Formula 1: The Official History

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The history of Formula 1 cars begins in 1950. The idea of a world championship for drivers had been discussed in the 1940s, but the first formula 1 race 1950 is when it became official. Who invented formula 1? It was not invented by a single individual, but rather a combination of efforts from many different organizations and individuals. Jean-Marie Balestre and Bernie Ecclestone made significant contributions to the organizational aspects of this sport, which has shaped the structure of Formula 1 today. The first recognized championship for Formula 1 was organized by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), also known as the governing body for motorsport. The inaugural Formula 1 season started with the Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom, organized by the British Racing Drivers’ Club. Eagle Eye: The Eagle Gurney-Weslake F1 Effort". Allamericanracers.com. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012 . Retrieved 9 January 2016. British independent specialist teams and the rear-mid engine revolution (1958–1961) [ edit ] See 1958 season, 1959 season, 1960 season and 1961 season. Mike Hawthorn in a Ferrari 246 F1 in the 1958 Argentine Grand Prix

Formula 1: The Official History (Hardback) - Waterstones Formula 1: The Official History (Hardback) - Waterstones

Lastly, the third innovation was the introduction of a full face helmet for drivers, with Dan Gurney becoming the first driver to wear such helmet at the 1968 German Grand Prix. [12] Lotus won both titles in 1968 with Graham Hill with Stewart second. History [ edit ] Early years and continuation of pre-World War II supercharged engines (1946–1950) [ edit ] These tales are accompanied by more than 250 exceptional photographs featuring icons past and present, including Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.Ferrari and their driver Sebastian Vettel emerged as strong title contenders in 2017 and 2018 after rule changes in aerodynamic design were implemented for 2017, but despite mid-season championship leads for Vettel in both seasons, Hamilton and Mercedes ultimately won the titles with multiple races to spare. Mercedes subsequently won both championships comfortably in 2019 and 2020 along with an additional constructors' title in 2021, with Hamilton managing to equal Michael Schumacher's record of seven World Championships. In 2021, Mercedes faced stiff competition from the Honda-powered Red Bull team, whose driver Max Verstappen won the Drivers' Championship after a season-long battle with Hamilton to end the run of Mercedes only winning titles in the hybrid era. Fully revised and updated, Formula 1: The Official History is an electrifying account of the F1 phenomenon, telling the complete story of one of the world's most popular, thrilling, and glamorous sports. Bringing together a superbly written account of the history of the sport by acclaimed author Maurice Hamilton, and an exceptional selection of stunning images from across seven decades of F1 racing, the book charts the FIA Formula One World Championship, decade by decade, from its first race at Silverstone in May 1950 right through to end of last season's championship. As soon as the car and the engine became reliable, the era of the Lotus and of Jim Clark began. Clark won the title twice in three years, 1963 and 1965, the latter being the only occasion to date of a driver winning both the Championship and the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race in the same year. For 1964 Lotus introduced the new Lotus 33 and Ferrari made considerable technological and financial effort to win the title. Ferrari used no less than three different engines in the season–the existing V6, a V8 and a flat-12, while Lotus was struggling with the teething troubles of a new car. The title went to John Surtees and Ferrari. Surtees' title was especially notable, as he became the only driver ever to win the World Championship for both cars and motorcycles. The 1965 Mexican Grand Prix, the last race of the 1.5 litres Formula One, saw Richie Ginther give Honda its first victory at the end of the second season for the Japanese newcomer. This was the first victory by a Japanese car and, as of today, the only one by a car powered by a transverse engine. One of the most important skills that Formula 1 drivers need is the ability to brake late. This means that they have to wait until the last possible moment to hit the brakes, so that they can carry as much speed as possible into the corner. This requires a lot of practice and precision, as it is very easy to overshoot a corner if you brake too late. In 2020, the British magazine The Economist ranked champion drivers by the relative importance of car quality to driver skill, [32] based on a study by Andrew Bell of the University of Sheffield, UK. This ranking considers the relative statistical significance of the car maker's contributions:

Formula 1: The Official History by Maurice - Waterstones Formula 1: The Official History by Maurice - Waterstones

In 1961, in an attempt to curb speeds, Formula One was downgraded to 1.5-litre, non-supercharged engines (essentially the then-current Formula Two rules), a formula which would remain for the next five years. Forced induction was still an option, but limited to 750cc, and no one seriously considered the option, as supercharging had proven limiting to fuel consumption. Ferrari could have used its already proven V6 powered mid-engined Formula 2 cars, but preferred to go one step forward by designing a very sophisticated car powered by a 120° V6, which was their first ever rear-mid engined car, the 156. The considerably more powerful and efficient engine Ferrari had led to the Maranello outfit dominating the 1961 season as the British teams scrambled to come up with a suitable engine. American Phil Hill won the 1961 title in a works Ferrari. His teammate, Wolfgang von Trips of Germany, died along with 14 spectators in a horrific crash on the first lap of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.The second innovation was the introduction of wings as seen previously on various cars including the Chaparral 2F sports car. Colin Chapman introduced modest front wings and a spoiler on Graham Hill's Lotus 49B at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix. Brabham and Ferrari went one better at the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix with full width wings mounted on struts high above the driver. Lotus replied with a full width wing directly connected to the rear suspension that required a redesign of suspension wishbones and transmission shafts. Matra then produced a high mounted front wing connected to the front suspension. This last innovation was mostly used during practice as it required a lot of effort from the driver. By the end of the season, most teams were using sophisticated wings. There was several cases of wings, struts, or even suspension collapsing. Further information: 1950 Formula One season, 1951 Formula One season, 1952 Formula One season, 1953 Formula One season, 1954 Formula One season, 1955 Formula One season, 1956 Formula One season, and 1957 Formula One season Juan Manuel Fangio drove this Alfa Romeo 159 to the title in 1951 The entry of Renault also brought Michelin's radial tyres to Formula One. Goodyear, who enjoyed a monopoly before the entry of Michelin, was still using the cross ply design for racing. Goodyear saw the entry of Michelin as a serious threat and made a notable effort in research and development to develop its own radial tyres. Tyrrell's 1977 season was disastrous because Goodyear was too busy to continue to develop the unique small tyres required by the P34. Without continuing development, the tyres became less competitive and the six-wheeled concept had to be dropped. Michelin eventually left F1 after the 1984 season.

