Formula One, abbreviated to F1, is the highest class of open-wheeled auto racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body.
The F1 World Championship season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, held usually on purpose-built circuits, and in a few cases on closed city streets.
[2] The results of each race are combined to determine two annual World Championships, one for drivers and one for constructors.
Ferrari hold the record for the most Grand Prix victories, having won 248 times.
[3] Nine countries have produced winning constructors; apart from the six countries which are regarded as the major competitors (France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States), Canada (Wolf), Ireland (Jordan), and Austria (Red Bull) have constructors that have won races despite not having a large automotive industry, with all three teams being based in the UK.