Single Seater Racing

Single seater racing is also referred to as formula racing and to several different kinds of open wheeled vehicles with a single seat for the driver. The best known of these races are the Formula One, Formula Two and Formula Three. The cars are specifically designed for racing at high speeds. The wheels are not covered and it is common for the cars to have wings attached to the front and the rear to help improve track adhesion.

The Formula One race is the number one racing event with about 18 different races featuring world manufacturers and professional drivers. Each year the manufacturers, such as Ferrari, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Renault, Toyota and others gear up to show off their technological advancements and the skill of the drivers. It is the top watched and the most expensive sport in the world with spectators travelling to different countries and millions more tuning on their television sets to watch the races.

Some of the international series of single seater races include the A1 Grand Prix, GP2, Formula Nisson in Asia, Formula Renault 3.5 and the Formula Atlantic. Smaller race categories for single seater cars use low-cast vehicles on smaller tracks. Most of the drivers start their careers in Kart racing and there are student competitions at universities.

The Ford Motor Company was the first company to develop a single seater formula with the launch of Formula Ford in the UK in 1967. The cars currently used in this race are equipped with 1.6 litre Duratec engines. Renault followed with the launch of Formula Renault in France in 1971 and has since expanded to races in the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Brazil. The company also holds a European championship. BMW started the Formula BMW in 2000 with four championship races held in the United Kingdom, Germany, the US and East Asia.

Many countries of the world have a feeder formula different from the career ladder of European racing. The drivers compete in several series of races to win the title that will allow them to advance to the world championships.