIR PIT-STOP POSITION. FOR SAFETY REASONS, THERE IS A PIT-LANE SPEED LIMIT OF 80KM/H AT ALL GRAND PRIX, WITH AN EXCEPTION FOR MONACCO AND OTHERS WHICH HAVE AN EVEN REDUCED SPEED LIMIT.
THE ROAD
7
A TEAM OF SPECIALLY APPOINTED SCRUTINEERS HAS THE POWER TO CHECK CARS AT ANY POINT DURING A GRAND PRIX WEEKEND TO ENSURE THEY COMPLY WITH REGULATIONS. EVERY CAR IS EXAMINED IN ITS GARAGE BETWEEN 10.00 AND 16.00 ON THE THURSDAY OF A RACE MEETING (WEDNESDAY FOR MONACO).
13
COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR A Formula One team must effectively manage the commercial and technical aspects of the business. The commercial director attracts sponsors and seals the deals. One of his main jobs is to determine levels of sponsorship and placement of logos on the car. Main sponsors can pay handsomely -- on the order of $50 million -- for the privilege of having their brands displayed on a Formula One car.
A WELL OILED
MACHINE . . .
EVERY DECENT F1 TEAMS NEED TO HAVE DEDICATED SPECIALISTS WITH A DRIVE TO WIN EVERY RACE IN ORDER TO BE IN THE GLOBAL RANKS.
CHIEF OF R&D The chief of R&D heads up automotive-innovation projects, exploring new materials and technologies that can keep his team ahead of the competition.
CHIEF AERODYNAMICIST The chief aerodynamicist oversees a whole squad of aerodynamicists who dedicate themselves to making sure the car design reduces air resistance, yet creates the right amount of downforce.
CHIEF DESIGNER The chief designer determines the basic layout of the car, as well as the materials that will be used to build it. Each team typically employs two chief designers -- one for the current season and one for the next season.
DRIVERS TECHNICAL DIRECTOR The technical director heads up the crew of engineers, designers and R&D scientists who construct the cars. In many respects, the technical director is more important than the driver because a fast car is such a high priority in Formula One. The chief aerodynamicist, chief designer and chief of research and development report to the technical director.
Each Formula One team has two drivers. You might think this creates an atmosphere of support and camaraderie, but that’s not necessarily the case. A Formula One driver is out to beat his rivals, including the other driver on his team. Most drivers share many qualities, including strength, endurance, mental alertness, quick reflexes and a desire to be the best race car driver in the world.
TEAM BOSS The nature of the boss depends on the nature of the team. Some teams are owned by the car manufacturers, who turn over management of the team to one of their top employees. For example, the team boss of Ferrari is Jean Todt, the CEO of the company. Todt himself answers to Luca di Montezemolo, chairman for Fiat, Ferrari’s parent company.
RACE ENDED
FINISH SLIPPERY TRACK
MECHANICAL PROBLEM PLEASE STOP
FLAGS TO WATCH OUT FOR DURING THE RACE
CAUTION
PENALTY ALL CLEAR
DISQUALIFICATION 16
ALLOW FASTER DRIVER TO PASS
L
TCH
TCH
TCH
TCH
TCA
TCA
TCA
L
TCA
TCA
FW
TCA
S
F
TCA
S
F
Lollipop man holds the team’s pit sign, helping the driver identify his pit stall on a possibly crowded pit road as well as signal for other things.
TCH
Tire changers, one at each corner of the car, have the sole responsibility of using a pneumatic wrench to remove the car’s single locking lug nut from each tyre, then reinstall it on the new tire.
TCA
Tire carriers are used, two at each corner of the car, one assigned the task of removing the old tyre from the car, and one to install the new tire on it.
TCA
FW
ST
S
Stabilisers stabilise the car at each side of the middle.
FW
Front wing men adjust the front wing angle.
J
Front and rear jack men use simple lever-type jacks to lift the car and permit the changing of tires.
