Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Michael Schumacher. You most likely have heard these names even if you are not an avid F1 fan. Don’t worry if you have not. These are some of the many F1 racers known for their skills at break-neck speeds on the F1 circuits.
Reading this article means that you are probably developing an interest in F1, but you don’t know where to start. Being an avid F1 fan myself, I’ll list down some of the key elements you should know about before you start watching F1. Let’s dive in!
What is F1?
Before you begin watching the motorsport, you must understand what the motorsport is and why the vehicles used are so unique. According to the F1 website, it is the “highest class of international racing for single-seater formula racing cars.”
However, a simpler definition would be that it is a sport consisting of superfast vehicles with brilliant ground clearance for stability, driven by skilled drivers also nicknamed “pilots” since they are well near flying. The sport takes place on dedicated tracks in countries such as Bahrain, Monaco, the United States, and Italy.
You will be amazed to know what sort of technology they use to create these vehicles. They come with regenerative braking to provide an extra boost in speed. Regenerative braking in F1 cars uses the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that captures and stores lost energy during the braking process. This ensures that the car gives optimal performance and gives an extra 81 horsepower. However, using the KERS system is only limited to 6.67 seconds per lap to maintain the regulations.
Which Teams Usually Participate?
The teams are usually named after the companies that make the cars. Some of the most prominent teams include Red Bull Racing, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine, Aston Martin, Williams, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, Kick Sauber (previously known as Alfa Romeo), and Haas.
Currently, Lewis Hamilton and Charles LeClerc are driving for Ferrari, while Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson are racing for Red Bull Racing. McLaren currently includes Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and Mercedes has George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Where Are the Races Held?
There are F1 circuits in all the major countries of the world. These countries include Australia, China, Bahrain, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Italy, USA, Monaco, Spain, Austria, Canada, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Netherlands, Mexico, Azerbaijan, Singapore, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and so on.
You can catch the races online. Just make sure that you keep an eye on the schedule so that you don’t miss your favorite racers. Once you check the schedule out, you can stream your races online.
Bonus Tip: To make sure that you have seamless streaming of F1 races, make sure that you use a superfast internet connection. The Internet should give you enough speed and reliability to ensure that you have a hassle-free streaming experience.
Now, coming to the actual races and their essential components, the races are split into two essential parts. I’ll elaborate more in the upcoming section.
Part One: The Qualifying Sessions
The qualifying sessions are typically held on Saturdays while the actual races take place on Sundays. One would think that it isn’t important to watch the qualifying sessions, but you would be surprised to know what significance they hold.
There is no overtaking in a qualifying session, the cars are just optimally spaced out and go at their maximum speeds. The cars that perform better are given a greater grid position at the start of the race. So, the crux of a qualifying session is to compete for a better position on the grid.
There are three rounds in a qualifying session. It doesn’t matter where you are in the first two rounds, you just have to make sure that you stay out of the relegation zone. In the first round, the five cars with the lowest lap times are eliminated. The same is the case with the second round with five more cars eliminated. In the final round, the remaining ten cars fight for the top ten grid positions, and the ones with the better lap times take the lead.
Part Two: The Actual Races
The Sunday races are all about winning them and finishing first, as is the case in any normal race. The racers that finish in the top three get to go to the podium and open champagnes to celebrate. The racer that finishes first gets 10 points, the second one gets 8 points, and the third gets 6 points.
The points keep on decreasing, with 5 points for the fourth racer to 1 point for the eighth racer. At the end of the season, the racer that accumulates the most points wins the world champion title.
A Bonus Pointer
To enjoy the upcoming F1 season, you should pick out a favorite team or a racer. If you look at the history and stats, then you’ll notice that both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are amazing racers.