Editing Formula One (section)

==Racing and strategy==
{{Main|Formula One racing|Formula One tyres|Racing flags|Formula One regulations|}}A Formula One Grand Prix event spans a weekend. It typically begins with two free practice sessions on Friday, and one free practice session on Saturday. Additional drivers (commonly known as [[third driver]]s) are allowed to run on Fridays, but only two cars may be used per team, requiring a race driver to give up their seat. A qualifying session is held after the last free practice session. This session determines the starting order for the race on Sunday.<ref name="QDetail2">{{cite web|url=http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8686/|title=Practice and qualifying|website=Formula1.com|access-date=21 October 2009|archive-date=16 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516014918/http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8686/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="DriveChang">{{cite web|title=Driver changes and additional drivers|url=http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8694/|website=Formula1.com|date=10 June 2011|access-date=10 June 2011|archive-date=20 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110620024651/http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8694/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Tyre rules===
[[File:Pirelli Tire Range (52849596009).jpg|thumb|The 2023 Pirelli tyres include (from left to right) the three slick compound tyres: soft (red), medium (yellow), and hard (white) {{ndash}} and the two wet-weather tyre compounds: intermediate (green), and full-wet (blue).]]
Each driver may use no more than thirteen sets of dry-weather tyres, four sets of intermediate tyres, and three sets of wet-weather tyres during a race weekend.<ref>{{Cite web|date=16 December 2020|title=2021 Formula 1 Sporting Regulations|url=https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/2021_formula_1_sporting_regulations_-_iss_5_-_2020-12-16.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217153320/https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/2021_formula_1_sporting_regulations_-_iss_5_-_2020-12-16.pdf|archive-date=17 December 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Qualifying===
For much of the sport's history, qualifying sessions differed little from practice sessions; drivers would have one or more sessions in which to set their fastest time, with the grid order determined by each driver's best single lap, with the fastest getting first place on the grid, referred to as [[pole position]]. From 1996 to 2002, the format was a one-hour shootout. This approach lasted until the end of 2002 before the rules were changed again because the teams were not running in the early part of the session to take advantage of better track conditions later on.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/features/2016/3/deciding-the-grid-a-history-of-f1-qualifying-formats.html|title=Deciding the grid – A history of F1 qualifying formats|website=Formula1.com|date=17 March 2016|access-date=20 May 2021|archive-date=30 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200830180030/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/features/2016/3/deciding-the-grid-a-history-of-f1-qualifying-formats.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Grids were generally limited to 26 cars – if the race had more entries, qualification would also decide which drivers would start the race. During the early 1990s, the number of entries was so high that the worst-performing teams had to enter a [[Pre-qualification (Formula One)|pre-qualifying]] session, with the fastest cars allowed through to the main qualifying session. The qualifying format began to change in the early 2000s, with the FIA experimenting with limiting the number of laps, determining the aggregate time over two sessions, and allowing each driver only one qualifying lap.

The current qualifying system was adopted in the 2006 season. Known as "knock-out" qualifying, it is split into three periods, known as Q1, Q2, and Q3. In each period, drivers run qualifying laps to attempt to advance to the next period, with the slowest drivers being "knocked out" of qualification (but not necessarily the race) at the end of the period and their grid positions set within the rearmost five based on their best lap times. Drivers are allowed as many laps as they wish within each period. After each period, all times are reset, and only a driver's [[fastest lap]] in that period (barring infractions) counts. Any timed lap started before the end of that period may be completed and will count toward that driver's placement. The number of cars eliminated in each period is dependent on the total number of cars entered into the championship.<ref name=Qual>{{cite web|title=Sporting regulations: Practice and qualifying|url=http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/inside-f1/rules-regs/Practice_qualifying_and_race_start_procedure.html|website=Formula1.com|access-date=3 January 2016|archive-date=1 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501104833/http://www.formula1.com/content/fom-website/en/championship/inside-f1/rules-regs/Practice_qualifying_and_race_start_procedure.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Currently, with 20 cars, Q1 runs for 18 minutes, and eliminates the slowest five drivers. During this period, any driver whose best lap takes longer than [[107% rule|107%]] of the fastest time in Q1 will not be allowed to start the race without permission from the stewards. Otherwise, all drivers proceed to the race albeit in the worst starting positions. This rule does not affect drivers in Q2 or Q3. In Q2, the 15 remaining drivers have 15 minutes to set one of the ten fastest times and proceed to the next period. Finally, Q3 lasts 12 minutes and sees the remaining ten drivers decide the first ten grid positions. At the beginning of the 2016 Formula 1 season, the FIA introduced a new qualifying format, whereby drivers were knocked out every 90 seconds after a certain amount of time had passed in each session. The aim was to mix up grid positions for the race, but due to unpopularity, the FIA reverted to the above qualifying format for the Chinese GP, after running the format for only two races.<ref name=Qual />

