Every team in Formula One must run two cars in every session of a Grand Prix weekend. Each team may use up to four drivers in a single season. Teams are also permitted to run two additional drivers during Friday Free Practice sessions; these sessions are frequently used to evaluate potential new drivers or allow experienced drivers to test the car. While most drivers are contracted for at least the duration of a full season, recent years have seen teams replace drivers mid-season, as seen with Daniel Ricciardo, Logan Sargeant, and Jack Doohan.
To compete in a Grand Prix, every driver must hold an FIA Super Licence, which is the highest class of racing licence issued by the FIA. This licence is granted to drivers who meet specific criteria regarding success in junior motorsport categories and complete 300 kilometres (190 mi) of running in a Formula One car over the course of two days. Teams also employ reserve drivers to stand in for regular competitors when necessary. Due to reductions in on-track testing, the role of the reserve driver is now primarily focused on simulators, such as rFpro, which is utilized by most F1 teams.
Upon entering the series, each driver chooses an unassigned permanent number between 2 and 99. The number 17 was permanently retired following the death of Jules Bianchi, who died in July 2015 from injuries sustained at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. The number 1 is reserved exclusively for the reigning Drivers' Champion, who may choose to use it or retain their previous permanent number.
Permanent numbers were first introduced in 1974, with teams allocated numbers based on the 1973 Constructors' Championship standings. Under that system, teams held their numbers from season to season unless they housed the reigning World Champion, in which case they swapped for numbers 1 and 2. Between 1996 and 2013, numbers were reassigned annually based on the previous season's standings. Historically, the number 13 has only been used by Divina Galica and Pastor Maldonado.
As of 2025, 35 separate drivers have won the World Drivers' Championship. Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton hold the record for the most titles, with seven each. Jochen Rindt remains the only posthumous World Champion, following his fatal accident at the 1970 Italian Grand Prix. Drivers from the United Kingdom have been the most successful in the sport's history, securing 21 championships among 11 drivers and 326 wins as of 2026.
The management and engineering structures of Formula One teams have seen increasing female representation in senior roles. In 2010, Monisha Kaltenborn became the first female team principal in the sport's history at Sauber. Claire Williams later served as the Deputy Team Principal for Williams Racing starting in 2013.
In technical roles, Hannah Schmitz has served as the principal strategy engineer at Red Bull Racing, contributing to the team's championship victories in 2021, 2022, and 2023. In 2025, Laura Müller became the first woman to serve as a full-time race engineer, working with Esteban Ocon at Haas.
The physical and financial demands of the sport influence how these teams are managed. As of 2018, the average annual cost of running a team was approximately £193 million, covering car design, maintenance, staff payroll, and transport. Since 2021, the FIA has enforced a cost cap to limit team spending, which stood at $145 million in its first year and was adjusted to $135 million for the period leading into 2025. This cap excludes certain costs such as driver salaries and marketing.