{{Short description|Domestic F1 championship (1978–1982)}} {{Distinguish|British Grand Prix}}{{For|the World Championship upon which British F1 was based|Formula One}} {{Infobox motorsport championship | title = British Formula One Championship | category = Single-seaters | country/region = United Kingdom | inaugural = 1978 | folded = 1982 | drivers = 10 (1982) | constructors = 8 (1982) | engines = 2 (1982) | teams = 8 (1982) | champion driver = {{flagicon|UK}} Jim Crawford }}
The '''British Formula One Championship''', often abbreviated to '''British F1''', was a Formula One motor racing championship held in the United Kingdom. It was often referred to as the '''Aurora AFX Formula One''' series due to the Aurora company's sponsorship of the series for three of the four seasons.
The long established Cosworth DFV engine helped make the series possible between 1978 and 1980. As in the South African Formula One Championship a decade or so before, second hand cars from manufacturers like Lotus and Fittipaldi Automotive were run by many entrants, although some, such as the March 781, were built specifically for the series. In 1980 Desiré Wilson became the only woman to win a Formula One race. She won at Brands Hatch driving a Wolf.
==Origins== The British Formula One Championship was a successor to the older Group 8 Shellsport Championship,<ref name="8W_1">{{cite web | url=http://www.forix.com/8w/edwards.html | title=Who? – Guy Edwards | publisher=Forix 8W | access-date=2007-04-17 }}</ref> which had previously run Formula 5000 cars. In 1977 the series was opened up to allow Formula One cars to race and the BRSCC upgraded it to a full Formula One championship a year later.<ref name="8W_1" /> Formula Two cars were also present on the grid to make up the numbers.<ref name="8W_1" />
==Champions== {|class="wikitable" |- !Season !Championship Name !Champion !Car !Races<sup>†</sup> !Pole<br>Positions !Wins !Podiums !Fastest<br>Laps !Points !Margin<br>(pts) !Ref(s) |- align="center" ! 1978 |align="left" rowspan=3| Aurora AFX British F1 Championship |align="left"| {{flagicon|UK}} Tony Trimmer |align="left"| McLaren M23-Cosworth | 8/12 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 149 | 56 |<ref>{{cite web|title=Aurora F1 – 1978|url=http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/archive/f1/aurora/aurora78.html|publisher=GEL Information|access-date=5 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=1978 Aurora AFX British F1 Championship|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/championships/1978-aurora-afx-british-f1-championship/|work=Motor Sport|access-date=5 May 2022}}</ref> |- align="center" ! 1979 |align="left"| {{flagicon|UK}} Rupert Keegan |align="left"| Arrows A1-Cosworth | 13/15 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 65 | 2 |<ref>{{cite web|title=Aurora F1 – 1979|url=http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/archive/f1/aurora/aurora79.html|publisher=GEL Information|access-date=5 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=1979 Aurora AFX British F1 Championship|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/championships/1979-aurora-afx-british-f1-championship/|work=Motor Sport|access-date=5 May 2022}}</ref> |- align="center" ! 1980 |align="left"| {{flagicon|Spain}} Emilio de Villota |align="left"| Williams FW07-Cosworth | 12/12 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 85 | 33 |<ref>{{cite web|title=Aurora F1 – 1980|url=http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/archive/f1/aurora/aurora80.html|publisher=GEL Information|access-date=5 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=1980 Aurora AFX British F1 Championship|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/championships/1980-aurora-afx-british-f1-championship/|work=Motor Sport|access-date=5 May 2022}}</ref> |- align="center" ! 1981 |colspan=11| ''no championship'' |- align="center" ! 1982 |align="left"| British F1 Championship |align="left"| {{flagicon|UK}} Jim Crawford |align="left"| Ensign N180-Cosworth | 4/5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 34 | 18 |<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/championships/british-f1/1982-british-f1-championship|title=1982 British F1 Championship|work=Motor Sport|accessdate=5 May 2022}}</ref> |} <sup>†</sup> x/y: Competed in x races of the season total y.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/archive/f1/title.html GEL Motorsport Information Page: The Formula One Archives] *[http://www.formula1results.co.za/19811999/198183nc/1982nc.htm Quintin Cloud's Formula One Records: 1982 British Formula 1 Series]
Category:British Formula One Championship Category:1978 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:1982 disestablishments in the United Kingdom {{Motorsport in the UK}}{{F1-stub}}