List of Formula One seasons

A red Alfa Romeo 158 Alfetta 1950 in a museum
Max Verstappen driving the red, blue and yellow Red Bull RB19 car at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix
The car Giuseppe Farina used to claim the first World Drivers' Championship in 1950 (left) and the vehicle Max Verstappen drove to win the 2023 title (right)
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A total of 74 World Championship seasons of Formula One (F1) have been run.[1] F1 is the highest form of open wheeled auto racing series regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body.[2] The "formula" in the name alludes to a series of rules established by the FIA to which all participants and vehicles are required to conform.[2][3] The F1 World Championship season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, held usually on purpose-built circuits, and in a few cases on closed city streets;[4] the most prestigious of the street circuits is the Monaco Grand Prix.[5] As of 2021, the sporting regulations established by the FIA's Statutes state that the minimum number of events needed to form a F1 season is 8.[6][7] The season can be declared a World Championship if F1 visits at least 3 continents in that season according to the International Sporting Code.[8] The World Championship rule can be declared invalid if the FIA grants F1 an waiver for its "long‐established use of the word 'World'."[8] Each season throughout F1 history has consisted of between 7 and 22 Grands Prix,[a][10] and the regulations are regularly amended to enable an increase of the maximum number of permitted races each year.[2][11]

The World Drivers' Championship is awarded to the most successful F1 driver over the course of the season, as determined by a points system based on Grand Prix results,[12] and has been awarded since the first F1 season in 1950.[13] The championship is the successor of the pre-war AIACR European Championship held between 1931 and 1939.[14] The World Constructors' Championship is awarded to the most successful Formula One constructor over the course of the season, as determined by a points system based on Grand Prix results.[12] The Constructors' Championship was first awarded as the International Cup for F1 Manufacturers in 1958, and its current name was adopted in 1981.[15][16] Different combinations of chassis and engine makes are considered to be different constructors for the purposes of the Championship. Constructors' Championship points are calculated by adding points scored in each race by any driver for that constructor.[12] Up until 1979, most seasons saw only the highest-scoring driver in each race for each constructor contributing points towards the Championship.[17] On only 11 occasions has the World Constructors' Champion team not contained the World Drivers' Champion for that season.[1][18]

As of the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix, a total of 1,123 Formula One World Championship races have been held in 34 countries.[b][10][20] Over 73 seasons, there have been 34 participants from 15 different nationalities who have won the World Drivers' Championship, with Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton tied for the record for the highest number of titles won with seven. Over 64 seasons, 15 teams representing 5 individual nations that have claimed the World Constructors' Championship, with Ferrari winning more titles than any other squad with 16. Seasons which were run to F1 rules prior to the inaugural World Championship season in 1950 and those that were part of each of the British Formula One Championship and the South African Formula One Championship are not included in this list.[1][18]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference CF1Seasons was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c "The FIA FAQ on Formula One World Championship". Atlas F1. Archived from the original on 5 April 2001. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  3. ^ Williamson, Martin. "A brief history of Formula One". ESPN. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  4. ^ Hughes & Tremayne 2002, pp. 82–83
  5. ^ Serge, Denis (23 May 2001). "Full speed ahead at Monte Carlo". Financial Times. p. 03. ProQuest 248968297. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2020 – via ProQuest.
  6. ^ Saward, Joe (20 March 2020). "How Coronavirus and Season Uncertainty Forced Formula 1 to Push 2021 Regulations to 2022". Autoweek. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  7. ^ Richards, Giles (9 April 2020). "F1 aiming to begin behind closed doors in Europe with hope for 19-race season". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 April 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  8. ^ a b Pavey, James (3 April 2020). "World championship without the 'world'? Virus delays force F1 season into uncharted territory". Fox Sports Australia. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  9. ^ Smith 2019, pp. 10, 76
  10. ^ a b "All-Time Calendar". ChicaneF1. Archived from the original on 17 September 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  11. ^ Smith, Luke (2 April 2020). "How many races does F1 need to declare a season?". Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on 10 April 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  12. ^ a b c Budzinski, Oliver; Feddersen, Arne (March 2019). "Measuring Competitive Balance in Formula One Racing" (PDF). Ilmenau Economics Discussion Papers. 25 (121): 5, 7. ISSN 0949-3859. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 March 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021 – via EconStor.
  13. ^ White 2008, p. 12
  14. ^ "Formula One Series Page". Racing-Reference. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  15. ^ Holding, Joe (6 February 2021). "Most successful F1 teams: Which team has the most constructors' titles?". Autosport. Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  16. ^ Diepraam, Mattijs (3 January 2008). "Poachers turned gamekeepers: how the FOCA became the new FIA: Part 4: 1981 – long live the FIA F1 World Championship". 8W. Forix. Archived from the original on 31 January 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  17. ^ Hayhoe 1989, p. 8
  18. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference 8WChamps was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ Williamson, Martin. "A timeline of Formula One". ESPN. Archived from the original on 3 May 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  20. ^ "Circuits". StatsF1. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.


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