Formula 1: How it became the most popular motorsport in the world

Hundreds of millions of people annually watch the Formula 1 Grand Prix races, which take place on six continents

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Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

Formula 1 is one of the most eagerly awaited Hollywood films.

Starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris and a bunch of real race car drivers, it will premiere in 2025.

The interest in the film reflects how popular Formula 1 has become around the world.

Hundreds of millions of people annually watch the Formula 1 Grand Prix races, which take place on six continents.

Formula 1 is the fastest auto-moto sport of all, and its champions have become world famous.

How did Formula 1 become the fastest auto-moto sport?

Since the first Formula 1 Grand Prix was held at Silverstone in Great Britain in 1950, it has held the leading position as the fastest type of auto-moto race.

The record speed achieved for a Formula 1 car is 378 kilometers per hour.

The fastest rival of Formula 1 in terms of speed is the American Indycar racing series.

The top speed in Indicar is only slightly higher - 380 kilometers per hour.

However, Formula 1 cars are faster in the corners than Indycars, which makes them faster in the overall lap.

In the fifties, Formula 1 vehicles reached a maximum speed of about 289 kilometers per hour.

The fastest of that decade was the Cooper T51 driven by Australian Jack Brabham, who won the world championship in it in 1959.

It was the first Formula 1 vehicle to have a rear engine.

Within two years, all other racing car manufacturers followed in his footsteps.

In 1966, speeds increased as the engines doubled in size, from 220 horsepower to more than 400 horsepower.

In 1968, Lotus produced a revolutionary new car design with airfoil wings and a spoiler that reached speeds of 321 kilometers per hour.

These properties implied "downforce", meaning that the air exerted pressure from above on the car.

Because of this, the car stuck to the ground better, which meant that it could safely enter corners at higher speeds.

Wings and spoilers have become standard for every vehicle, for greater safety.

In the 1.000s, engine sizes increased to more than XNUMX horsepower, and cars were built with side skirts to help them grip the ground better and corner faster.

In 1978, the Lotus 78 of Mario Andretti exceeded the limit of 321 kilometers per hour.

From there on, the speeds of one lap also jumped sharply.

One Formula 1 car, the Branam BT46B, appeared on the scene in 1978 with a fan on its tail to anchor it to the ground.

It gave Niki Lauda victory by a huge margin at the Swedish Grand Prix, but the design was banned immediately afterwards.

How expensive is it to compete in Formula 1?

The pressure to produce ever faster and more aerodynamic cars makes Formula 1 a very expensive business for the teams that compete in it.

In 2018, Mercedes spent an alleged $411 million in one year on building cars, paying drivers and transporting them around the world.

Formula 1 bosses have put a cap on annual spending for competing teams.

In 2024, it amounts to 135 million dollars.


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How did Formula 1 spread around the world?

Formula 1 originated from races organized by the Automobile Club de France.

The first race, which was called the Great Race, was held in 1906.

The Formula 1 organization was created in 1946 - "Formula" in its name means a set of rules for racing, and "1" is the category for the most powerful type of car.

All Formula 1 races were held in Europe until 1953, when Argentina hosted the Grand Prix.

In 1958, the first Grand Prix was held in Africa - in Morocco.

In 1976, Formula 1 expanded to Asia, with the Grand Prix held in Japan.

The first in Oceania was held in 1985, in Australia.

Since the beginning of Formula 1, Grand Prix races have been held at a total of 75 tracks on six continents around the world.

Recently, Middle Eastern countries have expressed their desire to build tracks that would host Grand Prix races, in order to boost international prestige and tourism potential.

There are now Formula 1 tracks in Bahrain, Qatar, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates - as well as Baku in Azerbaijan.

Grand Prix races are also held in Mexico City, Interlagos in Brazil, Shanghai in China, Singapore and Baku in Azerbaijan.

America hosts the Great Races in Las Vegas, Miami and Austin.

Grand Prix races were also held at Russia's Sochi circuit, but Formula 1 canceled holding races there after 2022 - the year Russia invaded Ukraine.

Is Formula 1 the greatest auto-moto sport?

Formula 1 brings in revenues of 3,4 billion dollars a year.

The owners of the American NASCAR racing series (Formula 1's closest commercial rival) claim that they want to bring in $1,8 billion in revenue in the coming years.

Unlike NASCAR and Indycar, which mostly appeal to an American audience, Formula 1 has fans all over the world.

In 2021, it reported a worldwide television audience of 1,55 billion people.

In 2022, NASCAR had an audience of 114 million people.

Formula 1 also attracts hundreds of thousands of viewers of their live Grand Prix races.

The Daytona 500, NASKAR's most popular event, draws crowds of between 150.000 and 175.000, but the 2023 British Grand Prix brought in more than 480.000 spectators over a race weekend.

The owner of Formula 1, Liberty Media, is trying to find a way into the American market against NASCAR and Indycar.

This explains why in 2024 it holds no fewer than three Grand Prix races on American tracks (out of a total of 24), and why it is collaborating on an upcoming Hollywood film.

Who are the biggest stars of Formula 1?

PETER POWELL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

The two drivers who have won the most Grand Prix races are Germany's Michael Schumacher and Britain's Lewis Hamilton - Schumacher won seven titles between 1994 and 2004, and Hamilton won seven titles between 2008 and 2020.

The Emirate of Dubai has rewarded Michael Schumacher for his victories with an artificial island with a luxury house along its coast.

Luis Hamilton is a co-producer of the film Formula 1 through his company Don Apolo.

The history of Formula 1 is also marked by tragedies.

Thirty-three drivers died in the Grand Prix and qualifying rounds.

In 1994, the world of auto-moto racing was shocked by the death of the Brazilian Ayrton Senna, who won the world championship three times.

He was killed in an accident during the Grand Prix in Sao Paolo, while leading the race.

The most recent death was the Frenchman Gilles Bianki.

At the age of 25, he was fatally injured during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.


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