Each car is allocated one set of the softest tyres for use in Q3. The cars that qualify for Q3 must return them after Q3; the cars that do not qualify for Q3 can use them during the race.<ref name=2020Regs>{{cite web|title=2020 Formula One Sporting Regulations|url=https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/2020_formula_1_sporting_regulations_-_iss_8_-_2020-05-27_0.pdf|website=fia.com|publisher=Federation Internationale de l'Automobile|access-date=15 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604223100/https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/2020_formula_1_sporting_regulations_-_iss_8_-_2020-05-27_0.pdf|archive-date=4 June 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2022, all drivers are given a free choice of tyre to use at the start of the Grand Prix,<ref>{{Cite web |title=F1 removes long-standing qualifying rule for 2022 |url=https://racingnews365.com/f1-removes-long-standing-qualifying-rule-for-2022 |access-date=27 March 2022 |website=RacingNews365 |date=19 February 2022 |language=en |archive-date=20 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220220184322/https://racingnews365.com/f1-removes-long-standing-qualifying-rule-for-2022 |url-status=live }}</ref> whereas in previous years only the drivers that did not participate in Q3 had free tyre choice for the start of the race. Any penalties that affect grid position are applied at the end of qualifying. Grid penalties can be applied for driving infractions in the previous or current Grand Prix, or for changing a gearbox or engine component. If a car fails scrutineering, the driver will be excluded from qualifying but will be allowed to start the race from the back of the grid at the race stewards' discretion.

2021 saw the trialling of a 'sprint qualifying' race on the Saturday of three race weekends, with the intention of testing the new approach to qualifying. The traditional qualifying would determine the starting order for the sprint, and the result of the sprint would then determine the start order for the Grand Prix.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.planetf1.com/news/sprint-races-finalised-imola/|newspaper=Planetf1|publisher=Planet F1|access-date=7 April 2021|title=New F1 Sprint Races to be finalised by Imola|date=6 April 2021|last1=Rawcliffe|first1=Tom|archive-date=7 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210407000617/https://www.planetf1.com/news/sprint-races-finalised-imola/|url-status=live}}</ref> The system returned for the 2022 season, now titled the 'sprint'.<ref name="sprint">{{cite web|title=Formula 1 to hold three Sprint events in 2022 – with more points on offer|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-to-hold-three-sprint-events-in-2022-with-more-points-on-offer.4UXmrMDm6We04ZFlW0Ieo9.html|website=Formula1.com|date=14 February 2022|access-date=10 May 2023|archive-date=26 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220226025032/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.formula-1-to-hold-three-sprint-events-in-2022-with-more-points-on-offer.4UXmrMDm6We04ZFlW0Ieo9.html|url-status=live}}</ref> From 2023, sprint races no longer impacted the start order for the main race, which would be determined by traditional qualifying. Sprints would have their own qualifying session, titled the 'sprint shootout';<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.breaking-formula-1-announces-venues-for-six-f1-sprint-events-across-2023.4tvAAXFGdkoHKE8Onjh8Ya.html|title=Formula 1 announces venues for six F1 Sprint events across 2023 season|website=formula1.com|date=7 December 2022|access-date=21 March 2023|archive-date=7 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221207113722/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.breaking-formula-1-announces-venues-for-six-f1-sprint-events-across-2023.4tvAAXFGdkoHKE8Onjh8Ya.html|url-status=live}}</ref> such a system made its debut at the [[2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix]] and is set to be used throughout all sprint sessions in place of the traditional second free practice session. Sprint qualifying sessions are run much shorter than traditional qualifying, and each session required teams to fit new tyres – mediums for SQ1 and SQ2, and softs for SQ3 – otherwise they cannot participate in the session.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.explained-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2023-f1-sprint-format.583WHWKbWVVBemPKi6pJxH.html|title=Explained: Everything you need to know about the 2023 F1 Sprint format|website=Formula1.com|date=25 April 2023|access-date=25 April 2023|archive-date=20 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520011029/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.explained-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2023-f1-sprint-format.583WHWKbWVVBemPKi6pJxH.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Race===
The race begins with a warm-up lap, after which the cars assemble on the starting grid in the order they qualified. This lap is often referred to as the formation lap, as the cars lap in formation with no overtaking (although a driver who makes a mistake may regain lost ground). The warm-up lap allows drivers to check the condition of the track and their car, gives the tyres a chance to warm up to increase traction and grip, and also gives the pit crews time to clear themselves and their equipment from the grid for the race start.
[[File:Jacques Villeneuve (Sauber) qualifying at US Grand Prix 2005.jpg|thumb|[[Jacques Villeneuve]] qualifying at the [[2005 United States Grand Prix]] in his [[Sauber C24]]]]

