Formula 1 Regulations. Everything You Need to Know about the Fastest Kind of Sport

Formula 1 is a popular kind of sport attracting millions of spectators from all over the world. The sport is governed by many rules that can seem to be quite difficult for those people who do not have perfect knowledge of these competitions. Thus, the given article is going to present all the necessary information.

General Data

Formula 1 competitions include various races that are also called Grands Prix that, in their turn, are represented by free practice sessions, qualifying sessions, and race days. Every Grand Prix lasts for three days only (according to the number of events above).

A regular season consists of about 7 to 19 Grands Prix and takes place from March to November. One team can be represented by two drivers in a qualifying session and in a race. When it comes to free practice sessions, the third driver also may participate, but there are only two race cars are allowed.

Free practice sessions

According to the official rules, the free practice sessions are necessary for drivers to get acquainted with a race and to train in driving a car. These events take place in the first and in the first half of the second days of a Grand Prix.

Qualifying Sessions

These competitions take place in the second racing day.

The first session (2 p.m. – 2.30 p.m.) is common for all the drivers. A number of laps varies from time to time. Those drivers who occupy the last 7 places leave the combat for a starting position. These drivers will occupy the 18th to 24th positions.

The second session is represented by free driving, after which the worst 7 drivers leave the race.

The third session lasts for only 10 minutes among the best 10 drivers of the second session. It is these drivers who are granted positions at the starting grid.

In the qualifying sessions, all the drivers are given an unlimited amount of fuel. Also, all the drivers may not prevent the others from overcoming the distance.

Race

Once the qualifying session is over, 10 race cars showing the best results are sent to a close area without an ability to make some repairs or change details. All the other drivers may change their tires. At the same time, all the drivers without any exception should change their tires if it has started to rain or, vice versa, all the puddles have disappeared.

The race takes place on Sunday. Prior to its beginning, all the drivers know how many laps they will need to overcome. In short, the distance should be at least 305 kilometers; the time – no more than 2 hours. If there are some issues that make a race stop, extra time should be added. However, its total duration should not overcome 4 hours.

During a race, the drivers are allowed to change damaged tires and details, which is done during a pit stop. With this, the drivers may not top up the oil. Sometimes, the requirements above make it possible for weak drivers to occupy top positions.

When on pit lane, the drivers should slow down to 100 km/hour in a race and to 60 km/hour in free practice sessions.

Race Cars

The official F1 rules present strict requirements applied not only to races, but also to the race cars. Every team has 2 cars of their own production. Often, harsh competition makes teams create technological advancements in order to be better than others. All the cars should meet the technical requirements stipulated in the official rules and pass a crash-worthiness test.

Modern cars are made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic and equipped with four outside wheels. Back wheels are driving, while front ones – driven. Race cars are controlled by a steering wheel as well as gas and brake pedals.

Fuel tanks are made of rubberized balloons and are divided into a few sections for safety purposes. They are placed between a driver and an engine. In Formula 1 competitions, it is allowed to use eight and ten-cylinder engines with a capacity of 2.4-3 liters showing up to 770 horsepowers. With this, it is prohibited to use a boost-pressure charge.

Two racing cars of the same team should have the same colors and design. If only one car may participate in a race, this team will be penalized. In addition, the racing cars should meet the following requirements:

1. height – 95 cm maximum;
2. width – no more than 1.8 meters;
3. weight (a driver included) – no less than 600 kg;
4. back wheels width – 36.5-38 cm;
5. front wheels width – 30.5-35.5 cm.
6. wheels diameter – 26 inches maximum.

Tires

Pirelli is the only company that provides Formula 1 teams with tires. This decision is explained by economic purposes. For a three-day race, drivers are given 11 tire sets for dry weather, 3 sets of tires for rain, and 4 sets of intermediate tires.

In fact, there are different specifications of tires for dry weather. To know them, it is necessary to look at the color of inscriptions of a tire side. This allows you to understand whether the official rules are met:

1. The red color is for super-soft tires;
2. The yellow color is for soft tires.
3. The white color is for intermediate tires.
4. The orange color is for rigid tires.
5. The drivers are obliged to use both rigid and soft tires.

Scoring System

Those drivers who manage to occupy the 1st-10th positions will get 1-25 points according to the following system: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 points, correspondingly. The best three drivers take the winners’ platform. The points earned in different races are summed up, both for separate drivers and for teams. At the end of a season, the best team and the best driver are awarded.

Safety

When a driver tragically died in 1994, the Formula 1 rules changed a bit to make the racing cars meet safety requirements. Then, they made higher sides of the body and placed an overhead structure behind a cockpit. Drivers’ wear and shoes are made of fire-resisting materials. Also, there is a special system to protect drivers’ head and neck.

