Grand Prix explained

Like any sport, there's always those of us who get bogged down with the rules. And we're usually the ones who start switching off five minutes into the competition when we don't really understand what's happening. But when it comes to Grand Prix, all that is about to change. Thanks to the F1 expertise of Susan Dominey, we've produced a low-down on Grand Prix racing to give you a little insight into how the competition works. So once you're all clued up, you'll enjoy that weekend in Barcelona even more...

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Grand Prix low-down

Formula One (or F1) Grand Prix racing was named due to the rules - or the 'formula' - that all cars and participants have to meet. F1 racing is, like football, culminated into seasons, and each season consists of a series of races. This is known as Grand Prix. Grand Prix racing usually takes place on purpose-built tracks - known as 'circuits' - but sometimes races are held on actual city streets which have been closed for the race. Circuits differ in design and difficulty, and are usually more exciting to watch the more difficult they are to complete. With cars often racing at speeds in excess of 200mph, in order to maintain a degree of safety the formula introduced several restrictions that cars must meet, and the rules have evolved over the years as technology becomes more sophisticated and performance increases.

Points are awarded to the first 8 finishers of each race. However there are two championships in Formula 1 - the Driver's Championship and the Constructor's Championship, and at the end of the season the driver with the most points becomes World Champion, and the team with the most points from their two drivers wins the Constructor's Championships.

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Practice sessions and Qualifying

A Formula 1 weekend is split into Practice sessions and Qualifying sessions, followed up by the all-important race on Sunday.

The Practice... This takes place on the Friday and Saturday, and involves two 1.5 hour practice sessions on a Friday (or Thursday at Monaco) and then a 1 hour practice session on the Saturday morning.

Qualifying... This takes place on the Saturday. There are 3 sessions - one of 20 minutes, one of 15 minutes and then the final 10 minute session. During each of these the cars complete full laps of the circuits, with the aim of completing a lap as fast as they can in order to be positioned as high up the starting grid as possible. At the end of the first and second sessions, the six slowest cars are removed from qualifying.

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Starting the Race

Sundays are race days in Formula 1. The previous day's qualifying session will determine which cars are placed in which position on the grid. The higher the position, the better the chance of getting a good start. At the start of the race the cars move out onto the grid and take up their relevant position. Drivers must bring their cars to the grid in a 15-minute window that opens 30 minutes before the 'formation' lap (see below for explanation). Then the team engineers will have time to complete last-minute checks on their cars. 1 minute before the formation lap is due to start, all cars must have their engines running and all non-drivers must have left the grid.

The formation lap is performed just before the race starts. This is also known as a 'parade' lap and gives drivers a chance to warm up their cars for the race itself. This lap is not classed as part of the race and drivers are not allowed to overtake each other. At the end of the formation lap, drivers once agan take their positions for the start of the race.

The signal to start is 5 red lights - these will be switched on one at a time, and then when they are all switched off at once, the race begins.

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During and After the Race

Each race lasts a specific number of laps. Throughout the race, different coloured flags are waved by track-side marshals to communicate with drivers. Reasons for waving the flags may include obstacles or issues with the track, such as oil spills or an accident. Drivers also have a radio which they can use to communicate with their team.

As the race progresses, drivers will need to have scheduled stops in the pit lane. Whenever the driver pulls in for a 'pit stop', the team work frantically to complete the necessary checks in as short a time as possible. Pit stops include a change of tyres, adding more fuel, and checking the car over for any problems. If problems are found, they can be fixed during the pit stop.

A Formula 1 car engine must be used for two consecutive races. However if this isn't possible and the engine needs to be changed, the driver will be demoted 10 places down the grid from the position at which the driver qualified (the first engine failure of the season is free though, and incurs no penalty). Similarly, the gear box must last at least 4 consecutive races. If this requires replacing then the penalty is 5 places down the starting grid.

At the end of each race, the car and driver are weighed. They must be over a minimum race weight in order to have legally completed the race.

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