Legal · Privacy

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains what information F1 Cars collects, how that information is used, how cookies and advertising technologies (including Google Ads and Google AdSense) may work on the site, the legal bases that guide our practices under New Zealand law, and how you can exercise rights and contact us about privacy requests.

Last updated: 7 September 2026 · Applies to this F1 Cars website (or the current F1 Cars website domain), related pages, embedded content, and the contact form

1. Who we are

F1 Cars (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is an independent informational website about Formula 1 cars, eras, engineering, design evolution, and technical history. Our purpose is educational and editorial: we publish articles, timelines, car profiles, and reference materials for readers who care about the heritage of Formula 1 machines.

We are not a shop, ticket reseller, betting service, streaming platform, or official body of Formula 1, the FIA, teams, or manufacturers. Mentions of championships, regulations, teams, or constructors are informational only and do not imply endorsement, partnership, sponsorship, or affiliation.

Privacy requests and site enquiries can be sent via the Contact form, email [email protected], phone +64 3 373 9221, or post to 91 Buchan Street, Sydenham, Christchurch 8023, New Zealand.

For a broader introduction to the project, see our About page.

2. Scope of this policy

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information we collect when you visit or use the F1 Cars website, submit a message through our contact channels, interact with cookies or similar technologies, view advertising served on or through the site, or otherwise communicate with us about the site.

It does not apply to third-party websites, apps, social platforms, or services that we may link to for context (for example, archival resources, museums, or encyclopaedias). Those services have their own privacy notices. We encourage you to read them before providing personal information elsewhere.

This policy should be read together with our Cookie Policy, Terms of Use, and DMCA / Copyright Policy. Where a more specific notice applies to a particular feature, that notice supplements this policy.

We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page shows when the current version took effect. Continued use of the site after an update means you should review the revised text so you understand how we handle information.

3. Information we collect

We collect only what we need to operate an informational website, respond to messages, maintain security, understand general audience interest, and—where advertising is enabled—support lawful advertising and measurement. The categories below describe the main types of information involved.

3.1 Information you provide

You may choose to provide personal information when you submit a message through our contact form. Typical fields include:

Name or preferred form of address
Email address and, if supplied, phone number
Any optional context fields you choose to complete in the form
Message content, attachments, and any context you include (for example, a page URL, article title, or copyright claim details)
Preferences you state about how you want us to reply

Please do not send sensitive personal information (such as health data, government identifiers, or financial account numbers) unless we specifically request it for a lawful reason. Unsolicited sensitive data may be deleted where we are not required to retain it.

3.2 Information collected automatically

When you visit the site, our hosting environment, content delivery tools, analytics providers (if used), and advertising partners may automatically collect technical and usage data, such as:

IP address, approximate location derived from IP, and network information
Browser type and version, device type, operating system, and language settings
Referring URL, pages viewed, time spent, navigation path, and interaction events
Date and time of requests, response status codes, and diagnostic logs
Identifiers stored in cookies, pixels, or similar technologies

This information helps us keep the site available, diagnose faults, prevent abuse, and understand which historical topics readers find useful.

3.3 Cookies, localStorage, and similar technologies

We and third parties may use cookies, localStorage, sessionStorage, pixels, and similar technologies. These may be strictly necessary for basic operation (for example, remembering a cookie notice choice), used for preferences, used for analytics, or used for advertising and ads measurement. Details are set out in our Cookie Policy.

If Google Ads, Google AdSense, or related Google advertising and measurement products are enabled on the site, Google and its partners may set or read cookies and collect data about your visits to this and other sites in order to serve ads, limit how often you see an ad, measure effectiveness, and detect invalid traffic. You can learn more about Google’s practices in Google’s own privacy and advertising materials and manage ad personalisation through Google’s tools and your browser settings.

3.4 Information we do not intentionally collect

We do not intentionally collect:

Payment card data or bank account details through this informational site
Account passwords or login credentials for a member portal (we do not operate a general user account system for readers)
Precise GPS location from your device solely for marketing profiles
Biometric identifiers
Children’s personal information as a target audience (see the children section below)

If you inadvertently send such information, we will handle it carefully and delete or minimise it where appropriate and lawful.

