From Ukraine to Gaza
On September 1, 1946, the Turin Grand Prix took place in Italy. This was the first Formula One Grand Prix to be held.
In 1904, the formation of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) was established, ostensibly to represent the interests of motoring organizations and motor car users.
Starting positions on the grid were decided by qualifying times for the first time at the 1933 Monaco Grand Prix.
Throughout the 1930s, a number of race meetings were held across Europe to establish a world drivers' championship. The outbreak of the Second World War, however, put the brakes on the initiative. Pictured in May 1939 is the Crystal Palace Circuit near London.
The following year, 1947, the World Drivers' Championship was formalized.
The launch of the first Driver's World Championship took place in May 1950 at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, England. The race was won by Italian Giuseppe Farina in an Alfa Romeo 158. That season, Farina became the first official Formula One World Champion.
Introduced in 1938 as a Grand Prix car, the Alfa Romeo 158 Alfetta is regarded as the first true F1 car. Entering the newly established Formula One class of motorsport, it won 47 Grand Prix events out of 54 entries.
In 1954, new F1 regulations were introduced stipulating the use of 2.5-liter non-turbo engines in time for the 1954 French Grand Prix. Mercedes-Benz quickly recognized an advantage.
Mercedes delivered the first F1 car to boast new fuel technology—the W196. This gave it a competitive edge over other cars at the 1954 French Grand Prix. Between them, drivers Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio took the car to nine wins out of 12 competitions.
In 1953, Argentina hosted the first championship Grand Prix outside Europe. In 1958, the first Grand Prix and the first Constructors' Championship was held in an African nation (Morocco). Pictured is Stirling Moss in a Vanwall VW 5 racing the Casablanca circuit.
British car manufacturer Cooper Car Company introduced the Cooper T43 in 1957. Jack Brabham (pictured) raced it on occasion, but it was Stirling Moss who took the T43 to victory, winning the 1958 Argentine Grand Prix and the first World Drivers' Championship in a mid-engine car.
Dan Gurney (Porsche 804), Graham Hill (BRM P57), Jim Clark (Lotus-25) and John Surtees (Cooper T60) head the grid at the German Grand Prix at Nürburgring in August 1962. Jim Clark won 14 World Championship Grand Prix races with the Lotus 25.
In 1962, Lotus introduced a revolutionary design—the first F1 car with an aluminum monocoque chassis. The Lotus 25 was also the first to run on Esso fuel, which afforded it better fuel economy and enhanced performance.
The Lotus 49B, seen here being driven by Graham Hill in 1968, popularized the now-ubiquitous front and rear wing.
The early 1970s saw the birth of the Lotus 72. This was the first F1 car to include a cooling system on its sides, leading to the origin of sidepods. The car was introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix in April 1970, driven by Jochen Rindt and John Miles (pictured).
The era also witnessed the fitting on a Ferrari 312B2 of slick tires, a first for an F1 car. Introduced by Firestone at the Spanish Grand Prix in April 1971, these tires are characterized by their smooth tread. They were later banned from the 1998 to 2008 seasons.
In 1976 in a move that stunned the motorsport fraternity, Tyrrell debuted F1's first six-wheeled racing car. And in a double-whammy, a P34 won the Swedish Grand Prix the same year. Pictured at the French Grand Prix is Patrick Depailler and Jody Scheckter in their respective six-wheelers.
As F1 engineering technology advanced, Renault produced the first turbo-charged F1 car, the RS01. The vehicle was a revolution when it appeared during the 1977 Formula One season because of its unique 1.5L V6 Turbo engine. The car is seen here driven by Jean-Pierre Jabouille.
The Tyrrell 019 became the first F1 car to sport an elevated nosecone. Its appearance marked a significant benchmark in the history of F1 car design, becoming a template for aerodynamic design in all F1 cars from 1990 onwards.
Turbocharged engines were by now dominating the sport. In fact, in 1984 the Austrian Grand Prix was the first to feature only turbocharged cars.
But 1988 was the last year turbo engines were allowed in F1, at least for a good while. They would be reintroduced in 2014. Pictured are great rivals Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost heading the pack at the 1988 Portugal Grand Prix.
Further technological breakthroughs were announced during the early 1990s. Electronic devices like traction control, launch control, and active suspension became prominent. However, most of the driving and electronic aids were banned ahead of the start of the 1994 season. Pictured is Ayrton Senna in the cockpit of his Williams-Renault FW16 working with this technical team.
It took a double tragedy for F1 to fundamentally rethink driver safety. The sport lost Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna in 1994 on the San Marino circuit. The tragedies triggered a drive to improve safety standards across the board.
In the wake of the accidents, cockpit openings were widened and sides raised to provide better head protection.
In 1998, new regulations were introduced regarding narrower tracks and grooved tires. These changes were made to reduce cornering speed and increase overtaking. Pictured in 1998 is Michael Schumacher.
With turbocharged engines still banned, F1 found another way to power things up. In 2006, F1 switched to mighty 2.4-litre V8 engines.
Aerodynamic wings and winglets appeared on cars in 2008. Designed as airfoils, these components were based on aviation technology, specifically to reduce the aerodynamic drag associated with vortices that develop at the wingtips as airplanes move through the air. Pictured is Felipe Massa at the wheel.
The Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid marked the beginning of the hybrid engine era in F1. Making its debut in 2014, the car was successfully driven by the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
The halo cockpit protection system was introduced as a mandatory component on Formula 1 cars at the start of the 2018 season, and has proved a life saver on several occasions. Pictured is Zhou Guanyu, who was unharmed after his Alfa Romeo flipped upside down and skated along the tarmac and gravel at Silverstone in 2022.
The first use of the term "grand prix" was in 1901, to describe the French Grand Prix at Le Mans.
Grand Prix motor racing would eventually evolve into formula racing, with Formula One as its direct descendant. Pictured is Les Sept Chemins hairpin at the 1924 French Grand Prix. Louis Wagner is driving an Alfa Romeo P2 leading Dario Resta in a Sunbeam.
And 2022 was the year in which all cars on the F1 grid featured over-wheel winglets and wheel covers, clearly seen here on Max Verstappen's Oracle Red Bull car at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November 2022.
A year later, the ban on slick tires was lifted. These tire types provide the greatest possible contact patch to the track, and maximize dry traction.
The first Formula One Grand Prix took place in Italy in 1946. Since then, F1 has evolved into one of the most popular, glamorous, and lucrative sporting events in the world. Indeed, Formula One is the highest class of international motor racing.
But while the earliest cars were aesthetically pleasing, they were crude in their technology. Crashes were frequent. Fortunately, as F1 evolved, so too did the machines. Today, an F1 sports car is one of the most powerful and sophisticated vehicles on the planet.
How exactly did these four-wheel wonders develop over the near 80 years since the first F1 was raced? Start your engines, get in gear, and click on for a drive through the history of the F1 car.
A drive through the evolution of the F1 car
How the Formula One race car evolved
LIFESTYLE Motorsport
The first Formula One Grand Prix took place in Italy in 1946. Since then, F1 has evolved into one of the most popular, glamorous, and lucrative sporting events in the world. Indeed, Formula One is the highest class of international motor racing.
But while the earliest cars were aesthetically pleasing, they were crude in their technology. Crashes were frequent. Fortunately, as F1 evolved, so too did the machines. Today, an F1 sports car is one of the most powerful and sophisticated vehicles on the planet.
How exactly did these four-wheel wonders develop over the near 80 years since the first F1 was raced? Start your engines, get in gear, and click on for a drive through the history of the F1 car.