F
Fire extinguisher man does not actually work on the car; instead, he stands ready with a hand-held fire extinguisher to put out any fires that may occur during a stop, at least long enough for the pit crew and driver to evacuate.
ST
Starter man does not normally work on the car. His job is to stand ready with a starter tool to restart the car should the driver stall his engine during the stop.
17
There are 21 races in the 2016 F1 season, each hosted in a different state-ofthe-art venue in Europe, Asia, Australia or the Americas, some more popular and revered than the others. Every circuit is a unique complex of varying corners and straights stitched together to test the cars and drivers. From the tight, twisty and daunting streets of Monaco to the fast, wild and ebbing curves of Spa-Francorchamps, the difference is night and day. The aero, tyre and power demands on cars in a high speed circuit like Suzuka beg to differ from those needed in the Marina Bay Circuit set up in the Singapore streets. Teams have to strike a fine balance between all these factors to achieve a fruitful weekend − cue the space monkeys wearing white lab-coats working away on supercomputers beside wind tunnels. It’s called ‘setting up’ the car for the demands of the circuit − a very crude term for a herculean task. A circuit comprises of three sectors and sector times are always analysed to see where a driver is lacking. Typically, there are two DRS zones which are demarcated portions of the straights which encourage overtaking. If two cars are separated by less than one second whilst entering this designated zone, the driver behind may press a button on his steering wheel which activates a flap that opens up the rear wing, reducing the aerodynamic drag, giving a speed advantage of up to 10 km/h.
The tiles lining the edge of the tarmac are called kerbs and drivers try to avoid riding over them too much because it upsets the balance of the car. Additionally, driving over kerbs in an F1 car is like having a pneumatic drill applied directly to your spine – these cars are designed to provide the best feedback to the driver through every available nerve ending of his, no kidding, to communicate the best ‘feel’ of the track. Marker boards indicating distance – 300m, 200m, 100m, 50m etc – from the corner at the end of a straight are crucial references for drivers to start braking. In the Italian GP circuit at Monza, the driver decelerates from 350+ km/h to 60 km/h over a distance of 200 metres in 1.5 seconds, applying a force of 170 kg on the brake pedal. This happens roughly 65 times during the race. They might as well have necks made of space grade alloys to withstand the forces involved.
,B
EM BL O .” PR N E E O IS A O UL N A RM IS O E SF ER A TH ITS I F CU AS I R C OT E M SA
E
N
TH
’S
“IT
The start-finish straight is parallel to the pit lane where all the team garages are located and facilitate tyre changes during pit stops. A track is not all straights because a monotonous circuit doesn’t test the car’s dynamic capabilities and the drivers’ skill too much. Chicanes are frequently added at the end of high speed sections to break speeds and challenge the braking and turning ability.
S AU EC E E
EE
US
SH
EY
Y
TH
R AR
—B
N E
18
Most circuits are permanent establishments, but Monaco, Singapore, Mexico and now, Azerbaijan are temporarily set up for race weekends. Night races in Singapore, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi have become recent crowd favourites.
