Even though the main focus of Formula 1 is on the drivers, it’s still very much a team sport. There is a team that builds the cars that take the drivers to victory, and this is an incredibly important part of Formula 1. These teams are called constructors in F1.
Constructors in F1 are the teams involved in the World Championship. The teams battle it out for the World Constructors’ Championship and earn points from their drivers throughout the entire season. The constructors are given prize money based on their finishing position at the end of the season.
Teams are responsible for building their own cars, which is why the Constructors’ Championship is so important. Teams need to build a car that is fast enough to score points, but they also need to ensure that their drivers are up to the task. Let’s dive deeper into constructors and their roles in F1.
What Is A Constructor In F1?
A constructor is another name for a team in Formula 1. The sport is made up of 10 different constructors that fight it out against one another for the World Constructors’ Championship. The team with the most points at the end of the season will be crowned champions.
Teams are responsible for developing their own cars. Their cars must be entirely unique, and they are not allowed to copy other teams’ designs. However, some teams do buy engines from other constructors. These are known as customer teams, and despite the connection, they are still separate from the manufacturers that they buy their engines from, which are called works teams.
Each constructor has their own headquarters somewhere around the world, but the majority of them are located in the UK. The constructors are responsible for employing their own crew members, drivers, and engineers. They will also have their own team principals.
This unique element makes the sport more exciting, as there are 10 different teams fighting against one another. Each team has their rival that they aim to beat in the Constructors’ Championship. Even if they are not fighting for the title, their rivalry is important because of the prize money involved.
Constructors In The 2022 F1 Season
The 10 constructors in the 2022 F1 season are:
- Mercedes
- Red Bull
- Ferrari
- McLaren
- Alpine
- AlphaTauri
- Aston Martin
- Williams
- Alfa Romeo
- Haas
There are 10 constructors in the 2022 Formula 1 season, four of which build their own engines. The other six constructors who are customer teams. The customer teams are the constructors who buy their engines from another team rather than building their own. The engine suppliers must provide support for these teams in the form of engineers for maintenance and repairs.
The teams who supply their own engines are Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, and Alpine. The rest of the grid are customer teams who buy their engines from other suppliers. However, there is no link between these teams other than the fact that a rival team supplies their engines.
Each team is an entity on its own, with its own team principal and staff. However, there is a link between Red Bull and Alpha Tauri, as the latter serves as a sort of “junior team” for Red Bull Racing. Other teams have a similar setup, with Mercedes using Williams and Ferrari using Haas and Alfa Romeo.
Despite these links, the teams are unique, and the “senior” team has no other say in what happens in the “junior” team. This means that they are not allowed to share designs or upgrades in any way, and they have separate headquarters and staff.
How Often Do New Constructors Join F1?
New constructors don’t join F1 very often. Formula 1 is an extremely expensive sport for a team, especially when you consider the fact that the teams need to be able to build their own cars and employ thousands of highly paid staff members. They must also pay F1 $200 million to join.
On top of that, there’s the costs involved in hiring drivers and moving between races all around the world. However, the constructors do change from time to time, and if you look back just 10 years, you’ll see an entirely different grid. The same thing will happen when we look back 10 years from now.
The main changes that we see are other companies buying existing teams. For example, Alfa Romeo bought Sauber, which means that the entire brand of the constructor has changed, but their factory, headquarters, and staff remain the same.
Entering as a brand new constructor is simply too expensive for many because the team would need to start from scratch to build their own factory and headquarters. On top of that, they will also need to hire staff and drivers, and design and build a new car with no prior knowledge, and pay the $200 million joining fee.
Evolution Of Constructors
We do sometimes see constructors changing their skin though. Much like Sauber, many constructors in the past have shed their skin to become something else, even if temporarily. We saw Renault turning into Lotus in the early 2010s for example, and turning back into Renault in the late 2010s, before becoming Alpine in 2021.
Constructors might also change their names and their liveries based on their sponsorships. For example, Red Bull tends to change their team name to incorporate their title sponsor in their team name. Over the years, we have seen Red Bull Renault, Infiniti Red Bull Racing, and more recently, Oracle Red Bull Racing.
Even though this might make the constructors look and sound different, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are different in any way other than their name. Sometimes, the base team is still the same underneath the new skin, which would not necessarily make the constructor any different to what it was before.
