Formula 1: The Official History: fully revised and updated

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Christian Moity, La Ferguson P 99 Climax (1961–1964). La preuve par quatre. Auto Passion n°136 May–June 2001 p. 42-49 One of the key advantages of the Cosworth engine was its reliability. Unlike many competitors, the Cosworth engine was designed to be easy to maintain and repair. Teams could focus more on developing the car and the driver rather than worrying about engine problems. The History Of Formula One – The Engine In The 1960s And 70s The Mercedes team and their drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg dominated the start of the hybrid era, winning 51 of the 59 races (31 for Hamilton and 20 for Rosberg) between 2014 and 2016 as well as all titles during that period (Hamilton was champion in 2014 and 2015 while Rosberg won in 2016). This success was the result of Mercedes' development of the "split turbocharger", a system in which the compressor and turbine components of the turbo charger are placed at separate sides of the engine and connected by a rod running through the V of the engine. This new technology gave Mercedes and their customer teams many advantages over their competitors due to the need for less cooling and a more compact power unit. The Cosworth engine was a V8 engine that produced around 400 horsepower in its early iterations. It became one of the best, most flexible, and most powerful engines in the sport at the time. At just over 150 kg it was also relatively lightweight. That made it a popular choice among teams looking for a competitive edge. The 2000s also saw several changes to the aerodynamics of Formula One cars. In 2005, the FIA introduced new regulations governing the use of aerodynamic aids, such as wings and spoilers. The new rules were designed to reduce the downforce generated by the cars. This made them more challenging to drive and improving the racing spectacle.

The Renault RS10, the first turbocharged car to win a Grand Prix, had ground-effect aerodynamics permitted in 1979 Schumacher continued to compete in Formula One until 2012, winning seven championships, five of which were won with Ferrari. He retired as one of the most successful drivers in the sport’s history. He won won 91 races and achieved 155 podium finishes. F1 World Championship Winners Sebastian Vettel debuted in 2007 with BMW Sauber and then moved to Toro Rosso before joining Red Bull Racing, where he won four consecutive championships from 2010 to 2013. litre naturally-aspirated engines, active suspension, and electronic driver aids (1989–1993) [ edit ] See 1989 season, 1990 season, 1991 season, 1992 season and 1993 season. Few sports have changed as dramatically as Formula 1 motor racing, but it essentially remains the same, a high-speed race in cars constructed to the highest technical performance level possible. This book charts the championship, highlighting the racing heroes, growth and diversity of each season, title races, arrival and departure of manufacturers, key moments and the major improvements in all aspects of safety.Anglophone drivers and 1.5-litre engines (1962–1967) [ edit ] See 1962 season, 1963 season, 1964 season, 1965 season, 1966 season and 1967 season. John Surtees ( Ferrari) at the 1964 British Grand Prix In 2004, Ferrari and Schumacher returned to almost total dominance of the championships, winning both with ease–in the first thirteen races of the season, Schumacher managed to win twelve. A new race in Bahrain made its debut in April and another new race in China debuted in September. It was initially thought that in introducing these new races, older Grands Prix in Europe, like the British Grand Prix, might be removed from the championship, but instead, the number of races was increased to eighteen. According to Ecclestone, the move was to increase Formula One's global reach, though the steady tightening of restrictions on tobacco advertising in Europe and elsewhere may also have been a factor. This move saw the percentage of races held outside Formula One's traditional European home climb to around fifty percent–meaning the World Championship, which visits four of the six continents, truly deserves its name. 2004 was Michael Schumacher's most recent of his record seven World Championships. Schumacher also held the record for the most races won–with ninety-one, and now remains the driver with the second most wins ever. The 2004 season also saw a big change in technical regulations, including the banning of two electronic driver aid systems; namely fully-automatic gearboxes and launch control, both of which had been used for the last three seasons, marking the first time since 1994 that cars competed without using these systems. This was done to ensure that costs were kept down for a competitive F1 team, as well as keeping the skill of driving a Formula 1 car relevant to the driver. However, the use of traction control was still permitted by the FIA, and was used for the next three seasons, until an effort to ban the system led to the FIA finally outlawing it for the 2008 season. By 1995, things had settled down somewhat. The downgraded 3-litre formula had no effect of the domination of the Renault V10, and Schumacher took his second Drivers' title, and Benetton their first Constructors' title, with relative ease, defeating the Williams team of Hill and David Coulthard. The Renault engine which powered both teams was virtually unbeatable, with only Ferrari claiming a single win at the Canadian Grand Prix for Alesi, his only career win. also saw the return of atmospheric engines to Formula One, after the turbo-only year of 1986. Capacity was increased to 3.5 litres, and the turbo engines were restricted in boost pressure and fuel capacity to limit their effect, with a total ban to be introduced in 1989. Nevertheless, while turbo engines lasted, they dominated, with Williams-Honda winning easily in 1987, and then Honda teaming up with McLaren in 1988 that resulted in the super-team of Prost and Senna winning 15 of 16 races, a record unmatched today. It was Senna who emerged the victor, claiming the first of his three World Titles. litre turbo-charged engines (1983–1988) [ edit ] See 1983 season, 1984 season, 1985 season, 1986 season, 1987 season and 1988 season.

