From the glitz and glamour of Monaco and the old-school Britishness of Silverstone to next-generation Formula One tracks like those in Singapore and Dubai, F1 is one of the world's most exciting sports. It's more than a racing game for F1 drivers pushing their cars to the absolute limits. Here's everything you need to know about F1 racing, what the FIA is, how it all works and which teams to watch.

Why F1 isn't about cars 'just going around in circles'

I've been to Silverstone to watch the British Grand Prix, both during the F1 season in 2010 and the F1 season in 2011. It is, hand on heart, one of the most thrilling days of sport I've ever been to - and I've been to a few! The sheer roar of the engine noise is deafening, rattling your rib-cage as the cars pass, the palpable adrenaline in the pit-lane, the scale of the track and crowds. Television often can't do it full justice.

Three reasons to watch F1

1. F1 drivers are amongst the toughest athletes in sport - With an average race time of around one and a half hours, driving at speeds of up to 360km/h, all F1 drivers push their bodies, and their powers of concentration, to the absolute limits.
2. F1 racing teams are a great example of individuals coming together - From the mechanics in the pitlane to the race director, the roadies that lug the equipment around the world to the designers in the factory, it takes a phenomenal number of people (not to mention money) to bring it all together in a series of moments, races and seasons.
3. Thrills, spills and actions - accidents happen, it buckets down with rain, drivers make mistakes. The current F1 2011 season has seen some of the most thrilling races in motorsport, partly because there are so many variables.

You can learn more about the grand prix, the teams, the drivers and more on the Formula 1 website.

The FIA and the World Championships

1. The FIA is the governing body of motorsport (much like FIFA is for world football) and stands for the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
2. There are two World Championships - one for the drivers and the other for the teams, the constructors.

How qualifying and practice sessions work

So, most F1 races, 'Grand Prix', take place over the course of a weekend. There are two (basically inconsequential) practice sessions on the Friday, with another practice session on the Saturday. Then there's the qualifying session to decide the grid position of each driver (starting line-up) for the main event on the Sunday.

In 'knockout' qualifying, drivers race in three consecutive periods to record their fastest lap, with the slowest drivers eliminated in each period. The order of their fastest lap results in their grid position for the race proper.

The Grand Prix race itself

• The race itself starts with the cars lined up on the grid, along with a host of beauties, the media and mechanics - this is when the buzz really starts to build.
• Once the entourage has cleared, there's a warm-up lap of the circuit in the order of qualifying before the drivers take their position on the grid. The five starting lights illuminate and they're off!
• Drivers can 'pit' as often as they like, though it obviously slows their times down doing so, and can't refuel whatsoever during the race.
• The drivers complete however many laps constitute 305km with the top three drivers landing a spot on the podium for the champagne celebrations! The top 10 receive points, with the winner receiving 25 points, 18 points for second and 15 points for third.

There's a whole host of technical shenanigans you could learn, but to really get into motorsport, it's more fun to get behind the drivers. Learn about the F1 drivers and F1 teams here. Then all you need to decide is how you're going to watch a grand prix live!