How Do Constructors Earn Points In F1?
Constructors earn points in F1 from both of their drivers. The points are added up and the total is the team’s total points for the championship. For example, if the drivers finish first and 10th, the team will be awarded 26 points, with 25 of those points coming from the driver who won the race.
Constructors need to score points in order to compete for the World Constructors’ Championship in Formula 1. The team with the most points at the end of the season will be crowned the winning team in Formula 1, and it’s not always the same team that the winning driver is driving for.
Drivers will score points for their team throughout the season, and all points scored by the drivers will count towards the team’s total tally. This means that points earned through fastest laps and from Sprint races also count in the Constructors’ Championship.
This is why teams will always prefer drivers to play it safe when it comes to racing in risky conditions, especially when both cars are within close proximity of each other. It’s not just the driver that could lose their points, but also the teams.
Can Constructors Lose Points?
There are some scenarios where Formula 1 constructors have lost points in the championship standings. This is extremely rare, but it does happen in some extreme circumstances where teams are caught cheating.
If a team has been found to breach the rules set out by the FIA, such as copying another team’s car design for example, the FIA has the right to deduct points from the F1 team in the Constructors’ Championship. This is a bigger punishment than a monetary fine as the reward money for finishing higher in the standings is important to teams.
We have even seen constructors being disqualified from the World Constructors’ Championship in the past. In 2007, there was a scandal involving McLaren and Ferrari, and in the end, McLaren were found guilty of spying and were stripped of all of their World Championship points.
However, despite their team being disqualified from the 2007 season, the drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton were still awarded any points that they earned throughout the course of the season, as they were said to have had no involvement in the controversy.
The F1 Constructors’ Championship Explained
The Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship was first introduced in 1958, eight years after the Formula 1 World Championship began. For the first time in the sport’s history, points would be awarded to the teams as well as the drivers, and the winning team would earn the title of Formula 1 World Champions.
The very first Constructors’ Championship was awarded to Vanwall with drivers Sterling Moss and Tony Brooks at the wheel. With six wins and nine podiums to their name, they ended the 1958 season on a grand total of 48 points, clinching the championship in the 10th race out of 11.
Over the years, the championship points system has changed significantly, and the points tallies have only gone up. Modern constructors easily score 400 points or more to secure a title in Formula 1.
But one thing that has remained constant over the years is the importance of teamwork. The Constructors’ Championship remains one of the most important parts of Formula 1, and it will always be crucial to the sport in the future.
What Do F1 Teams Get For Winning The Constructors’ Championship?
F1 teams get a bonus of about $100 million for winning the Constructors’ Championship. All teams are given an equal share of Formula 1’s annual profits at the end of the season, but constructors are also given bonuses based on where they finished the season, with even last place earning millions.
Second place receives an estimated $85 million, and the bonuses are reduced all the way down to last place. The constructors’ bonus payout means that teams will fight tooth and nail until the final race of the season. The difference between finishing 4th and 5th in the Constructors’ Championship is massive, and the extra funds will allow the team to develop their car for the next season.
Team won’t give up until the final laps of the last Grand Prix of the season, which makes it much more exciting for fans to watch. Often, the fight for lower championship positions can be intense, but also important. The bonus payouts create rivalries between teams and gives them something to fight for even if they’re not at the front of the grid.
What Do Constructors Get For Winning A Race?
The winning team is able to send one of their team members up onto the podium with the top three drivers to celebrate their win. Constructors in Formula 1 work hard throughout the season and throughout Grand Prix weekends to be able to win races. Winning a Grand Prix is not only an achievement for the driver, but also for the entire team.
The team member on the podium is also given the constructors’ victory trophy, which the team is allowed to keep at their factory. The team selects which staff member gets to go up to the podium, and they often alternate between race wins if the team is regularly winning races. Often, it’s the most senior figures in the team that stand on the podium with their driver.
Other Bonuses For Constructors
Some teams are paid out for playing a vital role in the sport. Ferrari, Mercedes and Williams are given a historic bonus payout for playing a pivotal role in the history of the sport. Newer teams such as Haas do not qualify for the historic bonus, but they may yet become an important fixture in the sport’s rich history and may receive other bonuses in future.
