What is Formula 1?

Formula 1 is widely considered to be the pinnacle of motorsport

racing. Ten teams with two drivers each compete against one another

every season in a neck to neck race to the finish line. F1 cars can reach

up to speeds of 200 miles per hour, and are the foundation for the

iconic race car roars . From the tropical Singapore street race to the

iconic Monza race track in Italy, F1’s influence, history, and culture has

been growing around the globe.

How do the races work?

Races usually take place on multiple consecutive weekends, starting with practice on Fridays,

qualifying on Saturdays, and the race on Sundays. Drivers are given Fridays to practice on the track,

as well as a final chance to fine tune their cars for qualifying and the race. On Saturday, the drivers

compete in a qualifying format that determines their starting positions for the race, which can either

make or break their weekend depending on where they start. Starting towards the front usually gives

the driver an advantage, as there are less cars they need to overtake in order to climb towards the

top. Starting further back in the group places the racer at a major disadvantage as it puts the driver

behind more cars, which consequently means more overtakes. Finally, Sunday is the big race, where

the drivers head onto the track and race for as many points as possible. Only the top ten drivers earn

points, however, setting everyone on the grid, even teammates, against one another.

What is the strategy to winning?

With 20 drivers on the grid, competition flares high when the race arrives. Teams have to use all their

resources to their advantage in order to gain points, which accumulate to their final standing at the end of

the year. Typically, teams will play both of their drivers to their advantage, using various strategies to give

them the edge. Some strategies include using one driver to stall the opposing team while their teammate

who is behind catches up, or giving each other “slipstreams,” which allow for less air resistance, allowing

the car to move faster. Pit stops, used to change tires, also play a big part in determining the rankings.

Formula 1 has three types of tire compounds that the drivers and their teams can choose to use. They

range from soft tires, which allow the car to drive the fastest but last the shortest amount of time, to hard

tires, which drive the slowest but have the longest life-span. In between the two are medium tires, which

is a mix between both the soft and hard tires. Which tires the driver decides to use comes down to the

strategy they choose to play when race day comes around.