1. What are cookies and similar technologies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device by a website or a third party when you visit a page. They can be session cookies (deleted when you close the browser) or persistent cookies (stored until they expire or you delete them).
Similar technologies include:
- localStorage / sessionStorage — browser storage used to remember preferences or notice states without sending data on every HTTP request the way classic cookies do
- Pixels and tags — small images or scripts that record that a page or ad was loaded
- SDK-like browser scripts — JavaScript from analytics or advertising partners that set identifiers and measure events
Together, these tools help websites remember choices, keep services secure, understand traffic, and—where advertising is used—support ad delivery and measurement. This page uses “cookies” broadly to cover these related technologies unless a distinction matters.
2. Why we use cookies
F1 Cars uses cookies and similar technologies to:
- Operate core site functions and remember that you have seen a cookie or notice banner
- Store limited preferences that improve readability or navigation where such features exist
- Measure aggregated traffic and diagnose technical issues (if analytics are enabled)
- Support advertising, including Google Ads / AdSense, frequency capping, fraud detection, and performance reporting
- Help meet advertising-platform expectations for transparency and ads moderation readiness
We do not use cookies to create a paid membership login for general readers, because the site is an open informational resource about Formula 1 car history.
3. Necessary / essential cookies
These cookies (or equivalent storage items) are typically required for the site to work as intended or to provide a service you request. Examples include:
- Purpose: remember cookie-notice acknowledgement; maintain basic security; load balanced sessions where applicable
- Examples of data: a simple flag such as “notice accepted”; technical session identifiers
- Typical duration: session or up to several months for notice preferences
- Who sets them: primarily F1 Cars / our hosting stack
Because these tools are needed for basic operation or legal notice management, they may run without additional consent where permitted by law. You can still block them in your browser, but parts of the site may not behave correctly.
4. Preference cookies
Preference cookies remember choices that are not strictly required but improve experience, such as:
- Purpose: language or display preferences; dismissed informational banners; saved UI states
- Examples of data: preference keys and values stored locally
- Typical duration: from a single session to one year, depending on feature design
- Who sets them: usually first-party storage on this F1 Cars website (or the current site domain)
If we do not currently offer a given preference feature, related cookies will not be set. This category remains listed so the policy stays accurate if features expand.
5. Analytics cookies
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors use historical articles and which sections need improvement. When analytics tools are enabled, they may collect:
- Purpose: page views, referrers, approximate geography, device/browser categories, and navigation paths
- Examples of data: pseudonymous client IDs; event timestamps; URLs visited
- Typical duration: often from 24 hours to 24 months depending on the tool’s defaults and our configuration
- Who sets them: first-party analytics configuration and/or third-party analytics providers
We use analytics for aggregate insight, not to sell individual reader profiles. Where required by law, non-essential analytics will depend on consent or other valid grounds described in the Privacy Policy.
6. Advertising cookies (including Google Ads / AdSense)
When advertising is enabled, advertising partners—including Google and participating advertisers—may set cookies and use similar technologies to:
- Serve ads on this site
- Limit how many times you see the same ad
- Measure ad impressions, clicks, and conversions where conversion tags are used
- Detect invalid traffic and support ads quality / moderation systems
- Personalise ads based on browsing activity across sites and apps that participate in the same advertising ecosystem (subject to your settings and local law)
Category summary:
- Purpose: advertising delivery, measurement, personalisation (where allowed), fraud prevention
- Examples of data: cookie IDs; IP-derived approximate location; browser/device info; page URLs; ad interaction events
- Typical duration: minutes to many months; Google and other networks publish their own cookie lists and retention details, which can change
- Who sets them: Google and other ad technology partners, sometimes in combination with first-party tags
Because advertising technologies are controlled in part by third parties, the exact cookie names and lifetimes can change without notice from us. Review Google’s advertising and privacy documentation for current partner practices, and use Google ad settings to manage personalisation where available.
7. localStorage and similar on-device storage
In addition to HTTP cookies, the site may use localStorage or sessionStorage to remember that a notice was closed, to cache lightweight UI state, or to store similar non-sensitive flags. This storage generally remains on your device until cleared.
Unlike cookies, localStorage is not automatically sent with every request to our servers. However, scripts on the page can read it and may combine it with other signals. Clearing site data in your browser removes localStorage for this origin.
We do not intentionally store passwords, payment card numbers, or government identifiers in localStorage on this informational site.
8. Google and other third parties
Third parties that may set or read cookies in connection with F1 Cars include:
- Google (Ads, AdSense, related measurement or anti-fraud tools)
- Other advertising or measurement partners participating in ad serving
- Hosting, CDN, or security providers that set technical cookies
- Analytics providers, if enabled
- Font, media, or embed providers if a page loads their resources
Those parties process data under their own policies. We encourage you to read them. Our Privacy Policy explains broader sharing and international transfer concepts.
Enabling advertising can be necessary for the sustainability of independent Formula 1 car publishing. We still aim to be transparent so you can make informed choices about cookies and tracking.
9. Durations and retention overview
Exact lifetimes vary, but as a practical guide:
- Session technologies: end when the browser session ends
- Notice / preference flags: often weeks to months
- Analytics identifiers: commonly months to two years unless configured shorter
- Advertising identifiers: highly variable; partner documentation controls many defaults
Server logs associated with requests that involve cookies may be retained separately for security and operations as described in the Privacy Policy, even after you delete cookies from your device.
10. How to manage cookies
You can control cookies in several ways:
- Browser settings. Most browsers let you block third-party cookies, delete existing cookies, and clear localStorage. Check your browser’s help pages for steps.
- Google ad settings. Where available, manage ad personalisation through Google’s ads settings pages.
- Industry tools. In some regions, industry opt-out pages exist for interest-based advertising. Effectiveness varies by device and browser.
- On-site notices. If we present a cookie banner or preference centre, use it to record choices for non-essential categories where offered.
Blocking advertising cookies may reduce personalisation and measurement accuracy. Ads may still appear in a less personalised form depending on configuration and your region. Blocking necessary cookies may break notice memory or other basic features.
11. Consent and lawful grounds
Where required by applicable law (for example, in parts of the EEA/UK), we rely on consent before setting non-essential cookies such as certain analytics or advertising technologies. Necessary cookies may rely on other lawful grounds, such as providing a service you request or legitimate interests balanced against your rights.
In New Zealand, we align cookie transparency with the Privacy Act 2020 and fair information practices, and we provide this Cookie Policy so you can understand categories and controls. See also regional notes in the Privacy Policy.
You may withdraw consent for non-essential cookies by adjusting browser settings, using available preference tools, or contacting us for guidance about technologies under our direct control.
12. Updates to this Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy when our technologies, advertising partners, or legal requirements change. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when a revision is published. Continued use of the site after updates means you should review the revised policy.
Material changes—such as introducing a new analytics vendor or expanding advertising tags—may also be reflected in site notices where appropriate.
13. Contact
Questions about cookies, localStorage, Google advertising technologies, or this Cookie Policy:
Related pages: Cookie Policy (this page), Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, DMCA / Copyright, Contact, and About.
