How Formula 1 works

The rules, the jargon and the way a race weekend runs, explained in plain English. Search for anything, or start with one of the sections below.

The basics

What Formula 1 is, who runs it, and how a season and a race weekend fit together.

How the starting order is decided, and what can move a driver up or down it.

From the formation lap to the chequered flag: starts, pit stops, safety cars, red flags and the rules of racing.

What each flag and light means, and what drivers have to do when they see it.

The shorter Saturday race and how its weekend schedule differs.

How points are scored, how the two titles are won and how ties are broken.

Compounds, allocations, wet-weather tyres and the rules that shape tyre strategy.

How a modern F1 car works under the 2026 regulations: power unit, aerodynamics, fuel, weight and safety.

Who judges incidents, what punishments they can hand out, and how teams can challenge them.

The thinking behind pit calls, team orders, tyre management and overtaking.

The cost cap, testing limits, driver contracts, licences and how the money works.

Race control, marshals, the medical team and the people who keep a race running safely.

Short definitions of the words and abbreviations you'll hear during a broadcast.