Ferrari are paid their historic bonus plus some extra because they’re the longest serving constructor in the sport’s history. Ferrari has been a part of Formula 1 since the start, and they have brought many fans and great moments with them throughout the years. Ferrari is known for being a part of Formula 1, and the brand has become synonymous with the sport.
The Most Successful Constructors In Formula 1
The most successful constructor in the history of Formula 1 is Ferrari. Ferrari has won 16 Constructors’ Championships, with their closest rivals Williams in second place with 9. Ferrari have also taken their drivers to 15 World Drivers’ Championships, with McLaren winning 12 WDCs.
Ferrari entered their 1000th Grand Prix in 2020 during the Tuscan Grand Prix. With now more than 1000 Grands Prix entered, Ferrari have a total of more than 238 race victories under their belt and 780+ podiums for their drivers. They have also secured 230+ pole positions and 256+ fastest laps during Grands Prix weekends.
Ferrari has a rich history in the sport, and they have been participating in Formula 1 for over 70 years. There have been legendary drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Niki Lauda, and Kimi Raikkonen who have all won Formula 1 World Championships with the Italian giant. Despite many teams coming and going in the sport, Ferrari has always been there.
Every driver dreams of driving for Ferrari because of this rich history and success that they have experienced in the sport. It’s the reason why some say that everyone is a Ferrari fan. Formula 1 would not be the same without Ferrari, and it’s clear that they are one of the key pieces of the puzzle when it comes to this fast-paced sport.
Most Successful F1 Teams
| Team | World Constructors’ Championships | World Drivers’ Championships |
| Ferrari | 16 | 15 |
| Williams | 9 | 7 |
| McLaren, Mercedes | 8 | 12 (McLaren), 9 (Mercedes) |
| Lotus | 7 | 6 |
| Red Bull | 4 | 5 |
| Brabham, Cooper, Renault | 2 | 4 (Brabham), 2 (Cooper, Renault) |
| Tyrrell, Benetton, Vanwall, BRM, Matra, Brawn GP | 1 | 2 (Tyrrell, Benetton), 1 (BRM, Matra, Brawn GP) |
The Most Experienced Constructors In Formula 1
Experience is incredibly important in Formula 1. If a team has a lot of experience, it shows that they have a sustainable set-up with some success in the sport. The oldest teams in the sport are also the most successful, and that is no coincidence. These three teams are legendary, steeped in history and racing heritage, and they will always be remembered in Formula 1.
The most experienced team in Formula 1 is also Ferrari. Ferrari first entered Formula 1 at the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix, which was more than 70 years ago. At more than 1000 Grands Prix entered, Ferrari is by far the most experienced team on the Formula 1 grid.
McLaren are in a close second place, entering the sport in 1966. The British team has nearly 1,000 races under their belt, and they’re close behind Ferrari in terms of experience. McLaren has just as much history and racing heritage as the Italian automotive giants do, and it’s a rivalry that has been burning strongly for many years.
Williams finds themselves as the third-most experienced constructor in Formula 1, with nearly 800 races entered. Williams entered Formula 1 in 1978 and have been going strongly ever since. Despite some tough seasons in recent years, they are still one of the most successful and experienced teams in the history of the sport.
Will We See More Constructors In The Future?
There are currently 10 Formula 1 teams. According to the rules, it’s possible to have 13 teams racing at the same time for a total of 26 cars. That would be a very full grid! Since there are just 10 at the moment, there is still space for more teams to join in the future.
But Formula 1 is a difficult sport for a team to get into. With the extreme costs involved in racing for the organization, teams need to ensure that they have their finances in order if they want to participate, never mind become a competitive constructor fighting for points.
With a budget cap in place, it does open the door for more constructors to be added to the grid in the future. Teams now have a good understanding of how much money they need to spend in order to keep up with the rest of the pack, and we often don’t have the bigger teams such as Ferrari and Mercedes out-spending the rest of the teams.
The main issue is that new teams will still need to build their own factories and headquarters and hire their own staff and drivers (outside of the budget cap). This means that there’s a lot of start-up funding needed just to enter the sport. Constructors with some experience in motorsport will have a chance to get started in Formula 1, but it could take some time before that becomes a reality.
Final Thoughts
Formula 1 is a team sport, and the teams are referred to as constructors. The teams all fight against one another for the World Constructors’ Championship, and they earn points through both of their drivers. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins the Constructors’ Championship.
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