In the early 1990s, teams started introducing electronic driver aids, whose use spread rapidly. Active suspension, (pioneered by Lotus in 1987), semi-automatic gearboxes (Ferrari in 1989), and traction control (Ferrari in 1990) [17] All enabled cars to reach higher and higher speeds provided the teams were willing to spend the money. The FIA, due to complaints that technology was determining the outcome of races more than driver skill, banned many such aids in 1994. However, many observers felt that the ban on driver aids was a ban in name only as the FIA did not have the technology or the methods to eliminate these features from the competition. Even this controversy did not diminish the pleasure British fans of the sport felt in 1992, when Nigel Mansell finally won the title, after a decade of trying, nor French fans in 1993 when Alain Prost took his 4th Championship, both drivers piloting Williams-Renault cars. Le Mans disaster claims 77 lives". British Broadcasting Corporation. 11 June 1955 . Retrieved 20 November 2006. The 1990s also saw the rise of Michael Schumacher, one of the greatest drivers in Formula One history. Schumacher won his first championship in 1994, driving for Benetton. He went on to win seven championships over his career, five of which were won with Ferrari. Today, the Ford Cosworth engine is considered a classic in motorsports. It may is longer be used in Formula One. Despite this legacy lives on and continues to be revered by fans and enthusiasts worldwide. Pierre Ménard: Automobile Historique N°45 Février 2005–Lotus 72 (1973–1975)–Prolongations exceptionnelles p.60–71 (in French)marked the end of the V10-era in Formula One. To keep costs down, the configuration had been made mandatory in 2000 (although only V10s had been in use since 1998, Toyota were planning on entering Formula One with a V12 and had to delay their entry by a year to redesign) so that engine builders would not develop and experiment with other configurations. Over this period, the statistics show the supremacy of the Renault and Ferrari engines, with Renault clinching six Constructors and five Drivers' Championships as engine suppliers for Williams and Benetton from 1992 to 1997, and their first-ever Drivers' and Constructors' Championships in a 100% Renault car in 2005. Ferrari also enjoyed great success in the V10 era, winning six Constructors' Championships and five Drivers' Championships from 1999 to 2004. provided another close finish. The Honda-powered Williams cars of Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell looked untouchable, but too often they took points from each other, allowing McLaren's Prost to stay in touch. Although Williams easily won the Constructors' Championship that year, it was not until the season-ending Grand Prix of Australia that the Drivers' title was decided, Prost making the most of both Williams drivers tyre problems. 1987 saw the Williams grow only stronger, with Piquet driving more consistent races to take his 3rd title ahead of Mansell who crashed in Japan in practice forcing him to sit out for the final 2 races. Fully revised and updated, Formula 1: The Official History is an electrifying account of the F1 phenomenon, telling the complete story of one of the world's most popular, thrilling, and glamorous sports. Bringing together a superbly written account of the history of the sport by acclaimed author Maurice Hamilton, and an exceptional selection of stunning images from across seven decades of F1 racing, the book charts the FIA Formula One World Championship, decade by decade, from its first race at Silverstone in May 1950 right through to end of last season's championship.

There is some debate as to what can be considered to be the first Formula 1 race. The first race under the new regulations was the 1946 Turin Grand Prix held on 1 September, the race being won by Achille Varzi in an Alfa Romeo 158 Alfetta - but this was before the Formula was officially in place. The next contender is the 1947 Swedish Winter Grand Prix which was won by Reg Parnell driving an ERA - but this race was run on ice and some consider that it therefore was not a "proper" race (there is also some doubt whether it was a Formula 1 race or a Formule Libre race). The third claimant is the 1947 Pau Grand Prix which was won by Nello Pagani driving a Maserati 4CL, which is irrefutable.In the early years of Formula One, the cars were relatively simple compared to today’s high-tech machines. Lewis Hamilton debuted in Formula One in 2007 with McLaren, where he won his first world championship in 2008. He then joined Mercedes in 2013 and has won six more championships with the team, becoming, arguably, the most successful driver in the sport’s history. In 1961, in an attempt to curb speeds, Formula One was downgraded to 1.5-litre, non-supercharged engines (essentially the then-current Formula Two rules), a formula which would remain for the next five years. Forced induction was still an option, but limited to 750cc, and no one seriously considered the option, as supercharging had proven limiting to fuel consumption. Ferrari could have used its already proven V6 powered mid-engined Formula 2 cars, but preferred to go one step forward by designing a very sophisticated car powered by a 120° V6, which was their first ever rear-mid engined car, the 156. The considerably more powerful and efficient engine Ferrari had led to the Maranello outfit dominating the 1961 season as the British teams scrambled to come up with a suitable engine. American Phil Hill won the 1961 title in a works Ferrari. His teammate, Wolfgang von Trips of Germany, died along with 14 spectators in a horrific crash on the first lap of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.