Formula 1 (or Formula One) is called that because “formula” means the set of technical rules every car must follow, and “1” means the top category of single-seaters, above Formula 2 and Formula 3. The name dates from 1946, when the FIA’s International Sporting Commission defined the categories that took effect in 1947; the World Championship began in 1950.

Updated October 2026.

On 13 May 1950 at Silverstone Nino Farina wins in an Alfa Romeo the first Grand Prix counting for the Formula 1 World Championship, ahead of Luigi Fagioli and Reg Parnell: three Alfa Romeos on the podium. The name Formula 1 already existed from 1946-47, and it tells an idea of sport (the same rules for everyone, interpreted better than the rivals) before it tells a race. Here you will find where it comes from, what “formula” means today, and why that “1” does not mean what it seems.

What “formula” means

“Formula” is the set of technical rules every car in the championship must follow: engine capacity or type, minimum weight, dimensions, safety, aerodynamics. The FIA sets them, and a car that does not comply cannot race. That is why a team’s job is to interpret the rules better than the others, not to write its own.

The rules change, and so does the formula. A new regulation came into force in 2026: the electric part of the power unit goes from 120 to 350 kW, the cars run on fully sustainable fuels, they have movable wings (active aerodynamics) and a minimum weight of 768 kg. It was presented by the FIA and Formula 1 with the rules package for 2026; the name, meanwhile, has stayed the same.

Where the “1” comes from

The “1” does not mean the first formula ever created: it means the top category, above Formula 2, Formula 3 and Formula 4. The story is this. In 1946 the International Sporting Commission (CSI) of the FIA defined the new premier category of single-seaters, valid from 1947: pre-war 4.5-litre unsupercharged Grand Prix cars were allowed, together with 1.5-litre supercharged “voiturettes”, while 3-litre supercharged cars were banned. At first the name was not fixed: the top category was called Formula A, Formula I or Formula 1 interchangeably, and the lower one Formula B, Formula II or Formula 2. When in 1950 the 500 cc formula was recognised internationally as Formula 3, nobody called it “Formula C”: the three international formulae officially became Formula 1, 2 and 3.

The first World Championship and the teams that made it

The 1950 season is the first of the World Drivers’ Championship: Farina wins it in an Alfa Romeo with three victories in seven races. In 1952 Alberto Ascari becomes Ferrari’s first world champion. At the end of the Fifties the wind changes. Jack Brabham, an Australian, wins the title in 1959 and 1960 with Cooper, the first rear-engined single-seater to win a World Championship. Colin Chapman’s Lotus will win seven constructors’ titles (1963, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973 and 1978), while on today’s grid there are Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull; who is there in 2026 you can find in the guide to the Formula 1 teams of 2026.

The ladder below F1

Formula 1 is the top level of a ladder of championships that starts from karting and passes through Formula 4, Formula 3 and Formula 2. The latter has an inherited name: until 2016 it was called GP2, and from 2017 the FIA renamed it Formula 2. IndyCar and Super Formula are instead independent single-seater championships, not steps on the ladder to F1.

From safety to sustainability

Safety is one of the reasons the rules have changed the most: after Ayrton Senna’s death at Imola on 1 May 1994 the regulations were revised, starting with the Tamburello chicane and the rules introduced for 1995. On the environmental side, since 2014 the power units have been hybrid (1.6-litre turbo V6 with energy recovery), from 2026 the fuel must be fully sustainable, and Formula 1 has set itself a target of net zero emissions by 2030: according to the latest impact report it has already cut its carbon footprint by 35%.

Why the formula matters for sponsors too

For a sponsor the formula is also a framework: the regulations define the field, and a brand’s visibility depends on how it is activated within that field. Since 2019 the Netflix series Drive to Survive has brought a new audience to F1. If you are considering getting in, the guide to the cost of Formula 1 sponsorship shows the budget thresholds, while the analysis of the sponsors of the 2026 teams tells you who is there today and what has changed; the points that hold the championship together are explained in how the Formula 1 points system works.

Sources: Wikipedia, History of Formula One; Yahoo Sports, why it is called Formula 1; Motor1, the name explained; Motor Sport Magazine, the 1950 British Grand Prix; Formula 1, the first Grand Prix; Ferrari, the first drivers’ title; Formula 1, Giuseppe Farina; Wikipedia, Team Lotus; PlanetF1, GP2 becomes Formula 2; Formula 1, the 2026 regulations; Crash.net, the 2026 changes; Formula 1, the net zero 2030 target.