Sometimes, it can be hard to get into a new interest, particularly if it’s a motorsport like Formula 1. There are endless terms, a textbook full of technical knowledge, and a heap of rules and regulations to learn. It can be overwhelming to try to understand it all at once. It’s a steep learning curve—one that can require some serious initial velocity.
That’s why I’m here to help. If you want to start watching Formula 1, but you’re intimidated by its hermetic knowledge, then this will be your skeleton key. F1 shouldn’t seem scary at all. It’s something everyone can enjoy. With this help at your fingertips and a couple of races under your belt, you’ll be speaking the lingo in no time. Here’s a beginner’s guide to Formula 1:
To begin, we must understand the definition of Formula 1, as well as the sport’s purpose. F1 is an international racing format for open-wheel, single-seater racing cars. It’s a team sport with 10 teams and 20 racing drivers in 2024. Each team has two pilots.
Its history goes back to the 1920s and 1930s with the European Motor Racing Championships, and it became an official racing format in 1950 with its first World champion in Alfa Romeo, Giuseppe Farina.
Formula 1 has hosted notable car brands for many years, including Ferrari, Bugatti, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz AMG Petronas, and many more. Until 1958, only racing pilots were able to win championships. A Constructors’ Championship was added to the races to increase the rivalry between the teams and to motivate each engineer to create the best and most competitive car on the circuit.
What’s a circuit?
There are three types of circuits in Formula 1: street circuits, race circuits, and road circuits. Street circuits consist of closed city streets. Race circuits are permanent facilities of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). Road circuits are a mixture of roads and permanent tracks.
Every circuit has a unique shape, and the races become even more dynamic because teams must try to optimize their cars for every condition and atmosphere. For instance, it is easier for a racing car to be faster on a straight road, but if the circuit has sharp corners and sweeping curves, then the driver must prove his talent.
Even the weather conditions are major factors while driving a Formula 1 car. The hot weather is intense for both the engine and the driver. In hot weather, the driver will feel immense pressure because of the G-force, the engine will be affected by the power and the heat, and the tires will wear quickly.
The rainy days are sometimes fans’ favorites because they make it primarily about the balance of the car. Wet circuits mean the tires will slide easily, and the driver should control the stability between the car and the tires. It becomes a serious test of skill.
Every race has its tire type. Soft, medium, and hard tires all have their benefits and trade-offs. Soft tires have the best grip, but lack durability. Hard tires have the best durability, but lack grip. The medium tires offer both without excellence. The teams create competing strategies for tire grip and durability for each race.
Who are the teams in 2024?
One of the best teams racing in Formula 1 is undeniable: the Italian team, Ferrari. Ferrari started its racing history with the Monaco Grand Prix in 1950, and since then, the Scuderia Ferrari has had 1075 race starts, 16 Constructors’ Championships, 15 Drivers’ Championships, and 804 podiums with 204 race victories. Ferrari’s current pilots are Monegasque Charles Leclerc and Spanish Carlos Sainz.
Another team that has made a name for itself in recent years is the British team Oracle Red Bull Racing. Red Bull Racing started its racing history in 2005 in the Australian Grand Prix with David Coulthard and Christian Klien. Oracle Red Bull Racing has entered 371 races with 268 podiums and 115 race victories.
The British team has six Constructors’ Championships and seven Drivers’ Championships. Three of the Drivers’ Championships came in 2021, 2022, and 2023 with Max Verstappen, aka Mad Max. Mexican Sergio Perez and the Dutch Max Verstappen are the drivers of the team in the 2024 season.
Verstappen has achieved great success in the last three years and has broken a ton of world records at a very young age. Verstappen is the youngest Grand Prix winner. He has the most wins in a season, the highest percentage of wins in a season, and the most consecutive wins. He wins a lot.
The next team is the Mercedes-Benz group with the name of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. Mercedes has been in Formula 1 since 1954 as both a team and an engine manufacturer. The German team has the greatest driver of all time, Lewis Hamilton. The team has eight Constructors’ Championships and nine Drivers’ Championships. Seven of the nine championship titles belong to Hamilton, who holds the world record. Hamilton is a teammate with British George Russell in 2024.
Of course, without McLaren, it would be hard to talk about the history of Formula 1. McLaren Formula 1 Team is British-based, the second oldest active team and the second most successful F1 team after Ferrari.
McLaren has won 183 races, 12 Drivers’ Championships and eight Constructors’ Championships. The team’s most dominant era was with Porsche and Honda Engines. The McLaren Formula 1 Team dominated races with the greatest racers Niki Lauda, Alan Proust and Ayrton Senna in the 1980s.
The other teams who are racing in Formula 1 are Aston Martin, Haas F1 Team, Williams, Kick Sauber, Visa Cash App Red Bull and Alpine.
Who are some of the drivers?
Now let me introduce you to the drivers. The best-known pilot is Lewis Hamilton. He was born on the 7th of January 1985 and started his racing career at the age of seven with karting. He showed amazing success, starting with local races and ending with international races. Then he joined the McLaren-Mercedes Young Driver Program, which helped him to start racing in Formula 1 with the McLaren Formula 1 team in 2007. Hamilton went on to win seven World Championships, breaking the all-time record.
Max Verstappen was born on the 30th of September 1997. He started his Formula 1 career in 2015 with Toro Rosso and became the youngest F1 driver at 17 years and 166 days old. One year later, he started racing with Red Bull. Despite his young age, Max Verstappen built a legacy. He became a four-time World Champion with Red Bull.
Charles Leclerc, known as the Prince of Ferrari, was born on the 16th of October 1997 in Monaco. He started racing in Formula 1 in 2018 with Sauber, and the next season as a Ferrari pilot, he became the second-youngest driver to qualify for pole position in Formula One at the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix. He is best known for his dedication to Ferrari and his long-term contract with the team.
Fernando Alonso was born on the 29th of July 1981, and he is the oldest racing driver on the grid at 42 years old. He’s racing for Aston Martin, but he debuted in Formula 1 with Minardi in 2001. Alonso won two World Championships in 2005 and 2006, just four years after his first race, and became the youngest pole-sitter, youngest race winner, youngest world champion, and youngest two-time champion at that time.
It can’t be a true beginner’s guide to Formula 1 without mentioning the honorific figures of the sport. Michael Schumacher was born on January 3rd, 1969. He was a German racing driver who started his Formula 1 career in 1991 at the Belgium Grand Prix with the Jordan-Ford team. After the Jordan-Ford team, he followed Benetton, Ferrari and Mercedes.
Schumacher achieved unbelievable success and was known for his balance in wet races, nicknamed Regenmeister (rain master). He has seven World Championships titles, joint with Lewis Hamilton. Toto Wolff said about him: “No one will ever be greater than Schumi. Michael has shaped a generation like no other, he is iconic.”
Niki Lauda was born on 22nd February 1949 and passed away on 20th May 2020. He was a three-time Formula One World Drivers’ Champion. In 1979, Lauda crashed on Nürburgring. During the second lap, Lauda swerved off the track, and the car burst into flames. He was trapped in the wreckage. Lauda had severe burns and inhaled hot toxic gases that damaged his lungs and body. He returned to F1 after missing just two races. Six weeks after the crash, even though he was physically suffering, he was mentally ready to put his all into the races.
Kimi Raikkönen, aka Iceman, was born on 17th October 1979. He is a Finnish racing driver who debuted in Formula 1 with Sauber in 2001. He won his first World Championship in 2007, becoming the last champion of Ferrari until this day.
Alain Prost was born on 24th February 1955. He’s a retired French racing driver who started his Formula 1 career with McLaren in 1980. Then he followed Renault, Ferrari and Williams, winning four World Championships in his career.
What makes Formula 1 so exciting?
Primarily, in Formula 1, the 20 best drivers in the world have a chance to race. When you’re watching Formula 1, you know you’re watching a competition between the best racers in the whole world. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Rivalries emerge. Lives are at risk. F1 features the best of the best competing at the highest level. World champions of previous years are competing for their next title, and in every race, you have a chance to witness a world record.
Then, the speed of the cars is not something you can witness in your daily life. An average Formula 1 car can reach top speeds of up to 360 kph (224 mph). It’s impossible to appreciate the terrific speeds until you watch it, and watching it in person takes it to another level.
Next, the races are not just about speed and driving but also about strategy and teamwork. For each race, teams formulate new strategies, including cooperation between teammates and competition with rivals. Each circuit requires a different plan. A good strategy and solid teamwork are what win races.
In addition to that, each rivalry causes drama, and these stories are always there to be told. James Hunt vs. Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna vs. Alain Prost, or Lewis Hamilton vs. Max Verstappen are just a few examples. James Hunt and Niki Lauda’s rivalry became the basis for the film Rush.
What sparked the Hamilton vs. Verstappen rivalry?
In 2021, Lewis Hamilton was fighting for his eighth World Championship title against Max Verstappen, who sought his first title. The duo competed with each other with close scores throughout the year, culminating in a race for the title.
It was the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the World Championship was on the line. Nicholas Latifi crashed on exit Turn 14 when there were just five laps to finish the race, and this accident changed Hamilton’s destiny. Hamilton had led the whole race and could taste his eighth World Championship. But the crash changed the entire race.
In normal conditions, the Safety Car would have waved around all lapped cars and the race would have resumed at the end of the next lap – in this case, Lap 58. Lap 58 was the final lap of the race, which meant there could be no overtaking, guaranteeing Hamilton the win.
Under pressure, Masi, the Formula 1 race director, made a different decision, allowing the five lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen through, and immediately bringing in the Safety Car. It left Hamilton and Verstappen side-by-side for one lap to decide the World Championship.
This decision benefitted Red Bull and Verstappen, who had fresh soft tires. Verstappen attacked up the inside at Turn 5 and held off Hamilton’s attack into Turns 6 and 9 to win the title. He won his first World Championship, denied Hamilton his eighth, and a rivalry was born. If you’d like to watch a recap of this fateful, thrilling race, you can click here.
Some final terms you should know:
Aerodynamics is the study of air’s movement over and around objects. DRS, a drag reduction system, enables closer racing and helps with overtaking as the rear wing’s flap opens up, lowering drag to boost speed.
Sectors are important to know if you want to understand what you’re watching. There are three sectors: yellow, green, and purple. The purple sector is the fastest sector time by any driver in the current session. The green sector is the driver’s personal best time but not the overall fastest in the session. The yellow (or sometimes orange) sector is a driver’s sector time slower than their personal best.
The events take more than three days sometimes. There’s the media day, sprint race format, qualification, and finally the race. The sprint race format changes every year, but it is a short race that lasts about 30 minutes. The qualification consists of three parts: Q1, Q2 and Q3. After every part, the fastest driver is removed, and the fastest lap driver is granted pole position. Race day usually takes place on Sunday.
Now go watch your first race and enjoy the show! Odds are, this is the first step on your path to long-term fandom, and maybe even obsession.