Once all the cars have formed on the grid, after the medical car positions itself behind the pack,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baxter-Priest |first=Matthew |date=2 March 2023 |title=What is the car at the back of the F1 grid? {{!}} Esquire Middle East – The Region's Best Men's Magazine |url=https://www.esquireme.com/sports/what-is-the-car-at-the-back-of-the-f1-grid |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103153821/https://www.esquireme.com/sports/what-is-the-car-at-the-back-of-the-f1-grid |archive-date=3 November 2023 |access-date=3 November 2023 |website=Esquire Middle East – The Region's Best Men's Magazine}}</ref> a light system above the track indicates the start of the race: five red lights are illuminated at intervals of one second; they are all then extinguished simultaneously after an unspecified time (typically less than 3 seconds) to signal the start of the race. The start procedure may be abandoned if a driver stalls on the grid or on the track in an unsafe position, signalled by raising their arm. If this happens, the procedure restarts: a new formation lap begins with the offending car removed from the grid. The race may also be restarted in the event of a serious accident or dangerous conditions, with the original start voided. The race may be started from behind the Safety Car if race control feels a racing start would be excessively dangerous, such as extremely heavy rainfall. As of the {{F1|2019}} season, there will always be a standing restart. If due to heavy rainfall a start behind the safety car is necessary, then after the track has dried sufficiently, drivers will form up for a standing start. There is no formation lap when races start behind the Safety Car.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8691/ |title=Race start procedure |website=Formula1.com |access-date=16 October 2010 |archive-date=4 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130704181035/http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8691/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Under normal circumstances, the winner of the race is the first driver to cross the finish line having completed a set number of laps. Race officials may end the race early (putting out a red flag) due to unsafe conditions such as extreme rainfall, and it must finish within two hours, although races are only likely to last this long in the case of extreme weather or if the safety car is deployed during the race. When a situation justifies pausing the race without terminating it, [[List of red-flagged Formula One races|the red flag is deployed]]; since 2005, a ten-minute warning is given before the race is resumed behind the safety car, which leads the field for a lap before it returns to the pit lane (before then the race resumed in race order from the penultimate lap before the red flag was shown).

In the 1950s, race distances varied from {{convert|300|km|mi|abbr=on}} to {{convert|600|km|mi|abbr=on}}. The maximum race length was reduced to {{convert|400|km|mi|abbr=on}} in 1966 and {{convert|325|km|mi|abbr=on}} in 1971. The race length was standardized to the current {{convert|305|km|mi|abbr=on}} in 1989, with the exception of the [[Monaco Grand Prix]], which has a shorter distance due to its slower speeds and the need to keep the race under two hours.

Drivers may overtake one another for position over the course of the race. If a leader comes across a backmarker (slower car) who has completed fewer laps, the back marker is shown a blue flag<ref>{{cite web|title=Flags |website=Formula1.com |date=21 June 2003 |url=http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/understanding_the_sport/5282.html |access-date=3 July 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080702120809/http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/understanding_the_sport/5282.html |archive-date=2 July 2008 }}</ref> telling them that they are obliged to allow the leader to overtake them. The slower car is said to be "lapped". Drivers who are about to be lapped are supposed to literally go out of their way and let the "lapping" driver pass easily. Research documents that drivers - despite being supposed to - often do not defer to the lapping driver and engage in resistance.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Durand |first=Rodolphe |last2=Piezunka |first2=Henning |last3=Reineke |first3=Philipp |date=March 2025 |title=Difference in Deference: When Competitors Do Not Give in Despite Having Lost |url=https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/orsc.2023.17474 |journal=Organization Science |volume=36 |issue=2 |pages=940–966 |doi=10.1287/orsc.2023.17474 |issn=1047-7039|doi-access=free }}</ref> Once the leader finishes the race, is classified as finishing the race "one lap down". A driver can be lapped numerous times, by any car in front of them. A driver who fails to complete more than 90% of the race distance is shown as "not classified" in the results.

