History of the Formula 1 Driver’s Championship

The F1 World Drivers’ Championship is an award given to the most successful driver in a particular F1 season. The Drivers’ Championship is awarded by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), the premier motorsport organization in the world, which controls the licensing and arbitration of F1 motor racing. In 1946, the FIA defined and standardized the rules that set the foundation of F1 racing. The first World Championship for Drivers, known today as the F1 World Drivers’ Championship, was organized in 1950 and has taken place every year till date. The Drivers’ Championship was an answer to the Motorcycle World Championships that was held in 1949. The initial racing period was well dominated by the Italian team of Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Maserati.

The Drivers’ Championship is awarded to the driver with the most points in the season. The current scoring method is based exclusively on the results of each Grand Prix race. The winner receives 10 points, the first runner-up gets 8 points, and the third runner-up receives 6. All points are halved if a race is abandoned before 75% of the intended distance has been completed. If two drivers have the same number of points at the termination of the season, the driver with maximum wins is given priority. Though the Drivers’ Champion is not declared until the last race, it is possible for a driver to ‘clinch’ the Championship at an earlier race. This occurs when a driver has ample points to remain on top even if he did not compete in the remaining races of the season.

The first Drivers’ Championship was awarded to Nino Farina, a former Italian racing champion, in 1950. For several decades, Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina remained the most successful driver with 5 Drivers’ Championships under his belt, until the phenomenal Michael Schumacher broke his record. The fact that the Championship was determined in the last race 24 times (from 1950 to 2008) proves that you can safely bet on F1 races being thrilling affairs. Michael Schumacher is widely credited with being the greatest car racer ever. In 2002, he managed to clinch the Drivers’ Championship with six races remaining! He has won more consecutive Drivers’ Championships than anyone ever has before, winning five from 2000 to 2004. Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 Drivers’ Champion, is, at 23, the youngest F1 driver to have won the title.

Recent F1 season(s)

The 2009 F1 season has 10 teams in the fray and 17 Grand Prix races overall. The final race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, is scheduled at the newly constructed Yas Marina Circuit. The 2009 Drivers’ Championship battle is just heating up, and you can expect some intense racing action before the chequered flag falls at the Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi!