A Brief History of F1 Racing

A BRIEF HISTORY OF F1 RACING

INTRODUCTION

Since the beginnings of the “modern era” of F1 Racing began in the United Kingdom in 1950, F1 Racing has grown into a highly anticipated worldwide phenomenon. F1 is an incredible display of craftsmanship, performance, and comaraderie. To celebrate the 2022 season and 73 years of the sport being official, let’s take a look back at where it all started.

before the sport became official…

Though the sport wasn’t standardized or official until the mid 20th century, Grand Prix and F1 racing roots trace back to the 1890s in Europe. Racing has rich and deep roots in Europe, though F1 competitors hail from all over the world. From the moment the sport was standardized with a set of rules and official competitions, F1 has always created a strong sense of nationalism and community.

1950: THE OFFICIAL START OF F1

In 1946, The Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA) came together to make a singular world championship for drivers and racing to truly solidify the sport. From the moment F1 was standardized with a set of rules and official competitions, it has created a strong sense of nationalism and community amongst fans, crew, and drivers alike. The first official Formula 1 Race occurred in 1950 in Silverstone, England.

TRAGEDY

After the unfortunate death of a prominent German-born driver, Jochen Rindt, in the 1970s, the FIA began to implement more safety features and required safety standards. This was a slow process, as the high speeds and intensity of the races led to quite a few tragic fatalities that devastated fans. The few most prominent incidents of loss occurred in late April and early May 1994, the latter of which is now referred to by fans as “Black Sunday.” These tragedies led to great improvements in safety, and drivers and their teams continued to further revolutionize and evolve their craft.

RECENT YEARS

Michael Schumacher, who retired from F1 racing in 2006, had won 91 races and 7 championship titles and was considered one of the greatest drivers in F1 history. The late 2000s saw many drivers described as “the next potential Schumacher.” The next driver who came close to his record was Sebastian Vettel, with 53 wins and 4 championship titles.

As of the 2022 season, Max Verstappen secured his 14th win of the season, making F1 history by beating a lap speed record previously held by drivers Schumacher and Vettel.

CONCLUSION

Though there have been some dark moments in F1 history, the sport has become safer over time and even more celebrated by fans all around the world. Check out the official F1 website or tune into ESPN to watch the rest of the races this season.