Throughout the race, drivers may make [[pit stop]]s to change tyres and repair damage (from 1994 to 2009 inclusive, they could also refuel). Different teams and drivers employ different pit stop strategies in order to maximise their car's potential. Three dry tyre compounds, with different durability and adhesion characteristics, are available to drivers. Over the course of a race, drivers must use two of the three available compounds. The different compounds have different levels of performance and choosing when to use which compound is a key tactical decision to make. Different tyres have [[Formula One tyres#Tyre summary|different colours on their sidewalls]]; this allows spectators to understand the strategies.

Under wet conditions, drivers may switch to one of two specialised wet weather tyres with additional grooves (one "intermediate", for mild wet conditions, such as after recent rain, one "full wet", for racing in or immediately after rain). A driver must make at least one stop to use two tyre compounds; up to three stops are typically made, although further stops may be necessary to fix damage or if weather conditions change. If rain tyres are used, drivers are no longer obliged to use two types of dry tyres.

====Race director====
{{Main|Race director#Formula One}}

This role involves managing the logistics of each F1 Grand Prix, inspecting cars in [[parc fermé]] before a race, enforcing FIA rules, and controlling the lights which start each race. As the head of the race officials, the race director also plays a large role in resolving disputes among teams and drivers. The race director may also refer incidents to the race stewards, who may give penalties, such as drive-through penalties (or stop-and-go penalties), demotions on a pre-race start grid, race disqualifications and fines should parties break regulations. As of the [[2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix]], the race director is [[Rui Marques (Formula One)|Rui Marques]], with [[Herbie Blash]] as a permanent advisor.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://the-race.com/formula-1/fia-abandons-rotation-of-f1-race-director-for-rest-of-2022/|title=FIA abandons rotation of F1 race director for rest of 2022|website=The-Race.com|date=21 October 2022|access-date=21 October 2022|archive-date=4 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204151300/https://the-race.com/formula-1/fia-abandons-rotation-of-f1-race-director-for-rest-of-2022/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=F1 Race Director Niels Wittich to step down |url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/f1-race-director-niels-wittich-to-step-down.16N8MAvayeUNcM2mw2pXEv |date=12 November 2024 |access-date=15 November 2024 |website=Formula1.com |language=en |url-status=live |archive-date=12 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250112054445/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/f1-race-director-niels-wittich-to-step-down.16N8MAvayeUNcM2mw2pXEv}}</ref>

====Safety car====
{{Main|Safety car#Formula One}}
In the event of an incident that risks the safety of competitors or trackside [[Motorsport marshal|race marshals]], race officials may choose to deploy the [[safety car]]. This in effect suspends the race, with drivers following the safety car around the track at its speed in race order, with no overtaking permitted. Cars that have been lapped may, during the safety car period and depending on circumstances permitted by the race director, be allowed to un-lap themselves in order to ensure a smoother restart and to avoid blue flags being immediately thrown upon the resumption of the race with many of the cars in very close proximity to each other. The safety car circulates until the danger is cleared; after it comes in, the race restarts with a [[rolling start]]. Pit stops under a safety car are permitted, and in many cases can offer a great advantage to teams who are able to pit and change tyres prior to the end of the safety car period.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Coleman |first=Madeline |date=22 March 2023 |title=F1 safety cars explained: How caution laps shaped the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4331763/2023/03/22/f1-safety-cars-explained-saudi-arabian-grand-prix/ |access-date=13 September 2024 |work=[[The Athletic]] |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241127044400/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4331763/2023/03/22/f1-safety-cars-explained-saudi-arabian-grand-prix/ |archive-date=27 November 2024 |quote=But there are benefits to teams, too. During actual safety car periods, teams practice fuel saving and make cheap pit stops. Drivers typically flood the pitlane to capitalize on the reduced time for a better pit stop as they swap for fresh tires. Tires tend to lose grip and temperature during this period, which makes the restart challenging.}}</ref> On the lap in which the safety car returns to the pit lane, the leading car takes over the role of the safety car until the timing line. After crossing this line, drivers are allowed to start racing for track position once more.

