A Brief History Of Formula One

The term "Formula" refers to a set of rules and regulations that every competitor must follow in Formula 1. 1946 was the year when this idea came to fruition, and by 1950 all the nitty-gritties were hammered out. Silverstone hosted the first World Championship Race in 1950, and the first Formula 1 race was held a month before this is Pau.  

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The championship was up and running but only seven out of twenty races counted towards the title in that season. There were plenty of non-championship races that were taking place as the championship races were also adding up. In 1983, the unprofitable business of non-championship races perished. 

Photo Credit: www.formula1.com

The Beginning

In the earlier days, drivers operated independently and raced with their own cars. Manufacturers like Maserati, Ferrari, Mercedes Benz, and Alfa Romeo dominated the Formula race, and Giuseppe "Nino" Farina was the first person to win the title. Juan Manuel Fangio won the drivers' championship in 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1957 with five completely different manufacturers. 

With time, the cars became slicker, more advanced and even faster. Lotus was the first innovator who introduced ground-effect aerodynamics, which provided massive downforce and increased the cornering speeds. The cost of racing rocketed, and most private entrants perished by the 1970s. 

Mid-way concerns

Safety was a concern, and Fittipaldi in 1975 refused to drive after 29 laps in the Spanish Grand Prix after a car killed four spectators in the crowd. 

The governing body of Formula One (FIA) frequently changed the championship rules in an effort to cut costs and improve the on-track action. 

A Schumacher Dominated Era 

By the 2000s, manufacturer-owned teams ruled Formula One. BMW, Renault, Toyota, and Honda dominated the championship and received a larger share of the profits. Formula One expanded globally, with races being held in the Middle East. 

Michael Schumacher dominated the F1 during this period with Ferrari and won five consecutive drivers' championships. Schumacher also won six consecutive constructors' champions from 1999 to 2004. A brilliant driver, Schumacher had a habit of pushing the rules and sportsmanship to the limit that tarnished the sport's image. 

Developments After 2006

Michael Schumacher retired in 2006, and his retirement coincided with behind-the-scene politics, which largely dominated the championship. Many people started believing that Max Mosley (Ecclestone and FIA Chief) had been around for too long for the sport's good. Teams almost started breaking away from the F1 with every passing year. 

It was revealed that Nelson Piquet Jnr was ordered to purposely crash at the Singapore Grand Prix in 2008 for his team-mate's benefit. Flavio Briatore (Renault Boss) was subsequently banned, which was another damaging incident for the championship's image.