NUMBER OF TRACKS IN F1 BY GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION:
37
13
3
8
2 3
2
NORTH AMERICA • SOUTH AMERICA EUROPE • THE MIDDLE EAST • ASIA AFRICA • AUSTRAILIA
Circuit de SpaFrancorchamps Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium Length: 7 kms Turns: 19 Direction: Clockwise Estd.: 1920 Capacity: 90,000
St
av
elo
t
Fag
nes
Courbe Paul Frère
Bruxelles
Po u
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nc
Bla
Malm
edy
Chicane
Le C
omb
es Ra
dill
20
on
Eau Rouge
L
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o aS
Suzuka International Racing Course Suzuka, Japan
on
Spo
Length: 5.8kms Turns: 17 Direction: Clockwise Estd.: 1962 Capacity: 100,000
Degne
r1
Degner 2
130R
in
irp
Ha
S Curves
Turn 1
21
as
au B
e Mirab
M
i ra be
au
H au te
Monaco Street Circuit Monte Carlo, Monaco
Site
Massenet
te
Devo
Nouvelle Chicane
Tabac
Pi
sc
ine
1
ne 2
Pisci
La
Ra
sc
22
as
se
Tu nn ne
Length: 3.34 kms Turns: 19 Direction: Clockwise Estd.: 1929 Capacity: 120,000
l
Casino Square
Loews
11
10 8
12
7
Austin, United States
6 15
5
13 14
18
20
4
16
19
Circuit of the Americas
3
Length: 5.47 kms Turns: 20 Direction: Anti-Clockwise Estd.: 2012 Capacity: 120,000
17
2
Turn 1
23
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
o1
Lesm
Monza, Italy
la
el nte d Varia ia Rogg
Length: 5.79kms Turns: 11 Direction: Clockwise Estd.: 1922 Capacity: 115,000
Vari a
nte
Asc
ari
Variante del Rettifilo Curva
Grande Rettifilo
24
Tribune
ica
bol
a Par
Turn
Island Hairpin
3 Turn 5
nn Se a Turn 6
tF
ini
sh
Ch
ica
ne
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
9
ar
Tu rn
St
Montréal, Canada Length: 4.36 kms Turns: 13 Direction: Clockwise Estd.: 1978 Capacity: 100,000
Dr
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u
Ca
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le
25
UNLOADING THE SECRETS
THE CARS OF FORMULA ONE
ALFA ROMEO 158 “ALFETTA”
630kg 290kph TRANSMISSON: MULTI-DISC CLUTCH, REAR TRANSAXLE
TEAM: ALFA ROMEO
BRAKES:
DRIVERS:
GRAND PRIX:
FAGIOLI LUIGI FANGIO JUAN MANUEL FARINA GIUSEPPE GUIDOTTI GIANBATTISTA PARNELL REG SANESI CONSALVO TARUFFI PIERO
1950 BRITAIN
DRUM BRAKES - LOCKHEED
TANK: 300 L FUEL: SHELL 28
1950 MONACO 1950 SWITZERLAND 1950 BELGIUM 1950 FRANCE 1950 ITALY
DESIGNED BY: GIOACCHINO COLOMBO
DESIGNED BY: MAURO FORGHIERI
1967 FERRARI 312
584kg 300kph TRANSMISSON:
FERRARI 589
TEAM: FERRARI
BRAKES:
DRIVERS:
GRAND PRIX:
BANDINI LORENZO
1966 MONACO 1966 BELGIUM 1966 FRANCE 1966 BRITAIN 1966 NETHERLANDS 1966 GERMANY 1966 ITALY 1966 USA 1967 NETHERLANDS 1967 BELGIUM
DISC-BRAKES - GIRLING
TANK: 158L FUEL: SHELL
PARKES MIKE SCARFIOTTI LUDOVICO SURTEES JOHN
31
MERCEDES-BENZ W01
620kg 400kph TRANSMISSON: LONGITUDINAL, SEMIAUTOMATIC SEQUENTIAL, HYDRAULIC CONTROL
BRAKES: BREMBO DISCS AND STIRRUPS
TANK: 300 L FUEL: MOBIL 1 32
TEAM: MERCEDES DRIVERS: ROSBERG NICO SCHUMACHER MICHAEL
GRAND PRIX: 2010 BAHRAIN 2010 AUSTRAILIA 2010 MALAYSIA 2010 CHINA 2010 SPAIN 2010 MONACO 2010 TURKEY 2010 CANADA 2010 EUROPE 2010 BRITAIN 2010 GERMANY
2010 HUNGARY 2010 BELGIUM 2010 ITALY 2010 SINGAPORE 2010 JAPAN 2010 SOUTH KOREA 2010 BRAZIL 2010 ABU DHABI
DESIGNED BY: ROSS BRAWN / LOIC BIGOIS
67
years of history... Formula One (the formula in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants and cars must comply and was originally and briefly known as Formula A) can trace its roots back to the earliest days of motor racing, and emerged from the buoyant European racing scene of the inter-war years. Plans for a Formula One drivers’ championship were discussed in the late 1930s but were shelved with the onset of World War Two. In 1946 the idea was rekindled and in that season the first races were held and the following year the decision was made to launch a drivers’ championship. It took until 1950 for the details to be hammered out and in May 1950 the first world championship race was held at Silverstone - the first F1 race had taken place a month earlier in Pau. Only seven of the twenty or so Formula One races that season counted towards the title but the championship was up and running. Even as more races were included in the championship, there were plenty of non-championship Formula One races. Non-championship