4. How we use information

We use personal and technical information for the following purposes:

Operate and secure the site. Deliver pages, maintain uptime, apply security controls, investigate incidents, and prevent spam, fraud, scraping abuse, or other harmful activity.
Respond to communications. Answer questions, handle feedback about articles, process copyright or trademark notices, and manage correspondence records.
Improve editorial content. Understand which Formula 1 car topics are popular, identify broken links or technical issues, and plan updates to articles and site structure.
Comply with law. Meet legal obligations, respond to lawful requests, and establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
Advertising and measurement (where enabled). Display third-party advertisements (including via Google Ads / AdSense), measure ad performance, reduce fraudulent impressions, and support ads moderation readiness required by advertising platforms.
Policy and product notices. Inform you about material changes to this Privacy Policy, related policies, or important operational notices when appropriate.

We do not sell personal information in the traditional sense of exchanging contact lists for money. Some advertising and analytics technologies may involve sharing identifiers or usage data with partners in ways that certain regional laws treat as a “sale,” “share,” or “targeted advertising.” See the regional notes and advertising sections for more detail and choices.

5. Advertising, Google services, and other third parties

F1 Cars may display advertisements to help support the cost of hosting and producing independent Formula 1 car content. Advertising partners may include Google Ads, Google AdSense, and other ad networks or measurement providers that Google or our hosting stack integrates with.

When ads are present, third parties may:

Collect device and browser information and cookie identifiers
Record whether ads were shown, viewed, or interacted with
Use data to select relevant ads, frequency-cap ads, and report aggregated performance
Detect and prevent invalid or fraudulent ad traffic
Process data according to their own privacy policies and contractual terms with publishers

We do not control every cookie or signal set by third-party advertisers. We configure the site in good faith and provide this notice so you understand that advertising technologies may operate alongside our own content. For cookie categories, durations, and management options, see the Cookie Policy.

Google may use advertising cookies and similar technologies as described in Google’s advertising documentation. Users can manage Google ad settings, use browser controls, and—where available—industry opt-out tools. Blocking some cookies may reduce personalisation but may not eliminate all ads; non-personalised ads may still appear depending on configuration and region.

Other third parties that may process data in connection with the site include hosting providers, content delivery networks, email infrastructure, security/CDN services, analytics vendors (if enabled), and professional advisers where needed for legal or technical support.

6. Legal bases and New Zealand Privacy Act principles

We are based in New Zealand and design our practices with the Privacy Act 2020 (NZ) and its information privacy principles in mind. In broad terms, we aim to:

Collect personal information for lawful purposes connected with our functions
Collect information directly from you where practicable, and tell you why we collect it
Not collect more than we need for those purposes
Take reasonable steps to ensure information is accurate, complete, and up to date for the purpose of use
Store information securely and retain it only as long as needed
Use and disclose information for the purposes for which it was obtained, or as otherwise permitted
Give individuals access to their information and a way to request correction, subject to lawful exceptions

Depending on your location and the nature of processing, we may also rely on one or more of the following concepts familiar in international privacy frameworks:

Consent — for example, non-essential cookies or certain marketing technologies where consent is required
Contract / requested service — responding to a message you initiate
Legitimate interests — securing the site, understanding aggregate readership, and operating an informational publication, balanced against your rights
Legal obligation — retaining records or disclosing information where required by law

If you are in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, California, or another region with specific privacy statutes, additional rights and disclosures may apply as described in the regional notes section. Those notes are provided for transparency and do not create rights beyond what applicable law grants.

8. Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including:

Correspondence. Typically kept for a period sufficient to complete the conversation, follow up if needed, and maintain a record of complaints, copyright notices, or safety issues. Routine enquiries may be deleted earlier; dispute-related records may be kept longer.
Server and security logs. Often retained for shorter operational windows unless needed for investigations, abuse prevention, or legal holds.
Cookie and localStorage data. Durations vary by category; see the Cookie Policy. Browser storage you clear locally is immediately removed from your device, though server-side logs may already have recorded events.
Legal retention. Where law requires longer retention, or where we need records to establish or defend legal claims, we keep information for the necessary period and then delete or anonymise it when practicable.

When retention is no longer justified, we take reasonable steps to delete, destroy, or de-identify information, subject to backup cycles and technical limitations.

9. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organisational measures appropriate to the nature of an informational website, such as HTTPS transport where configured, access controls for administrative tools, and careful handling of inbound messages. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of information transmitted online.

You can help protect your privacy by using up-to-date browsers, avoiding sharing unnecessary personal details in public comments or emails, and reviewing cookie and advertising settings. If you believe you have identified a security vulnerability affecting personal information on our site, please contact us promptly at [email protected] or via the contact form.

10. Children

F1 Cars publishes general-audience Formula 1 car history content. It is not directed at children under 16 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children for marketing profiles or account creation.

If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, please contact us. We will take reasonable steps to delete the information where appropriate and lawful. Parents or guardians who have questions about content suitability for younger readers are welcome to reach out via Contact.

