Architects of speed: When and how was Formula 1 created?

Architects of speed: When and how was Formula 1 created?

In the world of motor sports, there are no more watched races than those in Formula 1. In 2021, the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen for the world title made the sport even more successful and watched. And this was a difficult achievement, because even before that, F1 was among the most loved sports competitions. There are not many competitors that combine team and individual battles for number 1 in such a specific way. As many as 10 teams fighting against each other. But also 20 glamorous individuals who have overcome gigantic competition to be part of the elite. Neither sports like football and basketball have similar specifics, nor sports like tennis and golf. Formula 1 is a unique phenomenon, but how did it all start?

The first F1 championship was held in 1950. At that time, the sport had little in common with what it is now. There are 30 teams, less than 10 races, and the speed is much lower. Either way, the concept of the world's fastest racing cars was designed back in the mid-20th century. And for more than 70 years, the "queen of motor sports" has thrilled millions.

But the 1950 World Championship was the end product of much longer work. The idea is largely borrowed from the European Grand Prix of the 1920s and 1930s. If it weren't for the Second World War, now the beloved sport of many could be over 80 years old. In fact, F1 started as early as 1946. Only in the first few years there was no general classification, only individual races.

The sport largely emerged out of the need for regulation in motor racing. From there, the name "Formula" is added. The word comes because of the introduction of the first mandatory laws that every driver and team must comply with. In the language of the interpretive dictionary, sport is a set of units of "a formal rule with an element of obligation". Motor racing just needed rules to be equal and interesting. Then F1 appears and everything becomes different!

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