races continued until 1983 when rising costs ruled them unprofitable. It was not an easy beginning. In 1952 and 1953 the lack of entrants meant the authorities ran races to Formula Two regulations, with Alberto Ascari winning the championship in both years. Of the 20 makes that competed in 1950, most were soon forced out by the cost. Only Ferrari have competed since the off. The death toll in races was gruesome - 13 drivers were killed in F1 cars in the first decade. The cars made considerable technological advances. The first seasons were run using pre-war cars like Alfa’s 158. They were front engined, with narrow-treaded tyres and 1.5 litre supercharged or 4.5 litre normally aspirated engines. When Formula One regulations returned in 1954 engines were limited to 2.5 litres. Mercedes Benz made major developments until they withdrew from all motor sports in the aftermath of the 1955 disaster at Le Mans. In the late 1950s Cooper introduced a rear-engined car and by 1961 all manufacturers were running them. As an added incentive for the teams, a constructors’ championship was introduced in 1958. The cars became faster and slicker over the years- Lotus again were the innovators when they introduced ground-effect aerodynamics that provided enormous downforce and greatly increased cornering speeds - by the early 1970s the days of private entries were all but over as the costs of racing rocketed. Not only that, with the advent of turbocharged cars, speeds and power also raced ahead.
Safety remained a concern - Stewart retired on the eve of what would have been his final race following the death of his close friend and team mate Francois Cevert in practice ahead of the 1973 US Grand Prix. In 1975 Fittipaldi refused to drive in the Spanish Grand Prix which was stopped after 29 laps when a car ploughed into the crowd, killing four spectators In the early 1970s Bernie Ecclestone rearranged the management of Formula One’s commercial rights, turning the sport into a billiondollar global business. In 1971 he bought the Brabham team and so gained a seat on the Formula One Constructors’ Association (FOCA) and in 1978 became its president. Until Ecclestone, circuit owners controlled many aspects of the sport; he persuaded the teams of their worth and the value of negotiating as a coordinated unit. In 1979 FISA (Fe’de’ration Internationale du Sport Automobile) was formed and almost immediately clashed with FOCA over revenues and regulations. Matters deteriorated to the extent FOCA boycotted a race and threatened a breakaway (tactics that were turned on Ecclestone years later). In return FISA removed its sanction from races. An uneasy truce came with the 1981 Concorde Agreement. To combat the phenomenal power of cars, restrictions were brought in and eventually turbochargers were banned altogether in 1989. In the 1980s electronic drivers aids began to emerge (again Lotus were at the forefront) and by the early 1990s semi-automatic gearboxes and traction control were a natural progression. The battle between new technology and the desire of the FIA to counter accusations that the drivers were increasingly less relevant than the boffins, raged throughout the next two decades. Championship rules were frequently changed by the FIA with the intention of improving the on-track action and cutting costs. In 2002 team orders, legal since the championship started in 1950, were banned after several incidents in which teams openly manipulated race results, generating negative publicity. Schumacher’s retirement in 2006 coincided with the sport again becoming more competitive on the track, but increasingly the headlines were dominated by behind-the-scenes politics. Teams seemed to be on the verge of breaking away from F1 almost every year, scandal blighted officials and many believed Ecclestone and FIA chief Max Mosley had been around too long for the sport’s good. The nadir came late in 2009 when it was revealed that Nelson Piquet Jnr had been ordered to crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix for the benefit of his team-mate. Renault boss Flavio Briatore was subsequently banned, but it was yet another blow Formula One could have done without.
