The concept dates back to the aftermath of the Second World War. On June 24, 1946, the sport’s governing body, then called the AIACR (Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus), held a meeting in Paris that produced two significant outcomes. First, the organisation renamed itself the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, the FIA that still governs motorsport today. Second, its sporting commission, the CSI (Commission Sportive Internationale), approved a new set of regulations for international single-seater racing, effective from January 1, 1947.

From Formula A To Formula 1

The new regulations were not immediately called “Formula 1.” The top class was referred to interchangeably as Formula A, Formula I, or Formula 1 in the late 1940s, while the smaller voiturette category was known as Formula B, Formula II, or Formula 2. The naming only became standardised in 1950, when the FIA formally recognised a third category for 500cc cars as Formula 3. Since this third tier was never called “Formula C,” the numerical naming convention stuck across all three classes.

The technical regulations themselves drew on pre-war racing categories. Before the war, the voiturette class had used 1.5-litre supercharged engines, while the top Grand Prix class ran 3.0-litre supercharged cars. The new Formula 1 rules combined elements of both: 1.5-litre supercharged or 4.5-litre naturally aspirated engines were permitted, but the old 3.0-litre supercharged Grand Prix cars were banned entirely. This gave manufacturers like Alfa Romeo two distinct paths to competition, and several teams ran pre-war voiturette machinery under the new regulations.

The first race run under these rules took place before they officially came into effect. The 1946 Turin Grand Prix on September 1, 1946, anticipated the incoming regulations, and Achille Varzi won in an Alfa Romeo 158 Alfetta after teammate Jean-Pierre Wimille ceded position on the final lap under team orders.

The First World Championship

Formula 1 races ran as standalone Grands Prix for three years before the FIA introduced a World Championship in 1950. The inaugural round was the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on May 13, 1950, with the Royal Family in attendance. King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, and Princess Margaret watched Giuseppe “Nino” Farina win in an Alfa Romeo 158, and Farina went on to claim that first World Drivers’ Championship at the end of the season, ahead of teammate Juan Manuel Fangio.

That 1950 season had just seven rounds, six in Europe and one at the Indianapolis 500, which was included by regulation but rarely attracted European entrants. The championship has grown considerably since then. The 2026 season features 22 rounds across five continents, with 11 teams and 22 drivers competing under the most significant regulation change the sport has seen in decades.

How The Formula Has Changed

The regulations that define Formula 1 have been rewritten repeatedly across the sport’s history. Engine sizes have ranged from 1.5 litres to 4.5 litres and back again. Turbocharging was introduced in the late 1970s, banned in 1989, and reintroduced as part of the current hybrid power units in 2014. Ground effect aerodynamics were pioneered by Lotus in 1977, banned after safety concerns in 1983, and brought back as the foundation of the 2022 regulations to improve wheel-to-wheel racing.

Each regulatory cycle reshapes the competitive order. When the hybrid era began in 2014, Mercedes dominated for eight consecutive constructors’ championships. The 2022 ground effect regulations allowed Red Bull to overtake them, with Max Verstappen winning four consecutive drivers’ titles from 2021 to 2024. McLaren then won the 2024 and 2025 constructors’ titles as the competitive balance shifted again.

The 2026 regulations represent another complete reset. The new power units split output roughly 50/50 between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor, with the MGU-K output rising from 120 kW to 350 kW. DRS is gone, replaced by active aerodynamic elements on both front and rear wings that adjust between two positions for cornering and straight-line running. Cars will be smaller and lighter. All fuel must be 100% sustainable. The budget cap rises to $215 million, and a new eleventh team, Cadillac, joins the grid using Ferrari power units.

The formula changes, but the principle behind the name stays the same: a defined set of rules, and the number 1 to mark it as the highest level of the sport.

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