It is also really useful to know what the warning flag colors mean when you see them waved at the side of the track, and how the current crop of racers compare to some of the most successful competitors of the past.
2024 Formula One World Championship calendar
You can never plan too early to go to a Formula One event, as races can get sold out many months in advance. Here is the provisional calendar for the 2024 F1 season:
| Date | Grand Prix | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| February 29 – March 2 | Bahrain | Sakhir |
| March 7-9 | Saudi Arabia | Jeddah |
| March 22-24 | Australia | Melbourne |
| April 5-7 | Japan | Suzuka |
| April 19-21 | China | Shanghai |
| May 3-5 | Miami | Miami |
| May 17-19 | Emilia Romagna | Imola |
| May 24-26 | Monaco | Monaco |
| June 7-9 | Canada | Montreal |
| June 21-23 | Spain | Barcelona |
| June 28-30 | Austria | Spielberg |
| July 5-7 | United Kingdom | Silverstone |
| July 19-21 | Hungary | Budapest |
| July 26-28 | Belgium | Spa |
| August 23-25 | Netherlands | Zandvoort |
| August 30 – September 1 | Italy | Monza |
| September 13-15 | Azerbaijan | Baku |
| September 20-22 | Singapore | Singapore |
| October 18-20 | USA | Austin |
| October 25-27 | Mexico | Mexico City |
| November 1-3 | Brazil | Sao Paulo |
| November 21-23 | Las Vegas | Las Vegas |
| November 29 – December 1 | Qatar | Lusail |
| December 6-8 | Abu Dhabi | Yas Marina |
Formula One teams and drivers
Following, is the list of teams and drivers who raced in Formula One in the 2023 season.
| Team | Drivers |
| Red Bull | Max Verstappen / Sergio Perez |
| Ferrari | Charles Leclerc / Carlos Sainz |
| Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton / George Russell |
| Alpine | Esteban Ocon / Pierre Gasly |
| McLaren | Lando Norris / Oscar Piastri |
| Aston Martin | Fernando Alonso / Lance Stroll |
| Alfa Romeo | Valtteri Bottas / Guanyu Zhou |
| Alpha Tauri | Yuki Tsunoda / Daniel Ricciardo |
| Haas | Kevin Magnussen / Nico Hülkenberg |
| Williams | Alex Albon / Logan Sargeant |
Drivers' race numbers
Formula One’s rules require drivers to pick a race number that stays with them for their career. The only time they can change it is if they become world champion, when they can switch to the number 1 for the following campaign. Here is a list of the race numbers being used in 2023:
| Race Number | Driver |
| 1 | Max Verstappen |
| 2 | Logan Sargeant |
| 3 | Daniel Ricciardo |
| 4 | Lando Norris |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly |
| 11 | Sergio Perez |
| 14 | Fernando Alonso |
| 16 | Charles Leclerc |
| 18 | Lance Stroll |
| 20 | Kevin Magnussen |
| 22 | Yuki Tsunoda |
| 23 | Alex Albon |
| 24 | Zhou Guanyu |
| 27 | Nico Hulkenberg |
| 31 | Esteban Ocon |
| 44 | Lewis Hamilton |
| 55 | Carlos Sainz |
| 63 | George Russell |
| 77 | Valtteri Bottas |
| 81 | Oscar Piastri |
Meaning of the flags
During a Formula One race, you will see trackside marshals waving flags at various cars. Each flag has a particular message. Here is a summary of the most common flags:
| Flag | Meaning |
| Yellow | Warning, danger ahead. No overtaking |
| Waved yellow | Extreme caution, be prepared to stop |
| Blue | A faster car is closing in on you |
| White | A slow-moving vehicle — maybe a course car, maybe a troubled car — is on the track |
| Black | Go immediately to the pits |
| Red | The race or the session has been stopped |
| Yellow flag with red stripes | Slippery track surface warning |
| Checkered flag | End of the race or practice session |
A few Formula One records
They always say that records are there to be broken, and for Formula One, some previous feats that many thought unachievable have been smashed. Here is a look at some notable records.
The Most Championships Won
| Position | Driver | Number of Championships | Years |
| 1 | Michael Schumacher | 7 | 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 |
| Lewis Hamilton | 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 | ||
| 3 | Juan Manuel Fangio | 5 | 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957 |
| 4 | Alain Prost | 4 | 1985, 1986, 1989, 1993 |
| Sebastian Vettel | 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 | ||
| 6 | Jack Brabham | 3 | 1959, 1960, 1966 |
| Jackie Stewart | 1969, 1971, 1973 | ||
| Niki Lauda | 1975, 1977, 1984 | ||
| Nelson Piquet | 1981, 1983, 1987 | ||
| Ayrton Senna | 1988, 1990, 1991 | ||
| Max Verstappen | 2021, 2022, 2023* |
* Leading world championship at time of publication
The Most Formula One Race Victories
| Position | Driver | Number of Victories |
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | 103* |
| 2 | Michael Schumacher | 91 |
| 3 | Sebastian Vettel | 53 |
| 4 | Alain Prost | 51 |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | 45* |
* Correct at time of publication
The Youngest Winners
| Position | Driver | Age | Race Won |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | 18 years, 228 days | 2016 Spanish Grand Prix |
| 2 | Sebastian Vettel | 21 years, 73 days | 2008 Italian Grand Prix |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | 21 years, 320 days | 2019 Belgian Grand Prix |
| 4 | Fernando Alonso | 22 years, 26 days | 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix |
| 5 | Troy Ruttman | 22 years, 80 days | 1952 Indianapolis 500 |
The Oldest Winners
| Position | Driver | Age | Race |
| 1 | Luigi Fagioli | 53 years, 22 days | 1951 French Grand Prix |
| 2 | Giuseppe Farina | 46 years, 276 days | 1953 German Grand Prix |
| 3 | Juan Manuel Fangio | 46 years, 41 days | 1957 German Grand Prix |
| 4 | Piero Taruffi | 45 years, 219 days | 1952 Swiss Grand Prix |
| 5 | Jack Brabham | 43 years, 339 days | 1970 South African Grand Prix |
The Most Pole Positions
| Position | Driver | Number of Pole Positions |
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | 104* |
| 2 | Michael Schumacher | 68 |
| 3 | Ayrton Senna | 65 |
| 4 | Sebastian Vettel | 57 |
| 5 | Jim Clark | 33 |
| Alain Prost | 33 |
* Correct at time of publication