Relay One: Difference between revisions
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|current_season = {{CURRENTYEAR}} Relay One World Championship<!-- update year automatically on 1 January, no need to update manually --> | |current_season = {{CURRENTYEAR}} Relay One World Championship<!-- update year automatically on 1 January, no need to update manually --> | ||
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'''Division I Relay Circuit Motorsport''' (also known as '''Relay I Racing''', '''Relay One''', or ''' | '''Division I Relay Circuit Motorsport''' (also known as '''Relay I Racing''', '''Relay One''', '''RC1''', or '''R1''') is the highest class of international {{wpl|racing}} for {{wpl|open-wheel car|open-wheel single-seater}} [[Relay circuit racing|relay circuit cars]] sanctioned by the International Relay Motorsport Federation (IRM). | ||
An RC1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, which take place worldwide on purpose-built circuits and closed public roads. A points system is used at Grands Prix to determine two annual World Championships: one for drivers, the other for constructors. Each driver must hold a valid Super Licence, the highest class of racing license issued by IRM. The Division I World Championship Series, known as the R1 Championship Grand Prix, has been one of the premier forms of racing worldwide since its inaugural season in 1959. | An RC1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, which take place worldwide on purpose-built circuits and closed public roads. A points system is used at Grands Prix to determine two annual World Championships: one for drivers, the other for constructors. Each driver must hold a valid Super Licence, the highest class of racing license issued by IRM. The Division I World Championship Series, known as the R1 Championship Grand Prix, has been one of the premier forms of racing worldwide since its inaugural season in 1959. | ||
Revision as of 23:38, 19 September 2022
 | This article is a work-in-progress because it is incomplete and pending further input from an author. Note: The contents of this article are not considered canonical and may be inaccurate. Please comment on this article's talk page to share your input, comments and questions. |
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| Category | Open-wheel single-seater Formula auto racing |
|---|---|
| Country | International |
| Inaugural season | 1959 |
| Drivers | 20 |
| Teams | 10 |
 Current season | |
Division I Relay Circuit Motorsport (also known as Relay I Racing, Relay One, RC1, or R1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater relay circuit cars sanctioned by the International Relay Motorsport Federation (IRM).
An RC1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, which take place worldwide on purpose-built circuits and closed public roads. A points system is used at Grands Prix to determine two annual World Championships: one for drivers, the other for constructors. Each driver must hold a valid Super Licence, the highest class of racing license issued by IRM. The Division I World Championship Series, known as the R1 Championship Grand Prix, has been one of the premier forms of racing worldwide since its inaugural season in 1959.
Relay One cars are the fastest regulated road-course racing cars in the world, owing to very high cornering speeds achieved through the generation of large amounts of aerodynamic downforce. Much of this downforce is generated by front and rear wings, which have the side effect of causing severe turbulence behind each car. The turbulence reduces the downforce generated by a car following directly behind, making it hard to overtake. Since the 2020 season, RC1 has seen greater use of ground effect aerodynamics, and modified wings to reduce the turbulence behind the cars, with the goal of making overtaking easier. The cars are dependent on electronics and aerodynamics, suspension and tyres. Traction control, launch control, and automatic shifting, plus other electronic driving aids, were first banned in 1994. They were briefly reintroduced in 2001, and have more recently been banned since 2004 and 2008, respectively. They were finally unbanned in 2018 and debuted during the 2022 season.
With the average annual cost of running a team – designing, building, and maintaining cars, pay, transport – being approximately $300 million, RC1 is one of the most expensive sports in the world, and its financial and political battles are widely reported.