If you are an avid racing supporter, then you will know what F1 stands for. If not, you may wonder why there are so many supporters of this sport.

So, what is F1?

F1 stands for Formula One. It is sanctioned by the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) and is the highest class of single seater racing.

Formula One racing has been one of the premier forms of racing since it began in 1950.

The word 'Formula' relates to the rules which every car must comply with to enter the race. The French Grand Prix takes place of country roads as well as on purpose-built circuits.

Over the course of the year several races take place with the drivers earning points for winning and other positions. The points are added up and the driver with the most points at the end of the season is announced the winner.

The sport has a significant impact on the economy of the countries where it takes place as well as on the international market because as well as bringing visitors from all over the world to view races, there is an amazing selection of F1 accessories for sale.

Accessories for F1 fans

At every race venue there are always concession stands selling accessories of every sort. True F1 fans are very loyal to the sport and may travel thousands of miles to watch a race. They will also be ready to part with significant amounts of money to support their favourite team or driver.

Accessories range from clothing of all sorts - t-shirts, jackets, hats, socks, and hoodies to mention a few.

You will find these with logos from teams such as:

Mercedes
Ferrari
Aston Martin
SportPesa
Renault
Haas
Toro Roso
Alfa Romeo

Also included in the list of F1 accessories are toys for kids of all ages, wallets and purses for men and women, and jewellery like earrings.

General items which will have an F1 logo on range from bottle openers to belts, notepads and key fobs. In fact, if an item has enough space for a logo, you will most likely find it available.

Accessories from individual races

As well as having accessories from each racing team, you will also be able to buy accessories from individual races.

These races include:

Grand Prix de Monaco
Heineken Chinese Grand Prix
Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
Russian Grand Prix
Singapore Airlines Grand Prix
Japanese Grand Prix
Gran Premio de Mexico
British Grand Prix

Individual racing driver accessories

Over the years there have been many drivers who have been memorable. True F1 fans will often collect accessories related to their favourite drivers.

Drivers who are iconic (among many):

Ayrton Senna
Alain Prost
Michael Schumacher
Lewis Hamilton
Sebastian Vettel

Where to buy F1 accessories

You will be able to buy accessories at every race venue. Pop up stores abound and every city where the race is held will have stores and stalls where you can buy goods.

Market places are a good place to look for accessories, although you should make sure that they are the genuine thing and not a fake replica.

Possibly the best pace to buy genuine F1 accessories is on the F1 website. The best reviews guide will also tell you that this is one of the safest places to shop. If you shop here, you can be sure that what you buy is the real product.

Buying F1 accessories online

There are several things to bear in mind if you buy your F1 accessories online. You will find that there are literally hundreds of stores where you can get these cheaply. You will also notice that many of them are very obviously offering fake replicas. These you may want to avoid for several reasons.

Why avoid fake online stores

No guarantee. There will often be no guarantee with fake goods, so if you buy a size that does not fit, you may not be able to return it. Any jewellery or watch which is fake will also not be replaced so when your favourite F1 watch stops working after a few weeks, you will not be able to get a replacement. It also may not be worth having it repaired as it may cost more than the watch itself.

Longer shipping time. Because fake items are not always shipped from the country where you are, you can expect the shipping time to be more than three weeks. Do you really want to wait that long for your race t-shirt?

Not good quality. Most fake items are not good quality - that's why they are cheap. They may also fall apart after a few washes or break after you've worn them a few times. A genuine article will outlast any fake by several years.

Made with cheap materials. If you buy toys for kids with the F1 logo, you need to be sure that they will be safe and not have any parts which come off and can choke a little child. A cheap, fake version of a toy will more than likely break and become a danger to a child. Better to stick to a good quality product. Likewise, cheap clothing will not stand up to more than a few washes before either shrinking, having the colours run, or simply falling apart.

To sum up

If you are on the market for F1 accessories, you will be able to find them anywhere, from online stores to pop up stands and shops in every town a race is held.

Look for genuine products instead of cheaper fake replicas as these are far better quality and will last longer.

If you want to buy F1 toys be sure that are safe for little kids and there is never a danger of choking.

There are many online sites selling F1 accessories so make sure you read the reviews before buying as this will give you an idea of the quality of goods, as well as the service of the company.