Grand Prix Basics: Formula 1 in Ten Minutes
What a Grand Prix is, who races, and how a world champion is decided.
A Grand Prix (French for "great prize") is a single race in a championship. In Formula 1, the FIA Formula One World Championship is a season of Grands Prix held on circuits and street tracks around the world.
Two championships at once
Every race counts toward two titles. The Drivers' Championship crowns the individual with the most points. The Constructors' Championship rewards the team, adding together the points scored by both of its cars.
Teams and drivers
Each team builds its own chassis and enters two cars. Some teams also build their own engines (called power units); others buy them from a manufacturer.
The race weekend
A Grand Prix weekend usually includes practice sessions, a qualifying session that sets the starting order, and the race itself on Sunday. Some weekends add a shorter Sprint race. See our guide to how a race weekend works.
Points
Points go to the top finishers in each race. The current points table is published in the FIA Sporting Regulations, and it has changed several times in the sport's history, so always check the regulations for the season you are reading about.
Why it matters to Africa
South Africa hosted World Championship rounds between 1962 and 1993, and Jody Scheckter of South Africa won the title in 1979. Read our South African Grand Prix history to learn more.
