1950 Formula One season in the context of "Formula One"

Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel, single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one of the world's premier forms of motorsport since its inaugural running in 1950 and is often considered to be the pinnacle of motorsport. The word formula in the name refers to the set of rules all participant cars must follow. A Formula One season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix. Grands Prix take place in multiple countries and continents on either purpose-built circuits or closed roads.

A points scoring system is used at Grands Prix to determine two annual World Championships: one for the drivers, and one for the constructors—now synonymous with teams. Each driver must hold a valid Super Licence, the highest class of racing licence the FIA issues, and the races must be held on Grade One tracks, the highest grade rating the FIA issues for tracks.

Scuderia Ferrari (/fəˈrɑːri/; Italian: [skudeˈriːa ferˈraːri]), currently racing under Scuderia Ferrari HP, is the racing division of luxury Italian auto manufacturer Ferrari and the racing team that competes in Formula One racing. The team is also known by the nickname "the Prancing Horse" (Italian: il Cavallino Rampante or simply il Cavallino), in reference to their logo. It is the oldest surviving and most successful Formula One team, having competed in every World Championship since 1950.

The team was founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, initially to race cars produced by Alfa Romeo. By 1947, Ferrari had begun building its own cars. Among its important achievements outside Formula One are winning the FIA World Endurance Championship, World Sportscar Championship, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Spa, Targa Florio, and Mille Miglia. Its customers have also secured victories at events including Petit Le Mans, Nürburgring 24 Hours, Bathurst 12 Hour, and Carrera Panamericana. The team is known for its passionate support base, known as the tifosi. The Italian Grand Prix at Monza is regarded as the team's home race.

The numerous Formula One regulations, made and enforced by the FIA, have changed dramatically since the first Formula One World Championship in 1950. There are two main types of regulations; technical and sporting. Technical regulations are related to car specifications, such as the chassis or the engine. Meanwhile, sporting regulations involve race procedures and set rules that pertain to the sport as a whole. This article covers the current state of F1 technical and sporting regulations, as well as the history of the technical regulations since 1950.

Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of open-wheeled auto racing series managed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name alludes to a series of FIA rules to which all participants and vehicles are required to conform. The Formula One World Championship season consists of a series of races around the world, known as Grands Prix, usually held on purpose-built circuits, and in a few cases on closed city streets. Each Grand Prix meeting lasts three days with either one or three practice sessions before a three-part qualifying session on Saturday to set the starting order for Sunday's race. A Saturday sprint is held at select events, with the starting grid determined by a separate, shorter qualifying session held on Friday. Grands Prix are frequently named after the country, region or city in which they are raced, and in some seasons, nations have hosted more than one event. Should Formula One hold two or more races in the same nation in the same year, on either a different or the same track, then their names will be different. The results of each Grand Prix held throughout the season are combined to decide two annual championships, one for drivers and one for constructors.

Grand Prix distance regulations have varied throughout Formula One history. Between 1950 and 1957, events ran for more than 300 km (190 mi) or three hours. In 1958, race lengths were set between 300 and 500 km (190 and 310 mi) or two hours. It was reduced to between 300 and 400 km (190 and 250 mi) from 1966 with an established maximum length of 321.87 km (200.00 mi) in 1971. From 1973 to 1980, races had to last either 321.87 km (200.00 mi) or two hours, whichever came first. Distances of between 250 and 320 km (160 and 200 mi) or two hours were used from 1981 to 1984. The minimum distance was revised to 300 km (190 mi) including the formation lap in 1984 and the maximum length was standardised at 305 km (190 mi) in 1989. The exception to the rule is the Monaco Grand Prix, which has a scheduled length of at least 260 km (160 mi). No race can last more than two hours if it goes unhalted. From 2012, the maximum permitted race time including probable stoppages was four hours, before being reduced to three hours for 2021.

Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of open-wheeled auto racing series administered by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body. The "formula" in the name alludes to a series of rules set by the FIA to which all participants and vehicles are required to conform. The F1 World Championship season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, usually held on purpose-built circuits, and in a few cases on closed city streets. A points scoring system is used for each Grand Prix held over the course of the F1 season to determine the outcome of two annual championships, one for drivers (World Drivers' Championship) since 1950, and one for constructors (World Constructors' Championship) since 1958. Each driver accumulates championship points individually in the World Drivers' Championship and collectively for the team they compete for in the World Constructors' Championship. Both championships are formally awarded at the end-of-season FIA Prize Giving Ceremony to the driver and team with the most points.

As of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, 356 drivers have scored Drivers' Championship points, and 73 out of 170 teams have scored Constructors' Championship points, in 1,149 World Championship races. Lewis Hamilton has the highest Drivers' Championship points total with 5018.5, Max Verstappen is second with 3444.5 and Sebastian Vettel is third with 3098. Scuderia Ferrari holds the record for the highest Constructors' Championship points total with 10722, Red Bull Racing is second with 8288, and Mercedes is third with 8159.5. Drivers received an equal points distribution share if they shared a car with another or set the same fastest lap as another between 1950 and 1957. Second drivers of teams who officially entered only one car were ineligible for points on two occasions involving three drivers.