11. Your rights and choices

Subject to applicable law and reasonable verification, you may have rights to:

Request access to personal information we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
Request deletion or erasure in certain circumstances
Object to or restrict certain processing
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent (withdrawal does not affect prior lawful processing)
Lodge a complaint with a relevant privacy regulator (in New Zealand, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner)

Choices related to cookies and advertising include browser controls, device settings, Google ad personalisation settings (where available), and any on-site notice tools we provide. Blocking advertising cookies may limit measurement and personalisation but may not remove all advertisements.

To exercise privacy rights, email [email protected] or use the contact form with enough detail for us to locate your information and verify your request. We may ask for additional information to confirm identity and will respond within a reasonable period consistent with applicable law.

12. International transfers

Although we operate from our contact form channel, the internet is global. Personal information may be processed on servers or by service providers located in other countries, including countries where advertising, analytics, CDN, or hosting infrastructure is based (for example, facilities associated with major cloud or advertising platforms).

When information leaves New Zealand, it may be subject to the laws of those other jurisdictions. We take reasonable steps appropriate to the context—such as selecting reputable providers and reviewing contractual or published privacy commitments—while recognising that some transfers are inherent to using modern web infrastructure and advertising services.

If you are located outside New Zealand, your information may be transferred to New Zealand when you contact us or when our operators access correspondence and site administration tools.

13. Automated processing

We do not use personal information to make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects about you as an individual (for example, automated credit decisions or eligibility determinations). Advertising and security systems operated by us or by partners may use automated techniques to select ads, detect bots, rate-limit abusive traffic, or flag suspicious patterns. Those processes are oriented to site integrity and advertising delivery rather than profiling you for offline life decisions.

If automated advertising tools influence which ads you see, you can usually adjust preferences through Google and browser controls described in the Cookie Policy and advertising section above.

14. Do Not Track and global privacy signals

Some browsers offer a “Do Not Track” (DNT) signal. There is no single industry standard for how websites must respond to DNT. Our site may not respond to DNT signals in a uniform way across all third-party components, particularly advertising scripts controlled by external networks.

Where legally required or where we implement recognised signals (such as certain Global Privacy Control mechanisms for applicable jurisdictions), we will describe those practices as they are enabled. In the meantime, the most reliable controls are those you set in your browser for cookies, those offered by Google for ad personalisation, and direct requests to us regarding information we hold in our own systems.

15. Third-party links and embedded content

Articles may link to external resources for historical context, image credits, archival collections, or further reading. The site may also embed or load content from third parties (for example, fonts, maps, video players, or ad creatives). Those third parties may collect information according to their own policies once you interact with their content or when their scripts load.

F1 Cars is not responsible for the privacy practices of external sites. Review their notices before providing personal information or enabling additional permissions.

16. Regional notes (EEA/UK, California-style, and similar laws)

EEA and United Kingdom. If the GDPR or UK GDPR applies to processing of your personal data, you may have rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and objection, and the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. Where we rely on legitimate interests, you may object to processing on grounds relating to your particular situation. Where we rely on consent for non-essential cookies or similar technologies, you may withdraw consent. International transfers may involve appropriate safeguards recognised under those frameworks when required.

California and similar U.S. state laws. Depending on applicability thresholds and definitions, California residents and residents of certain other U.S. states may have rights to know, delete, correct, and opt out of “sale” or “sharing” of personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising. Advertising cookies and related identifiers used by Google Ads / AdSense and similar partners may fall within those definitions even when we do not sell mailing lists. You may exercise browser-based opt-outs, ad settings, and requests to us regarding information in our direct control. We do not knowingly “sell” or “share” personal information of consumers under 16 with actual knowledge.

Other regions. If your local law provides additional rights, contact us and we will consider your request in light of that law and our ability to verify and fulfil it. Nothing in this section limits non-waivable statutory rights.

17. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may revise this Privacy Policy to reflect operational changes, new features, advertising or analytics configurations, legal requirements, or clearer wording. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date and may provide an additional notice on the site where appropriate.

We encourage you to review this page periodically. The current version published on the site is the version that applies to your use at that time, unless a different effective date is stated for a specific change.

18. Contact us about privacy

For privacy questions, access or correction requests, cookie concerns, advertising-related privacy enquiries, or complaints, contact:

Related pages: Privacy Policy (this page), Cookie Policy, Terms of Use, DMCA / Copyright, Contact, and About.

If you are not satisfied with our response and you are in New Zealand, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. If you are elsewhere, you may have the right to contact your local data protection or consumer privacy authority.