What is F1? A beginner's guide
Formula 1 is the top class of single-seater motor racing, contested by ten teams and twenty drivers over a season of around 24 Grands Prix worldwide. Drivers score points by finishing in the top ten of each race, and those points decide two titles: the Drivers' Championship and the Constructors' Championship for the teams. It is called a 'formula' because every car must be built to the same set of rules.
What Formula 1 is
Formula 1 is the highest class of international single-seater motor racing, run under the world governing body, the FIA.[2] The word "formula" refers to the detailed set of rules every car must be built to, so the championship is a contest of cars designed to a common formula as much as of the drivers behind the wheel.[2]
How a season works
A season runs across around 24 Grands Prix held in different countries, usually from March to December.[1] Ten teams enter two cars each, for a grid of twenty drivers, and each event builds to the race on Sunday after practice on Friday and qualifying on Saturday.[1]
Points and championships
Drivers score points for finishing in the top ten of a race, with 25 for a win down to one for tenth, and those points add up over the year into two titles: the Drivers' Championship for the individual and the Constructors' Championship for the team.[2] The full system is in our guide to how F1 points work.
Related reading
- [1]The beginner's guide to the 2026 F1 regulations (Formula1.com) (formula1). Accessed 2026-06-20.
- [2]Formula One (Wikipedia) (wikipedia-en). Accessed 2026-06-20.