Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of
open-wheeledauto racing series managed by the
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body.[1] The "formula" in the name alludes to a series of FIA rules to which all participants and vehicles are required to conform.[1][2] The
Formula One World Championship season consists of a series of races around the world, known as Grands Prix, usually held on purpose-built
circuits, and in a few cases on
closed city streets.[3] Each Grand Prix meeting lasts three days with either one or three practice sessions before a three-part qualifying session on Saturday to set the starting order for Sunday's race. A Saturday sprint is held at select events, with the starting grid determined by a separate, shorter qualifying session held on Friday.[4][5] Grands Prix are frequently named after the country, region or city in which they are raced,[6] and in some seasons, nations have hosted more than one event.[7] Should Formula One hold two or more races in the same nation in the same year, on either a different or the same track, then their names will be different.[8] The results of each Grand Prix held throughout the season are combined to decide two annual championships,
one for drivers and
one for constructors.[9]
Grand Prix distance regulations have varied throughout Formula One history.[10][11] Between
1950 and
1957, events ran for more than 300 km (190 mi) or three hours.[11] In
1958, race lengths were set between 300 and 500 km (190 and 310 mi) or two hours.[12] It was reduced to between 300 and 400 km (190 and 250 mi) from
1966 with an established maximum length of 321.87 km (200.00 mi) in
1971. From
1973 to
1980, races had to last either 321.87 km (200.00 mi) or two hours, whichever came first. Distances of between 250 and 320 km (160 and 200 mi) or two hours were used from
1981 to
1984. The minimum distance was revised to 300 km (190 mi) including the
formation lap in 1984 and the maximum length was standardised at 305 km (190 mi) in
1989.[a][10] The exception to the rule is the
Monaco Grand Prix, which has a scheduled length of at least 260 km (160 mi). No race can last more than two hours if it goes unhalted.[14] From
2012, the maximum permitted race time including probable stoppages was four hours,[14] before being reduced to three hours for
2021.[15]
The
British Grand Prix and
Italian Grand Prix are the most frequently held events in the Formula One World Championship with 74 editions each since the races first formed a part of the series in 1950, followed by the Monaco Grand Prix which has been held 70 times, all on the same course, the
Circuit de Monaco. Italy's
Monza Circuit has hosted the most Grands Prix on any circuit with 73. The Circuit de Monaco is second with 70 events and the
Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom is third with 58 races.[16][17] Austria, Bahrain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States have all held two Grands Prix in various seasons;[18] the United States (
1982 and
2023) and Italy (
2020) are the only countries to have hosted three races during a season.[19] Italy has held the most Grands Prix with 105 since its first in 1950. Only Morocco has staged just one Grand Prix. The most recent addition was the
Las Vegas Grand Prix in
2023.[20]
Locations of the countries that have hosted a Grand Prix. Nations on a current schedule are highlighted in green, with circuit locations marked in black. Former host nations are shown in dark grey. Former host circuits are marked with a white dot. De facto status of territories is shown.
This map shows the number of Formula One World Championship races hosted by country. Colours ranging from airy green to black denote the number of Grands Prix a country has hosted. De facto status of territories is shown.
There have been 34 countries that have hosted a Formula One World Championship race, as of the
2024 Austrian Grand Prix.[20]
^The primary reason for the reduction of Grand Prix distance throughout the history of Formula One was to accommodate television preferring shorter races with more on-track activity.[13]
^The 1999 Argentine Grand Prix was on the provisional
1999 schedule, but it was cancelled as a consequence of the failure to reach a financial agreement.[27]
^The Indianapolis 500 was not a "Grand Prix", but it was included as a round of the World Championship from 1950 to 1960.[22] The race was held in the
United States.[30]
^As a result of a loss of local interest due to the deaths of
Gunnar Nilsson and
Ronnie Peterson in 1978, the 1979 Swedish Grand Prix was cancelled.[45] Since then, no Formula One Grand Prix has been held in
Sweden.[46]
^Diepraam, Mattijs; Muelas, Felix (Christmas 2000).
"The one that didn't count". 8W.
Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2020.