Difference between revisions of "Formula One"

Revision as of 17:22, July 21, 2009

Formula One (F1) is often considered the pinnacle of automobile racing. It is the highest class of car racing with speeds topping 200 mph. The Formula One World Championship is held every year on racing tracks on every continent except North America. The Championship is given not only to the winning driver after all 17 races but also to the winner car manufacturer. The current Driver's World Champion is British racer Lewis Hamilton, while the Constructor's Champions are Italian designers Ferrari.

Teams

The teams in the 2009 season are;

• Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, founded in 1966, are the third most successful team in the sport's history, having won the constructors' title 8 times. Their present drivers are the World Champion, Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain), and Finnish driver Heikki Kovalainen. The team uses Mercedes engines and are sponsored by mobile phone company Vodafone.
• Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, who first competed in the second ever Formula One race at Monaco in 1950, are the most famous and most successful team in the history of Formula One, and present constructor's champions. They have been won the constructors' championship 16 times, mainly as a result of the dominance of Michael Schumacher, the driver with the most championship wins in the sport's history. The team's present drivers are the 2007 champion, Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) and 2008 runner-up, Felipe Massa (Brazil). The team uses Ferrari engines and are sponsored by cigarette company Marlboro.
• BMW Sauber F1 Team, founded in 2006, finished third in the 2008 championship. The team's present drivers are Robert Kubica (Poland), who has won one race, and German driver Nick Heidfeld. The team uses BMW engines and are sponsored by oil and gas company Petronas.
• ING Renault F1 Team, who replaced Bennetton in 2002, have won two constructors' titles. The team's present drivers are twice-world champion, Fernando Alonso (Spain), and Brazilian Nelson Piquet Jr, the son of three-time world champion Nelson Piquet. The team uses Renault engines and are sponsored by the bank ING.
• Panasonic Toyota Racing, founded in 2002, have never won the championship. The team's present drivers are Jarno Trulli (Italy), who has won one race, and German Timo Glock. The team uses Toyota engines and are sponsored by electronics comapny Panasonic
• Scuderia Toro Rosso, who replaced the Minardi team in 2006, are a "farm" team for Red Bull Racing, but managed to beat their parent team in 2008. The team's drivers are 2009 debutante, Sebastien Buemi (Switzerland) and Formula 3 champion Jaime Alguersuari (Spain), who replaced Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais following the 2009 German Grand Prix and has not started his first race yet. The team uses Ferrari engines and are sponsored by beverage company Red Bull.
• Red Bull Racing, who replaced the Jaguar team in 2005, have won three races. The team's current drivers are Mark Webber (Australia) who has won one race, and Sebastien Vettel (Germany), who moved for the 2009 season from Toro Rosso, and won one race while at STR. He won another two races with RBR in 2009. The team uses Renault engines, and, like Toro Rosso, are sponsored by Red Bull.
• AT&T Williams, founded in 1977, are the second most successful team in F1's history, having won the constructors' title 9 times. However, they have not won the title since 1997. The team's present drivers are Nico Rosberg (Germany) and Kazuki Nakajima (Japan). The team uses Toyota engines and are sponsored by communications company AT&T.
• Force India F1 Team, who replaced the Spyker team in 2008, are yet to score a point in Formula One. The team's present drivers are Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, who has won three races in his career, and Adrian Sutil (Germany). The team uses Mercedes engines and are sponsored by Indian airline Kingfisher.
• Brawn GP F1 Team, who replaced the Honda team in 2009, are one of the few teams in history to win their debut race, having won the Australian Grand Prix in 2009. They have since won a further five races, and presently lead the World Championship Tables. The team's present drivers are Jenson Button (Great Britain), who has won seven races, six while with Brawn, and Rubens Barricello (Brazil), who is the most experienced driver in the 2009 season and has won a total of 9 races. The team uses Mercedes engines and are sponsored by the Virgin Group.

2009 Race Schedule

17 races will be contested in the 2009 season, which began on March 29.

1. Australian GP, held in Melbourne on March 29. Won in 2009 by Jenson Button and Brawn GP.
2. Malaysian GP, held in Kuala Lumpur on April 5. Won in 2009 by Jenson Button and Brawn GP, however only half-points were awarded as the race was stopped after 31 of 56 laps due to heavy rain.
3. Chinese GP, held in Shanghai on April 19. Won in 2009 by Sebastien Vettel and Red Bull.
4. Bahrain GP, held in Manama on April 26. Won in 2009 by Jenson Button and Brawn GP.
5. Spanish GP, held in Barcelona on May 10. Won in 2009 by Jenson Button and Brawn GP.
6. Monaco GP, held in Monte Carlo on May 24. Won in 2009 by Jenson Button and Brawn GP.
7. Turkish GP, held in Istanbul on June 7. Won in 2009 by Jenson Button and Brawn GP.
8. British GP, held in Silverstone on June 21. Won in 2009 by Sebastien Vettel and Red Bull
9. German GP, held at the Nürburgring on July 12. Won in 2009 by Mark Webber and Red Bull
10. Hungarian GP, held in Budapest on July 26.
11. European GP, held in Valencia, Spain on August 23.
12. Belgian GP, held in Spa Francorchamps on August 30.
13. Italian GP, held in Monza on September 13.
14. Singapore GP, held in Singapore on September 27. Unlike most races this race is held at night.
15. Japanese GP, held in Suzuka on October 4.
16. Brazilian GP, held in Interlagos on October 18.
17. Abu Dhabi GP, held in Abu Dhabi, UAE on November 1. This is a new race for the 2009 season.

External Links

The Sport's governing body
Official Website
BBC Sport F1 - Site of the UK broadcaster