F1 for beginners

 Formula 1 

F1 has been around for decades, with races being held in 6 continents, across 34 countries racing on 77 different tracks.

Although the sport has always been popular but with the introduction on the Netflix series drive to survive the last couple years has seen a boost in viewing figures, ticket sales and sponsorships. So what is this sport all about?

The teams and the drivers

Currently there are are 10 teams competing each having two main drivers as well as a reserve (just in case) these teams are 

Mercedes, one of the more well known teams, boasting the likes of Lewis Hamilton who has won 6 championship titles for them and having a contract with them until the beginning of 2025. With a widely successful track record (maybe disregarding the last couple years) Mercedes have continued to be at the top of their game. Their team principal Toto Wolff has a legacy as CEO and team principal able to see upcoming talent the likes of George Russel. 

Red Bull, a brand and name everyone knows and a team whose success has peaked in the last couple years. Drivers include 3 time world champion Max Verstappen and multiple race winner Sergio Perez. As of when i’m writing this the current team principal is Christian Horner (but amid current rumours this could change) Former motorsport driver who never made the ranks to be in formula 1 himself. He’s one of the most recognised team principals seen at every race and also married to former spice girl Geri Halliwell.

Ferrari, arguably the most famous and known team in the whole competition. Having world famous drivers like Micheal Schumacher who won 5 championship titles while driving with them. The logo, the red colour, everything distinctive about Ferrari and still a team that everyone wants the opportunity to drive for. Although performance has dipped in the past couple years current drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are often seen in the top 5.  

Alpine, formerly under the name Renault. This is one of the midfield teams, can be up and down the standings with 1 race win under their belt while being under the Alpine name by Esteban Ocon and 4 podiums. They’re one of the lesser celebrated teams but show promise going forward. With young drivers Ocon and Pierre Gasly who show opportunities with going far in F1. They’re seen as a slight underdog but also show commitment to go succeed. They hold a special place in my heart due to work experience I did for them

McLaren, another well known team but also one that’s recently been demoted to midfield. Formerly a championship winning team, holding 12 drivers championship titles from big names in the sport like Lewis Hamilton or Damon Hill going back further into the f1 history. They are the second oldest team following Ferrari. Current drivers Lando Norris who is a fan favourite and team mate Oscar Piastri who joined the team in 2023 after winning formula 2, both show promise and are still young bringing opportunities to be up there with the best. 

Haas, an American owned team who have been at the bottom (or near enough) of the standings the past couple years. Guenther Steiner former team principal also became an unlikely fan favourite during drive to survives rise to popularity. However he has resigned after the 23/24 season saying that he was fed up from coming last. There current drivers Nico Hülkenburg and Kevin Magnussen only making it into the top ten in 4 races between them showed the amount of work they will need to put in to go further. 

Alpha Tauri, now renamed to Visa Cashapp RB which just shows how important sponsorships are now to the sport. They are an offspring of Redbull you could refer to them as their little brother team. Another underdog team, that hovers around midfield. With a driver line up of Daniel Ricciardo another fan favourite who in recent years has bounced around teams to secure a seat and Yuki Tsonoda, a newer driver to the grid compared to many who made his debut in 2021. 

Aston Martin, another well known car brand who made its way more recently onto the f1 grid for its 2nd time. Previously raced in 1960 it took a break until 2021 where it made its return. In the 3 seasons they have been back on the grid they have achieved 8 podiums. With Fernando Alonso coming very close to a win in the 22/23 season. Alonso drives along side son of the teams owner (Lawrence Stroll) Lance Stroll. Many have argued he retains his seat due to his Dad and many have questioned his ability to perform in the sport as well as the team

Alfa Romeo, now under the name Stake f1 team kick Sauber. Formerly known as the little brother of Ferrari the name change hints at a rebrand for the team. Becoming more independent trying to move out of the midfield and more in the running to win. The team joined the grid in 1970, going from an independent team to BMW Sauber. The team has never experienced a world championship and has spent most of its time from 6th to 10th position in the standings. However the team boasts both young and experienced current drivers with, Valterri Bottas former Mercedes driver who both won and achieved multiple podiums there, drives alongside Zhou Guanyu another newer talent on the grid.

