sport arrows a21
___MASK12___ ( also Formula 1 or F1 and officially the FIA ___MASK12___ World Championship ) is the highest class of single - seat auto racing that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l ' Automobile ( FIA ). The FIA ___MASK12___ World Championship has been the premier form of racing since the inaugural season in 1950 , although other ___MASK12___ races were regularly held until 1983 . The " formula ", designated in the name , refers to a set of rules , to which all participants ' cars must conform . The F1 season consists of a series of races , known as " Grands Prix " ( from French , meaning grand prizes ), held worldwide on purpose - built F1 circuits and public roads . A1 Grand Prix ( A1GP ) was a ' single make ' open wheel ___MASK16___ series . It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or a team , the usual format in most formula racing series . As such , it was often promoted as the " World Cup of ___MASK93___ ". The series was ratified by the Fédération Internationale de l ' Automobile ( FIA ) and races were held in the traditional Formula One off - season , the northern hemisphere winter . The nation - based A1GP concept was founded by Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum of Dubai , initially in 2003 . After a successful first season of A1GP , it was announced on 29 September 2006 that Maktoum was to sell his position as Chairman & Director of A1GP . The transfer of his share in the organisation of A1 Grand Prix to RAB Capital was finalized in December 2006 . Tony Teixeira took control of the series in 2006 , leading it to liquidation by 2009 . The Arrows A21 was the car with which the Arrows ___MASK12___ team competed in the 2000 ___MASK12___ season . It was driven by the young Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa , in his second year with the team , and experienced Dutchman Jos Verstappen , who had driven for the team in its Footwork guise in 1996 . The car proved to be very promising after the catastrophic 1999 season , but was too unreliable to score more than a handful of points - scoring finishes . De la Rosa looked set for podium finishes at Hockenheim and the A1 - Ring , but lost time after a spin in the former and suffered gearbox failure in the latter . Verstappen also produced a number of impressive performances , culminating in fourth place at Monza . The A21 was also noted for consistently having amongst the highest straight - line speed of any car in the 2000 season . The 2000 season also saw the team adopt a distinctive black - and - orange livery , in deference to their new title sponsor , Orange . The team eventually finished seventh in the constructors ' championship , with seven points . The 2000 ___MASK12___ season was the 51st season of FIA ___MASK12___ motor racing . It featured the 2000 FIA ___MASK12___ World Championship which commenced on 12 March 2000 , and ended on 22 October after seventeen races . Michael Schumacher became Ferrari ' s first World Drivers ' Champion for 21 years having clinched the Drivers ' title at the penultimate race of the season . Ferrari successfully defended its Constructors ' title . This season marked the first for future world champion Jenson Button . The Fédération Internationale de l ' Automobile ( FIA , English : International Automobile Federation ) is an association established as the " Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus " ( AIACR , English : ' International Association of Recognized Automobile Clubs ') on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users . To the general public , the FIA is mostly known as the governing body for many ___MASK16___ events . The FIA also promotes road safety around the world . Michael Schumacher ( born 3 January 1969 ) is a German retired racing driver . He is a seven - time ___MASK12___ World Champion and is widely regarded as one of the greatest ___MASK12___ drivers of all time . He was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year twice . He won two titles with Benetton in and before moving to Ferrari where he drove for eleven years . His time with Ferrari yielded five consecutive titles between and . Johannes Franciscus " Jos " Verstappen ( born 4 March 1972 ) is a Dutch racing driver . Jos Verstappen has won races in A1 Grand Prix and Le Mans Series LMP2 races . Prior to his F1 début in 1994 , he was also the German Formula Three champion and Masters of Formula Three winner in 1993 . Pedro Martínez de la Rosa ( born 24 February 1971 ) is a ___MASK100___ ___MASK12___ driver who has participated in 107 Grands Prix for the Arrows , Jaguar , McLaren , Sauber and HRT F1 teams , debuting on 7 March 1999 , becoming one of very few drivers to score a point at his first race . He has scored a total of 35 championship points , which includes a podium finish at the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix . Formula Three , also called ___MASK51___ or F3 , is a class of open - wheel formula racing . The various championships held in Europe , Australia , South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers . Formula Three has traditionally been regarded as the first major stepping stone for F1 hopefuls  it is typically the first point in a driver ' s career at which most drivers in the series are aiming at professional careers in racing rather than being amateurs and enthusiasts . F3 is not cheap , but is regarded as a key investment in a young driver ' s future career . Success in F3 can lead directly to higher formula series such as a GP2 seat , or even a Formula One test or race seat . ___MASK16___ ( also known as car racing , motor racing or automobile racing ) is a ___MASK29___ involving the racing of automobiles for competition . The 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix was a ___MASK12___ motor race held on 6 August 2006 at the Hungaroring , Budapest . It was the 13th race of the 2006 ___MASK12___ season . Jenson Button won the race , the first victory of his career and the first race win for a British driver since David Coulthard won the Australian Grand Prix three years previously , and the first by an Englishman since Johnny Herbert won the 1999 European Grand Prix nearly seven years previously , in similarly changeable weather circumstances . Pedro de la Rosa finished second for McLaren , the first podium finish of his career , and Nick Heidfeld finished third , giving BMW Sauber their first ever podium . Jenson Alexander Lyons Button ( born 19 January 1980 ) is a British racing driver currently under contract with McLaren - Honda , as a reserve driver . He won the 2009 ___MASK12___ World Championship , driving for Brawn GP . Button announced in September 2016 that he would be giving up his 2017 seat at the end of the 2016 ___MASK12___ season but announced that he would still be at McLaren as a reserve driver and ambassador of McLaren until the 2018 ___MASK12___ season . Sauber ___MASK93___ AG , competing as Sauber F1 Team , is a Swiss Formula One team . It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber , who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sports Prototype Championship to reach Formula One in 1993 . Swiss investment firm Longbow Finance S . A . are the current majority owners of Sauber . McLaren Racing Limited , competing as McLaren Honda , is a British ___MASK12___ team based at the McLaren Technology Centre , Woking , Surrey , England . McLaren is best known as a ___MASK12___ constructor but has also competed in and won the Indianapolis 500 and the Canadian - American Challenge Cup ( Can - Am ). The team is the second oldest active team after Ferrari . They are one of the most successful teams in ___MASK12___ history , having won 182 races , 12 drivers ' championships and eight constructors ' championships . The team is a wholly owned subsidiary of McLaren Technology Group .