Formula 1: The Official History – Maurice Hamilton – Heath Books

Hill, Damon (17 April 2004). "Had Ayrton foreseen his death?". The Times. London: News International . Retrieved 28 October 2006.A number of major car manufacturers had joined Formula One since 2000–there were as many as eight manufacturers participating in Formula One at most. BMW and Honda had returned as works engine manufacturers in 2000, while Ford had rebranded the Stewart team as Jaguar and developed engines through its Cosworth subsidiary. In 2001, Renault also returned as a works engine maker and bought the Enstone-based Benetton team, which it rebranded as Renault in 2002. Toyota joined the series in 2002, developing both chassis and engine at its facility in Cologne. Mercedes continued its participation as engine manufacturer in association with Ilmor, and part-owned McLaren. The 2007 Formula One season saw a much more competitive McLaren, with current world champion Alonso alongside rookie Lewis Hamilton. However, Hamilton surprised everyone with a run of nine consecutive podiums in his first nine races seeing him take a significant lead in the Drivers' Championship. Alonso's relationship with McLaren deteriorated as the season progressed, as he believed it was his right as world champion to be favoured above his teammate. A mistake by Hamilton in China and a mechanical problem in Brazil ruined his championship. Alonso, however, was not able to fully capitalise saw more changes in the way of rules and regulations. KERS and double diffusers were banned for the 2010 season, but new innovative features on the cars such as F-ducts were introduced. An allocated eight engines, per driver, for the whole season was also introduced as part of more cost-cutting methods. The biggest change in the points scoring system in F1 history happened between 2009 & 2010. The 10–8–6–5–4–3–2–1 point system for the top eight finishers (which had been running since 2003), was replaced with the drastically different 25–18–15–12–10–8–6–4–2–1 for the top-10 finishers. Anglophone drivers and 1.5-litre engines (1962–1967) [ edit ] See 1962 season, 1963 season, 1964 season, 1965 season, 1966 season and 1967 season. John Surtees ( Ferrari) at the 1964 British Grand Prix Formula One was first defined in 1946 by the Commission Sportive Internationale (CSI) of the FIA, forerunner of FISA, as the premier single-seater racing category in worldwide motorsport to become effective in 1947. This new "International Formula" was initially known variously as Formula A, Formula I, or Formula 1 with the corresponding "Voiturette" formula being titled Formula B, Formula II, or Formula 2. [2] When the 500c formula was internationally recognised as Formula 3 in 1950 it was never titled as "Formula C" so the three International Formulae were then "officially" titled Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3. [3]

Formula 1: The Official History: fully revised and updated

Schumacher loses championship runner-up crown". BBC News. 11 November 1997 . Retrieved 28 October 2006. Few sports have changed as dramatically as Formula 1 motor racing, but it essentially remains the same, a high-speed race in cars constructed to the highest technical performance level possible. This book charts the championship, highlighting the racing heroes, growth and diversity of each season, title races, arrival and departure of manufacturers, key moments and the major improvements in all aspects of safety. Experience the legendary history of Formula 1 in this definitive illustrated book. Formula 1: The Official History is an electrifying account of the F1 phenomenon, telling the complete story of one of the world’s most popular, thrilling, and glamorous sports. Bringing together a superbly written account of the history of the sport by acclaimed author Maurice Hamilton, and an exceptional selection of stunning images from across seven decades of F1 racing, the book charts the FIA Formula One World Championship, decade by decade, from its first race at Silverstone in May 1950 right through to the present day. Each chapter tells the fascinating stories behind the greatest drivers and teams, important personnel, famous and infamous incidents, as well as key changes to the rules on design, safety and competitiveness. These tales are accompanied by more than 250 exceptional photographs featuring icons past and present, including Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Alain Prost, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. Accessible and entertaining for any F1 fan, and with a foreword by Ross Brawn, Managing Director of the FIA Formula One World Championship, this is the definitive visual history of the sport. litre V8 engines (2006–2008) [ edit ] See 2006 season, 2007 season and 2008 season. Fernando Alonso (Renault) leads Rubens Barrichello ( Honda), Jacques Villeneuve ( BMW) and Ralf Schumacher ( Toyota) at the 2006 United States Grand Prix

Lightweight television cameras attached to the cars became common in the early 1990s (following an American network TV practise actually pioneered in Australia). As well as boosting audience figures this also made the sport more attractive to sponsors beyond the traditional cigarette companies. Safety improvements also meant that the major car manufacturers were more inclined to attach themselves to teams on a rolling basis. 1994 then seemed ripe to produce a stunning season. Ayrton Senna had moved to Williams to replace Prost, who retired from the sport. Young German driver Michael Schumacher had Ford power for his Benetton. McLaren had high hopes for its new Peugeot engine (which had been developed through the French marque's Le Mans sportscar racing program) which ultimately did not happen and Ferrari were looking to put the tumultuous seasons of 1991–93 behind them with Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi. The season was stunning but for all the wrong reasons.