History

F1 car racing has astounding number of followers in all parts of the world. The championship is today held in accordance with well-formulated rules and regulations, and incredible efficiency. However, it was not like that when it first came into being. Given below is the brief description on F1 history.

Early Times
Formula 1 formally came into existence in 1946 when it was defined by the the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the world motor racing body, as the premier single seater racing category in racing car sport worldwide. The races were also known as Formula A. Most participating cars in early year competitions came from Italy.

1950s
1950 season included the inaugural Formula 1 world championship season. The championship included six Formula 1 races in Europe plus the Indianapolis 500. In the first modern Formula One race was held on 13th May, 1950 at Silverstone in England, Giuseppe Farino with his Alfa Romeo158 defeated legendary Argentinean Juan Manual Fangio, his nearest rival. However, it was Fangio, who dominated racing scene in the decade. Fangio won the title in 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957. He is regarded the Grand Master of Formula One.

Stirling Moss of UK was a driver who competed regularly but was never able to win the race. He is widely considered the best driver ever never to win the race. The decade was dominated by teams run by road car manufacturers.

1960s
British drivers dominated in the Formula One races of 1960s. Colin Chapman's Team Lotus took the championship to new standards in Formula One Racing. Jim Clark exploited his talent to the utmost and created history on his Lotus 33. Re-introduction of mid-engined cars was a major development of this period. All regular competitors in the decade switched to mid-engined cars. British teams and Commonwealth racers won twelve world championships between 1962 and 1973.

1970s
The 1970s saw the evolution of Formula One as a big commercial success. Bernie Ecclestone is credited with transforming the sport into the billion dollar business. On the racing track, Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi became the youngest driver to win the Grand Prix in Formula One History. However, Jack Stewart soon rose to challenge his supremacy. They together dominated the Formula 1 scene for the entire first half of the seventies. Biggest technological breakthrough in the decade was the introduction of aluminium sheet monocoque chassis in place of the traditional spaceframe design. Ground effect aerodynamics was introduced in late 1970s. The technological innovation greatly increased cornering speeds.

1980s
The early Eighties are known for the clashes between Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) and Formula One Constructors' Association (FOCA). The development of electronic driver aids also began in the 1980s. A system of active suspension was developed. A system of semi-automatic gearboxes and traction control was also developed. On the track, this era was dominated by Nelson Piquet and McLaren. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost also rose to fame.

1990s and 2000s
Exploits of Senna glorified the world of motor racing. However, he died tragically in a car accident of track in 1994. Michael Schumacher emerged as the next superstar. Schumacher, with Ferrari, won an unprecedented five consecutive drivers’ championships and six consecutive constructors’ championships between 1999 and 2004. Renault driver Fernando Alonso ended Schumacher's championship streak in September 2005. Currently, the world championships are dominated by manufacturer-owned teams like Renault, BMW, Toyota, Honda and Ferrari.