[[Mercedes-Benz]] has supplied a variety of its [[Mercedes-AMG|AMG]] models to Formula One to use as the safety car since 1996.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bart-Williams |first=Nadim |date=17 June 2023 |title=Timeline: The 50-year history of the Safety Car's evolution in Formula 1 |url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/timeline-the-50-year-history-of-the-safety-cars-evolution-in-formula-1.3pYd8T6uM4dVWnp1VQ30Vz |access-date=14 September 2024 |website=Formula1.com |language=en |quote=However, that all changed midway through the [[1996 Formula One World Championship|1996 season]], thanks to an agreement that has lasted until this day. Formula 1 and Mercedes joined forces, giving the German manufacturer the responsibility of supplying the Official Safety Car for all races. |url-status=live |archive-date=14 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114131435/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/timeline-the-50-year-history-of-the-safety-cars-evolution-in-formula-1.3pYd8T6uM4dVWnp1VQ30Vz}}</ref> From 2021 onwards, [[Aston Martin]] has supplied the [[Aston Martin Vantage (2018)|Vantage]] to share duties with Mercedes-AMGs.<ref>{{cite web |date=8 March 2021 |title=Check out the new Mercedes and Aston Martin Safety Cars that'll be used in F1 in 2021 |url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.check-out-the-new-mercedes-and-aston-martin-f1-safety-cars-2021.6oPIsF0xEkmJXmwkvrp3Tu.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308170924/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.check-out-the-new-mercedes-and-aston-martin-f1-safety-cars-2021.6oPIsF0xEkmJXmwkvrp3Tu.html |archive-date=8 March 2021 |access-date=12 March 2021 |website=Formula1.com}}</ref>[[File:Formula 1 Safety Car Mercedes-AMG GT R.jpg|thumb|The [[Mercedes-AMG GT R]] safety car at the [[2019 Hungarian Grand Prix]]]]
[[File:Aston Martin Safety Car F1 2022.jpg|alt=An Aston Martin Safety Car during the 2022 Formula One World Championship|thumb|An [[Aston Martin Vantage (2018)#F1 Safety Car|Aston Martin Safety Car]] during the [[2022 Formula One World Championship]]]]
Since 2000, the main safety car driver has been German ex-racing driver [[Bernd Mayländer]].<ref>{{cite news |date=8 March 2000 |title=New safety car driver announced |url=http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/2713/new-safety-car-driver-announced/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529171909/http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/2713/new-safety-car-driver-announced/ |archive-date=29 May 2016 |access-date=30 January 2011 |publisher=GPUpdate.net}}</ref> He is usually joined by FIA technical assistant Richard Darker, who relays information between the safety car and race control.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bradley |first=Charles |date=13 May 2023 |title=Why Bernd Maylander is the safest pair of hands in F1 |url=https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/bernd-maylander-f1-safety-car-interview/10468948/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527143733/https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/bernd-maylander-f1-safety-car-interview/10468948/ |archive-date=27 May 2023 |access-date=13 September 2024 |website=[[Motorsport.com]]}}</ref>

===== Virtual Safety Car =====
{{Main|Safety car#Virtual safety car (VSC)}}
Following an accident at the [[2014 Japanese Grand Prix]], which saw driver [[Jules Bianchi]] suffer a serious head injury that led to his death, the FIA established an "accident panel" to investigate the dynamics of the accident and ways to minimise the risk of a crash during similar circumstances that do not warrant the deployment of a safety car and cannot be simply managed with [[Racing flags#Yellow flag|yellow flags]]. When the virtual safety car is deployed, the virtual marshal panels around the track display "VSC". All drivers receive a "VSC" notice on their steering wheels, and they must all keep their lap times above a pre-determined minimum, also known as keeping a positive delta.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 January 2015 |title=FIA clarifies new virtual safety car procedures |url=https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/headlines/2015/1/FIA-clarifies-new-virtual-safety-car-procedures.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422185038/https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/headlines/2015/1/FIA-clarifies-new-virtual-safety-car-procedures.html |archive-date=22 April 2024 |url-status=live |access-date=14 September 2024 |website=Formula1.com |language=en}}</ref> The system was first implemented during the [[2015 Monaco Grand Prix]], before being upgraded to a full safety car, following a collision between [[Max Verstappen]] and [[Romain Grosjean]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cooper |first=Adam |date=22 May 2023 |orig-date=24 May 2021 |title=When Mercedes "screwed up" Hamilton's race in Monaco |url=https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mercedes-hamilton-monaco-screwed-rosberg/4795991/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021093557/https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mercedes-hamilton-monaco-screwed-rosberg/4795991/ |archive-date=21 October 2021 |access-date=13 September 2024 |website=[[Motorsport.com]] |quote=The reigning champion didn't simply consolidate his lead, he extended it, and by lap 63 he was 19.6s ahead of his teammate. But at Monaco you are always in the hands of the gods, and it was while Hamilton was on his 64th lap that Verstappen collided with Romain Grosjean at Ste Devote, and F1's first ever Virtual Safety Car was called for.}}</ref>

