Formula 1 is a constructor and driver world championship that runs across a season of Grand Prix races, typically held from March to December. In 2025, the calendar comprises 24 race weekends, held across five continents, at circuits ranging from the narrow streets of Monaco to the sweeping desert expanses of Bahrain and the high-altitude challenge of Mexico City. Each race weekend follows a carefully structured format designed to build drama over three days.
The modern technical regulations are extraordinarily complex. Cars must conform to strict rules on dimensions, minimum weight (currently 798 kg including the driver), aerodynamic surfaces, fuel flow rates, and engine specifications. Since 2014, Formula 1 has used a hybrid power unit — officially called the Power Unit — consisting of a 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 internal combustion engine combined with two energy recovery systems: the MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit–Kinetic, recovering energy under braking) and the MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit–Heat, harvesting energy from the turbocharger's exhaust gases). The combined output of these systems exceeds 1,000 horsepower, yet the cars weigh less than 800 kg and can complete a lap of the Monza circuit — the fastest on the calendar — in under 1 minute 20 seconds at average speeds exceeding 260 km/h.
