> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/TracingInsights-Archive/Stats/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Introduction

> A comprehensive Formula 1 historical statistics archive with automated data collection from the Ergast API

# Welcome to F1 Stats Archive

F1 Stats Archive is a comprehensive data platform that collects, organizes, and maintains historical Formula 1 statistics spanning from 1950 to the present day. The project uses Python scripts to fetch data from the Ergast API and stores it in a structured JSON format, making it easy to access and analyze decades of F1 racing history.

## Key Features

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Historical Coverage" icon="calendar" iconType="duotone">
    Complete F1 data from 1950 to present, covering over 1,100 races across 77 seasons
  </Card>

  <Card title="Comprehensive Statistics" icon="chart-line" iconType="duotone">
    Race results, qualifying, lap times, pitstops, driver standings, and constructor championships
  </Card>

  <Card title="Automated Updates" icon="rotate" iconType="duotone">
    GitHub Actions workflow automatically fetches new race data as the season progresses
  </Card>

  <Card title="Structured Data" icon="folder-tree" iconType="duotone">
    Organized JSON files with consistent schema for easy data access and analysis
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## What's Included

The archive contains the following data types for each Formula 1 race:

* **Event Information** - Race schedule, circuit details, and session times
* **Race Results** - Finishing positions, times, and points awarded
* **Qualifying Results** - Grid positions and qualifying lap times
* **Driver Standings** - Championship points after each race
* **Constructor Standings** - Team championship points throughout the season
* **Lap Times** - Complete lap-by-lap timing data
* **Pitstop Data** - Pitstop times and strategies (from 2011 onwards)
* **Sprint Race Results** - Sprint qualifying results for modern F1 seasons

## How It Works

The project uses eight specialized Python scripts that interact with the Ergast API (`https://api.jolpi.ca/ergast/f1`) to fetch Formula 1 data:

1. **events.py** - Fetches the race calendar and creates the directory structure
2. **results.py** - Retrieves race results for each Grand Prix
3. **quali\_results.py** - Collects qualifying session results
4. **driver\_points.py** - Fetches driver championship standings
5. **team\_points.py** - Retrieves constructor championship standings
6. **laptimes.py** - Downloads complete lap timing data
7. **pitstops.py** - Collects pitstop information
8. **sprint\_results.py** - Fetches sprint race results

All scripts implement rate limiting to respect the Ergast API's usage limits (4 requests per second, 500 requests per hour) and include automatic retry logic for reliability.

## Data Structure

Data is organized in a hierarchical directory structure:

```
├── 1950/
│   ├── events.json
│   ├── british-grand-prix/
│   │   ├── event_info.json
│   │   ├── results.json
│   │   ├── quali_results.json
│   │   ├── driverPoints.json
│   │   └── teamPoints.json
│   └── ...
├── 1951/
├── ...
└── 2026/
```

Each season has its own directory containing race subdirectories with comprehensive statistics in JSON format.

## Getting Started

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quick Start" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Get up and running in minutes with the quick start guide
  </Card>

  <Card title="Installation" icon="download" href="/installation">
    Learn how to install and configure the project
  </Card>

  <Card title="Data Collection" icon="database" href="/data-collection/overview">
    Understand how data is collected and organized
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Reference" icon="code" href="/api/events">
    Explore the Python scripts and their usage
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Use Cases

This archive is perfect for:

* **Data Analysis** - Analyze historical trends, driver performance, and team statistics
* **Machine Learning** - Train models on decades of racing data
* **Visualization** - Create charts and dashboards showing F1 history
* **Research** - Study the evolution of Formula 1 over time
* **Applications** - Build F1-focused apps with reliable historical data

## License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. The data comes from the Ergast API, which provides Formula 1 race data under specific terms of use.