35
1950 1960 1950: First F1 World Championship race in May and the second one in June
1951: Color Television introduced.
1954: Segragation ruled illegal in U.S.
1958: Constructors’ Championship introduced
1957: Driver Juan Manuel wins 5 consecutive championship.
FORMATIVE YEARS
36
1961: Berlin Wall is built.
1966: Mao Zedzong launches Cultural Revolution.
1969: First man lands on the moon.
1970 1970: Lotus’ Jochen Rindt wins a drivers’ championship posthumously and is only driver to ever do so.
1972: Terrorists attack the Olympic Games in Munich.
1976: Niki Lauda crashes in the German Grand Prix and is seriously burned.
1973: U.S. pulls out of Vietnam.
1978: Lotus teams last championship year.
1976: FOCA and FISA clash on revenues and regulations.
1977: Turbos appear. 1975: Spanish Grand Prix ends after 29 laps when the car ploughed into the crowd killing 4 spectors.
1970’s: MANAGEMENT OF F1 COMMERCIAL RIGHTS TURNS IT INTO BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY. INDIVIDUAL ENTRIES START TO DISAPEAR AS EXPENSES TO RACE INCREASE YEAR AFTER YEAR.
37
1980 1 1981: Concord Agreement between FOCA and FISA over revenues and regulations.
1985: The first internet domain is registered.
1982: Rift start between Ferrari drivers: Gille Villeneuve and Didier Pironi. Villeneuve dies in a crash and Pironi is injured in another.
1984: Indian Prime Minister, Indira Ghandi, is killed.
1988: Turbos are banned.
1986: Chernobyl Nuclear Distaster.
1989: To combat excessive power from cars, more rules and restrictions are brought in.
1984-2008: FERRARI WINS EVERY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP.
38
1990 1992: Bosnian Genoside begins.
1990: Germany is reunited.
1993: World Trade Center is bombed.
1994: Ayrton Senna dies in a crash and is the last driver to die in F1 history. This was a watershed: more rules and regulations are put in place
1996: Mad Cow Disease hits Britain.
1996: The Euro is the new European currency.
1990-2008: 28 TEAMS COME AND GO, UNABLE TO COMPETE.
39
2000
2009: Nelson Piquet ordered to crash in Singapore Grand Prix. Renault boss is banned.
2002: Ferrari manipulates Australian Grand Prix.
2003: The Invasion of Iraq begins.
2000: Bush versus Gore U.S election
40
2004: Saddam Hussein’s trial begins.
2005: Hurricane Katrine hits the U.S..
2006: Schunacher retires from F1 and the races become more competative. Scandals start to arise.
2010 ONWARDS 41
CONCLUSION
42
the future of f1...... The new owners of Formula One are planning to have more races and a greater presence in North America, and wouldn’t mind revving up the ratings with some extra friction among drivers. Most tracks around the world are currently in Europe. There are 20 races on the 2017 calendar, starting with the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, and concluding with Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November. The debate over the number and location of races has been frequent over the last decade. F1 racing returned in 2012 to the United States, where it is held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, in October. While the bulk of the races remain in Europe and Asia, there are also GPs in Canada, Mexico and Brazil. “Our interest is in expanding the number of circuits in that marketplace, leveraging Austin – our incumbent and the benchmark in terms of what we’re doing in the States,” said Bratches, adding there was clear demand for it in North America. “We’re excited about all markets around the world, but the United States is going to be a focus.” Three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and Ricciardo, an Australian who finished third on the season standings in 2016, are among the drivers who’d like to see more than 20 races in the F1 series. Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, who has won four world drivers’ titles, thinks 16 to 20 would be enough. All agreed that expansion was pointless unless it increases the level of competition. Hamilton and Mercedes dominated the last three seasons, and Red Bull was dominant for the four seasons before that. Hopefully, we will see something happen in the next decade or so.
43
FIN.
44
1F