=== Flags ===
{{main|Racing flags}}
Flags specifications and usage are prescribed by Appendix H of the [[FIA]]'s International Sporting Code.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/appendix_h_2021_published_09_03_2021.pdf|title=FIA International Sporting Code: Appendix H|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510213732/https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/appendix_h_2021_published_09_03_2021.pdf|archive-date=10 May 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
!Flag
!Name
!Meaning
|-
! rowspan="3" |[[File:Auto Racing Yellow.svg|50px]]
!SC Board
(Safety Car)
|Shown in conjunction with a yellow flag to indicate that the&nbsp;[[Safety Car]]&nbsp;is on track. Full course yellow flag applies. Drivers must hold position and slow down.
|-
!VSC Board
(Virtual Safety Car)
|Shown in conjunction with a yellow flag to indicate that the [[Safety car#Virtual safety car (VSC)|virtual safety car]] is in use. During this time, the drivers are given minimum sector times that they must stay above. Full course double yellow flag applies. The car's time relative to this set time is measured at each marshalling post (approximately every 50&nbsp;m), and the difference is referred to as the car's "delta" time. This delta time is reported to the driver, and must remain positive throughout the VSC period, or else the driver will be penalised.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jalopnik.com/heres-how-virtual-safety-cars-work-1826237975|title=Here's How Virtual Safety Cars Work in Formula One|last=Westbrook|first=Justin T.|website=Jalopnik|date=22 May 2018|language=en-US|access-date=5 April 2019|archive-date=2 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502064719/https://jalopnik.com/heres-how-virtual-safety-cars-work-1826237975|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
!Yellow
|Indicates a hazard on or near the track (waved yellows indicate a hazard&nbsp;''on the track'', frozen yellows indicate a hazard&nbsp;''near the track''). Double waved yellows inform drivers that they must slow down as marshals are working on or near to the track and drivers should be prepared to stop.
|-
![[File:Auto Racing Green.svg|50px]]
!Green
|Normal racing conditions apply. This is usually shown following a yellow flag to indicate that the hazard has been passed. A green flag is shown at all stations for the lap following the end of a full-course yellow (or safety car). A green flag is also shown at the start of a session.
|-
![[File:Auto Racing Oil.svg|50px]]
!Yellow and red striped
|Slippery track, due to oil, water, or loose debris. Can be seen 'rocked' from side to side (not waved) to indicate a small animal on track.
|-
![[File:Auto Racing Plain Blue.svg|50px]]
!Blue
|A blue flag indicates that the driver in front must let faster cars behind them pass because they are being lapped. If the flag is missed 3 times, the driver could be penalised. Accompanied by the driver's number.
|-
![[File:F1 white flag.svg|50px]]
!White
|Indicates that there is a slow car ahead, either a race car or a course vehicle. Often waved at the end of the pit lane when a car is about to leave the pits.
|-
![[File:F1 black flag with orange circle.svg|50px]]
!Black and orange circle
|Car is damaged or has a mechanical problem, must return to the pit lane immediately. Will be accompanied by driver's number
|-
![[File:F1 black and white diagonal flag.svg|50px]]
!Half black half white
|Warns a driver for poor sportsmanship or dangerous behaviour. Can be followed by a Black flag upon further infringement. Accompanied by the driver's number.
|-
![[File:Auto Racing Black.svg|50px]]
!Black
|Driver is disqualified. Will be accompanied by the driver's number. This can be issued after a Half Black Half White flag.
|-
![[File:F1 red flag.svg|50px]]
!Red
|A red flag immediately halts a race or session when conditions become too dangerous to continue.
|-
![[File:F1 chequered flag.svg|50px]]
!Chequered flag
|End of the practice, qualifying, or racing session.
|}

