Every year, since the 1950s, one of the most longed for events in the motorsport and racing industry occurs. Formula 1 is an international motorsports competition that spans 10 months and 23 races in multiple countries. Some of these countries include  Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, and the United States. There are a total of 10 teams that take part in the competition every season, each with 2 main racers. At the moment, within this group of teams are some of the most renowned names in racing, such as Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari. Since each team is afforded 2 drivers, a spot on one of these teams is some of the most coveted in the sport.

Formula 1 gets its roots from the European Drivers’ Championship. The competition lasted from the year 1931 until 1939 because of the second World War. Due to the start of the war, the race was discontinued and no official champion was declared on its last year. The championship consisted of 4 main races: the Italian Grand Prix, the French Grand Prix, the Belgian Grand Prix, and the German Grand Prix. Later, in the year 1950, F1 was created and had its first official race at the Silverstone Circuit in the UK.

As years went by, we saw the rise of numerous legendary drivers take part in the competition. Juan Manuel Fangio, Niki Lauda, and Michael Schumacher are just some of those names. We saw the rise and fall of celebrated teams, some of which are still here to this day. Moreover, the evolution of the cars used by the teams on the different tracks they race on all over the world.

Today, F1 has expanded to the four corners of the world with a total of 23 races. The most recent additions to the racing calendar being the Singapore Grand Prix, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix just to name a few. Race fanatics travel thousands of miles across land and sea in order to attend one of these grand prixs. Attending one of these races is an expensive endeavor, but it is a worthwhile and a one-of-a-kind experience. For example, 3-day general admission tickets alone cost $175, without tax, per person attending. Apart from these tickets, Formula 1 offers special packages, called F1 Experiences, for those wanting a more complete racing weekend. These packages can include perks like pit access, hospitality, a picture with the trophy, and, even, a meet-and-greet with a driver from one of the teams.

Personally, the past few years of Formula 1 have been some of the best in this championship. These years have included numerous records being broken and the production of some of the best cars in F1 history. The most recent record that was broken was Michael Schumacher’s record for most wins, which was 91. It was broken by the acclaimed Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton who reached a total of 95 wins.

Last year, the F1 season faced a large obstacle in their path: the COVID-19 pandemic. From canceling races to quarantining drivers, this season was reimagined to suit the conditions they were in. The public couldn’t attend the races as the only ones allowed were those that were part of a team and members of the media.

Throughout the years, Formula 1 has expanded its racing catalog from just F1. It now has Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula 4, and Formula E. Started in 2014, Formula E is a racing series made for cars powered by electricity. Moreover, they are looking to expand their racing calendar to more parts of the world with races in Saudi Arabia, Panama, and here in Miami.  

As time passes, Formula 1 will keep evolving and reach more parts of the world with its famous grand prixs. If you ever want to learn more about the behind-the-scenes of these teams, Netflix and Formula 1 have created a series called “Formula 1: Drive to Survive”. Currently, there are 2 seasons with a 3rd one on the way about the most recent F1 season.