Williams, another long-standing team, the third oldest on the grid. The team have affiliations with Mercedes with young drivers often starting their F1 career here. In the teams history they have won 9 world championships however all of these were before the 2000s. Since 2018 they have seen a dip in performance. Going from 5th in the standings to 10th. With a driver line up of Alex Albon and Logan Sargent their luck needs to turn back around.

The races 

Each season these days can have up to 23, often all around the globe never doing the same track twice in a season. Race weekends run from Friday to Sunday (this can differ depending on the time zone) 

Friday consists of practice. As the name suggest practice is solely to practice, this doesn’t affect race day and is an opportunity for the drivers to get out in the track and get an idea on timings and how they compare to other. There are 3 sessions off practice often 2 happening on the Friday and 1 on the Saturday. All the drivers have a set time to go on the track and set their times.

Qualifying, this is what sets the grid. Qualifying again is in three sessions. The drivers have around 30 minutes to go out on the track and set a race time. Those with the fastest 15 will then go into qualifying 2 these 15 then race again and the top 10 will then go into qualifying 3, qualifying sets the grid for Sunday. In some races getting pole position can almost guarantee a podium finish. 

The race, lights out and away we go! The drivers line up on the grid in their qualifying order. The race often lasts around 90 minutes. However if for any reason (the weather or a crash) that play has to be stopped they have a total of two hours to complete the whole race. 

If you’re not slightly confused already this is where it might get you! Sprint races: these happen at selected tracks during the f1 season. Rather than 3 practices and 3 qualifying this is replaced by just 1 longer practice and 3 shorter but have the same content qualifiers. However the qualifying now sets the grid for a shorter ‘mini race’ and whatever the results of this race become the grid set up for the actual race on Sunday. (Writing this i’m confused and I actually know what’s going on) The sprint race was recently introduced and it came with lots of backlash, many loyal long time supporters found the system unnecessary and confusing. 

The points

All the points come from the races or the sprint race if you eligible for that weekend. In a normal weekend the points are as followed

First place: 25 points  

Second place: 18 points 

Third place: 15 points

Fourth place: 12 points 

Fifth place: 10 points

Sixth place: 8 points 

Seventh place: 6 points 

Eighth place: 4 points

Ninth place: 2 points 

Tenth place: 1 point

Anyone scoring out of the top ten score no point. On a sprint race weekend points can also be gained from the sprint. Those who qualify first receive eight points, second get seven points, third get six points and so on. 

Points not only matter for the individual drivers and their place in the drivers championship but also the team as both drivers overall points add up and the team with the most receive the constructors championship. 

The cars 

Each year the team can decide and build what they think will be a championship winning car. Many build a season in advance when they see how their current car is performing. Major changes during the season can cause penalties to both the team and the individual drivers, whether this is grid penalties meaning the driver has to move back a few places or if this is point deductions, for example an engine change can have consequences. 

F1 ars now are often made up of carbon fibre (almost 85%). A lightweight but strong material that is durable surviving high speeds, temperature and pressure. For an f1 team weight is key, however both the car and driver need to meet a 798kg minimum weight to allow for fair play. 

The cars are often designed around their sponsors and many have a base colour they stick with (eg. Ferrari and red) but also big names like, Tag Huer, Tommy Hilfiger or  Santander.

What’s the draw? 

Many enjoy the fast pace action of it, the intense rivalry and the connections they make to the drivers. Others like it solely for the car aspect and just what the engineers can do. Others like the action, the possibility of a crash (hopefully never too intense) and the risk a driver will take to reach those podium places 

Whatever it is it’s keeps millions of people entertained and is an ever growing market!!