To ensure that accident prevention is at a decent level, a driver has only 5 seconds to break free of safety belts, remover a steering wheel, and leave the car. After it, he has also five seconds to place the wheel back.

Pace Car

A pace car appears if there is a physical danger for drivers, spectators or other people when it is impossible to stop a race. In such a case, a pace car with orange signals appears on track from a pit lane. When marshals show yellow flags and inscription “SC”. In this case, all the drivers should slow down and fall into a single fall behind the pace car maintaining a necessary distance.

When such an event occurs, overtaking is prohibited despite a case when a driver is given a direct order to overtake the pace car. Overtaking is also allowed when a vehicle ahead unexpectedly slows down.

If a pace car is between a leader and other drivers, they should overtake it following the yellow signal and join the general group until the next lap. When danger is completely eliminated, a pace car switches off the orange lights, leaves the track at the end of a lap, and enters the box. As the green color on the traffic light and the green flags on track, the race may be continued to the full extent.

Race Stoppage

In some cases, it is possible to stop a Grand Prix. In this case, the traffic light shows the red color, while the red flags are also placed by marshals. In this case, departure from the pit lane is blocked. Drivers take their positions at the starting grid in corresponding order. Those, cars that were not able to reach the line of the red flag due to a hindrance continue the race after its removal in the same order that was preserved prior to the stoppage.

If the situation above occurs, drivers act according to the marshals’ prescriptions. The renewal of a race happens as a start following a pace car. All the cars on the starting grid that are ahead of a leader should finish a lap without overtaking and join the others from the back.

If a stoppage occurs before the second lap is completely finished, the start is said to be invalid. If a stoppage is recorded after the 2nd lap and more but less than 75% of the total number, the following start is renewed in the order that was recorded before the stoppage. If the drivers overcome 75% of the total number of laps, and a stoppage occurs, such a race is said to be over, and the result is decided according to the present position of the drivers.

Classification

Drivers are classified if they were not disqualified and have overcome at least 90% of the leader’s laps. Moreover, the principle of rounding downward is applied here. Classification is the only official result of a Grand Prix. For instance, if a winner has overcome 70 laps, the classification will be given to those drivers only who have overcome 63 and more laps. The more laps, the higher the driver’s final position. If two or more drivers have overcome the equal number of laps, a higher position is occupied by a driver who spent less time for it. Cups are given to the first three winners and a representative of the champion team.

Formula 1 Flags

As it has already been mentioned marginally, particular flags are used to provide drivers with information. In fact, it is a color that is of key importance here:

1. Chequered flag – finish.
2. Red flag – stoppage.
3. Black flag – disqualification of a driver.
4. Flag with black and white triangles – warning for a driver.
5. Black flag with the orange circle in the middle – message to a driver on a technical issue to his car.
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6. Yellow flag – the order to slow down and notification of prohibited overtaking because of danger.
7. Yellow double flag – the order to slow down and to prohibit overtaking, as well as preparation to stop.
8. Red and yellow striped flag – a worse grip of the wheels because of rain or spilled oil.
9. Green flag – the end of danger; the race can be continued.
10. White flag – a pace car is on the track.
11. Blue flag – a sign for a driver who is going to be overtaken.

Starting Grid

Cars are placed in two columns at the start to create the starting grid. There are 8 meters between the cars. Here, the drivers are placed in the following order:

• the 18th-24th places are given to the drivers who occupied the corresponding places in the 1st session;
• the 11th-17th places are given to the drivers who occupied the corresponding places in the 2nd session;
• the 1st-10th places are given to the drivers who occupied the corresponding places in the 3rd session.

Start Requirements

According to the official Formula 1 rules, start is accompanied by a few interesting moments. Thus, the final red lights blink off, 2 green lights flash, and the cars start a 30-second warm-up lap. After that, the green lights blink off.

After a warm-up lap is overcome, the cars again occupy their previous places, with the engines being on. It takes 5 seconds for all the pairs of red lights to flash. In a second, they blink off simultaneously, and the race is on.

In case of a fall start, a driver is penalized with 10 seconds in a pit stop or a pit lane. Also, there is a case when a start is canceled. In this case, the traffic lights show a green color. After then, a car with problems is moved to a pit lane after the others take a warm-up lap.

The orange flashing lights appear when it is necessary to postpone a start after the drivers has taken a warm up lap but have not begun the race.

If it is raining 5 minutes before a start, it should be postponed either for an indefinite period or for the time until the tires are changed.

If it is raining but the start is not postponed, the drivers should be preceded by a pace car, with a warm-up lap being canceled. Also, a race can be stopped because of particular weather or other conditions.

Finish

As it is stipulated in the official rules, a race is said to be over when a leader is shown the chequered flag. The drivers who follow his also finish the race and go to their boxes.