Formula racing in the context of Indianapolis 500

Motorsport or motor sport or motor sports are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and powered aircraft. For each of these vehicle types, the more specific terms automobile sport, motorcycle sport, power boating and air sports may be used commonly, or officially by organisers and governing bodies.

Different manifestations of motorsport with their own objectives and specific rules are called disciplines. Examples include circuit racing, rallying and trials. Governing bodies, also called sanctioning bodies, often have general rules for each discipline, but allow supplementary rules to define the character of a particular competition, series or championship. Groups of these are often categorised informally, such as by vehicle type, surface type or propulsion method. Examples of categories within a discipline are formula racing, stock car racing, touring car racing, sports car racing, etc.

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.

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 circuits.

Touring car racing is a form of motorsport racing featuring production-based cars that are modified for competition. The discipline emphasizes close racing, balanced performance, and manufacturer diversity, with cars that still resemble their road-going counterparts. Originating in Europe in the mid-20th century, touring car racing has since expanded globally through rule sets such as Group A, Super Touring, and the FIA TCR formula. Major championships include the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), German Touring Car Masters (DTM), and Supercars Championship. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States.

Modern touring car championships increasingly rely on Balance of Performance (BoP) and cost-control regulations to ensure close competition among manufacturers and private teams. The adoption of hybrid technology and the introduction of electric touring car series, such as the ETCR (now FIA E-Touring Car World Cup), mark the category’s adaptation to sustainability trends in motorsport. While the cars do not move as fast as those in formula or sports car races, their similarity both to one another and to fans' own vehicles makes for well-supported racing. The lesser use of aerodynamics means following cars have a much easier time passing than in open-wheel racing, and the more substantial bodies of the cars makes the subtle bumping and nudging for overtaking much more acceptable as part of racing.