The format of the race has changed little through [[History of Formula One|Formula One's history]]. The main changes have revolved around what is allowed at pit stops. In the early days of Grand Prix racing, a driver would be allowed to continue a race in their teammate's car should theirs develop a problem – in the modern era, cars are so carefully fitted to drivers that this has become impossible. In recent years, the emphasis has been on changing refuelling and tyre change regulations.

Since the 2010 season, refuelling – which was reintroduced in 1994 – has not been allowed, to encourage less tactical racing following safety concerns. The rule requiring both compounds of tyre to be used during the race was introduced in 2007, again to encourage racing on the track. The safety car is another relatively recent innovation that reduced the need to deploy the red flag, allowing races to be completed on time for a growing international live television audience.

===Points system===
{{Main|List of Formula One World Championship points scoring systems}}

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!1st
!2nd
!3rd
!4th
!5th
!6th
!7th
!8th
!9th
!10th
|-
|style="background-color:#ffffbf"|25
|style="background-color:#dfdfdf"|18
|style="background-color:#ffdf9f"|15
|style="background-color:#dfffdf"|12
|style="background-color:#dfffdf"|10
|style="background-color:#dfffdf"|8
|style="background-color:#dfffdf"|6
|style="background-color:#dfffdf"|4
|style="background-color:#dfffdf"|2
|style="background-color:#dfffdf"|1
|}

Various systems for awarding championship points have been used since 1950. The current system, in place since 2010,{{efn|From 2019 to 2024, an additional point was awarded to the car which set the fastest lap, if that car finished inside the top 10.}} awards the top ten cars points in the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships, with the winner receiving 25 points. All points won at each race are added up, and the driver and constructor with the most points at the end of the season are crowned World Champions. Regardless of whether a driver stays with the same team throughout the season, or switches teams, all points earned by them count for the Drivers' Championship.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sporting regulations: Points|url=http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8681/|website=Formula1.com|access-date=12 January 2015|archive-date=3 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003050849/http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8681/|url-status=live}}</ref>

A driver must be classified in order to receive points, {{As of|2022|lc=y}}, a driver must complete at least 90% of the race distance in order to receive points. Therefore, it is possible for a driver to receive points even if they retired before the end of the race.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sporting regulations: Classification|url=http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8682/|website=Formula1.com|access-date=12 January 2015|archive-date=18 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118032822/http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8682/|url-status=live}}</ref>

From some time between the [[1977 Formula One season|1977]] and [[1980 Formula One season|1980]] seasons to the end of the [[2021 Formula One World Championship|2021 season]] if less than 75% of the race laps were completed by the winner, then only half of the points listed in the table were awarded to the drivers and constructors. This has happened on only five occasions in the history of the championship, and it had a notable influence on the final standing of the {{F1|1984}} season. The last occurrence was at the [[2021 Belgian Grand Prix]] when the race was called off after just three laps behind a safety car because of torrential rain.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Max Verstappen declared winner of aborted rain-hit Belgian Grand Prix|language=en-GB|work=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/58377097|date=29 August 2021|archive-date=29 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829172106/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/58377097|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Cooper |first1=Adam |title=How a 40-year-old rule turned F1 on its head at Spa |url=https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/how-a-40-year-old-rule-turned-f1-on-its-head-at-spa/6658250/ |website=Autosport.com |date=1 September 2021 |publisher=Motorsport Network |access-date=1 September 2021 |archive-date=15 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220215115134/https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/how-a-40-year-old-rule-turned-f1-on-its-head-at-spa/6658250/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The half points rule was replaced by a distance-dependent gradual scale system for [[2022 Formula One World Championship|2022]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=15 March 2022 |title=2022 Formula One sporting regulations |url=https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/2022_formula_1_sporting_regulations_-_iss_5_-_2022-03-15.pdf |access-date=18 March 2022 |website=[[FIA]] |pages=4–5 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316112413/https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/2022_formula_1_sporting_regulations_-_iss_5_-_2022-03-15.pdf |archive-date=16 March 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>