The Dutch Grand Prix was a round of the World Drivers Championship for the first time not a Formula One race, as the World Championship was for Formula Two cars that year and in 1953.

A number of Grand Prix racing organisations had laid out rules for a World Championship before the war, but due to the suspension of racing during the conflict, the World Drivers ' Championship was not formalised until 1947.

Sweden's Bjorn Wirdheim won the 2003 FIA Formula 3000 International Championship for Drivers

The following year, he was Autocar Formula Two champion in a Cooper, while continuing to score minor points-scoring positions with the small-engined Coopers in the World Drivers Championship and driving for Aston Martin in Sportscars.

Senna joined Prost at McLaren in 1988 and the two had a series of controversial clashes, including a collision at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix that gave Prost his third Drivers ' Championship.

He also crashed out late in the race while leading at San Marino, but in a season which saw his team-mate Nelson Piquet claim his second Drivers ' Championship title, Patrese finished a distant ninth.

Patrese finally won his third Grand Prix at the 1990 San Marino Grand Prix and finished that year's Drivers ' Championship in seventh place.

He finished fourth in the Drivers ' Championship and demonstrated immense commitment to testing and improving the car.

Häkkinen finished the season in eighth place in the Drivers ' Championship, with almost six times as many points as during the previous season.

The Finn finished the year fourth in the Drivers ' Championship with a tally of 26 points.

Häkkinen finished fifth in the Drivers ' Championship, scoring a total of 31 points.

Hill became the fourth driver in nine years to win the World Drivers ' Championship and not drive for Williams the following season following in the footsteps of Nelson Piquet ( WDC-drove for Lotus ), Nigel Mansell ( WDC-1993 competed in the US based Champ Car World Series instead of F1 ) and Alain Prost ( 1993 WDC-Retired ).

On the 7 October 2012, Hill will be driving his father Graham Hill's BRM in celebration of winning the 1962 F1 World Championship, where Graham became the first British driver to win the Drivers ' World Championship with a British team.

With the 500 having been a part of the Formula One World Drivers ' Championship between 1950 and 1960, Ferrari made a discreet appearance at the 1952 event with Alberto Ascari, but European entries were few and far between during those days.

From 1950 to 1960, the Indianapolis 500 also counted toward the FIA's World Championship of Drivers ( now synonymous with Formula One ), although few drivers participated in the other races of that series.

It was not until the introduction of the new Cosworth unit, badged as a Ford Zetec-R, that Michael Schumacher won the Drivers World Championship with Benetton, in 1994.

Formula One Constructors ' Championships ( Drivers ' Championship winner for Lotus )

** Emerson Fittipaldi ( Brazil ) wins the World Drivers ' Championship, driving a McLaren M23-Cosworth.

*** Jackie Stewart wins World Drivers ' Championship in a Tyrell 003-Cosworth

* 5 September – Formula One World Drivers ' Championship points leader Jochen Rindt ( Austria ) in killed in practice at Monza, driving a Lotus 72 – Cosworth.

Jody Scheckter replacing the Lotus bound Argentinian in 1979, took the title, supported by Gilles Villeneuve ( who dutifully followed the South African home at Monza, having been ordered to do so ), and won the last World Drivers ' Championship in a Ferrari until Michael Schumacher twenty one years later.

Drivers to have Coors backing have included David Stremme, Bill Elliott ( Bill Elliott won the Winston Million in 1985 and the 1988 Winston Cup Championship ), Robby Gordon, Sterling Marlin, Kyle Petty, and Regan Smith.

Drivers could, and did, travel more quickly, but they would be reprimanded: it was found that excessive speeds could force apart the light rails, which were set onto individual stone blocks without cross-ties.

Drivers adapted quickly and only a small number of traffic accidents happened due to the switch with only one recorded fatality in Prague.

Drivers are scored on how quickly they can negotiate the obstacle, and must find the fastest route through each.

In 1991 Nigel Mansell returned to Williams and, together with Patrese, the team became genuine contenders for both the Drivers ' and Constructors ' Championships.

The son of five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and brother of rally driver Alister McRae, Colin McRae was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion and, in 1995, became the first British person and the youngest to win the World Rally Championship Drivers ' title.

In this race, Nino Farina became the first World Drivers ' Champion, and the only driver to win the title in his home country.

He also became the youngest double Drivers ' Champion in Formula One history.

Michael Schumacher became Ferrari's first World Drivers Champion for 21 years having clinched the drivers ' title at the penultimate race of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix.

On 14 November 2010 when Red Bull won the World Drivers ' Championship with Sebastian Vettel, Newey became the only F1 designer ever to have won Constructors ' Championships with three different F1 teams.

Skaife won his first Bathurst in 1991 with Richards, and the following year became the only driver to win the Australian Touring Car Championship, the Bathurst 1000 and the CAMS Gold Star for the Australian Drivers ' Championship in the same year.

Drivers grew wary and stopped the vehicle and locked one track before every turn ; this caused many track breaks, as the movement became too abrupt.

Renault driver Fernando Alonso became the Drivers ' Champion for the first time after he finished the race in third place.

The prospect of a three way battle for the Drivers ' Championship crown attracted a capacity crowd of 150, 000 to the tight, but fast Adelaide circuit.

At the front of the field, Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill in the Benetton and Williams cars respectively were the favourites to battle for the Drivers ' Championship, with Schumacher anticipating a " struggle " for the championship.

Irvine led much of the race before moving over to assist Schumacher's championship battle by blocking Drivers ' Championship leader Jacques Villeneuve.

With just two more races to go, there was a major battle for the Drivers Championship.

Englishman Mike Hawthorn won the Drivers title after a close battle with compatriot Stirling Moss and Vanwall won the Manufacturers award from Ferrari.

From 1992 through 2004 the World Drivers ' Championship was an exclusive battle between Rory Byrne and Newey, with Byrne engineering Michael Schumacher to 7 titles whilst Adrian Newey engineered Mansell, Prost, Hill, Villeneuve and Häkkinen to 6 titles.

** Drivers choose their vehicle, arena, AI controlled enemies, then go off to battle.