And it’s lights out, and away we go. This is a line that I hear 24 times a year when I watch a Formula 1 race, and a line that wakes me up even if it is 4 am.
I never grew up knowing what motorsport was; I just knew of the name Lewis Hamilton, but never really what he did. It was something I only really started to watch in 2020, but it immediately piqued my interest for a reason I’m still not 100% sure of. Now, with the next two races being cancelled, making Miami the next race weekend, is there even a better time to go into all things F1? I think not.
This season, Formula 1 has had a few changes; instead of 10 teams, we now have 11, meaning we have 22 drivers now instead of 20. We also said goodbye to DRS for an Active Aero System. I’ll be honest, this new system is something I haven’t fully managed to grasp the complete concept of yet, so we will leave that at that.
Now, when you look at F1 at first glance, it just looks like cars driving fast in circles, and if I’m being very honest, that definitely is a component, but there is more to it than just that.
Let’s start with our driver, F1 has been described by many as the pinnacle of motorsport, so being able to get a seat is an incredible achievement, especially considering there are only 22 each year. These athletes train hard to help them deal with the intense g-forces they can pull as well as the heat they sit through when racing, especially in hotter climates. Reaction times are crucial with life-threatening decisions needing to be made in 0.4 seconds when driving over 200 mph. Fans quickly grow attached to drivers as they bring their own personality to the grid, especially drivers like Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc.
Then we have the engineering team. Formula 1 goes beyond just the person sitting behind the steering wheel, and that driver needs a team of people to keep the car in peak performance. The engineers and mechanics aren’t always seen, but they are crucial during a race weekend. They analyze the crucial data that lets the team better understand how the car is performing, they fine-tune the car if there are any issues, and they perform pit stops in under 2 seconds. If anything goes wrong in this team, it can cost the team places or even the whole race.
Then you have the team principal. The best way I can describe this role is as the head coach. They make the big decisions, manage the drivers and the rest of the team, as well as handling the overall strategy for that weekend. They are responsible for that brand and how it looks past just a race weekend.
Every lap in F1 involves strategy, such as when to pit for fresh tires, how to react to safety cars following a crash, and what tires to even put on the car, as well as a whole bunch of other things.
The scoring system in F1 is based on who finishes the race in what position. The first 10 are awarded ‘points’ depending on their place. These points are how the constructors’ championship and drivers’ championship are calculated, aka the things every team and driver aims to win.
For a long time now, motorsport has been considered a male-dominated sport, but that is now changing. The F1 Academy is run by Susie Wolff and is a group of the best 20 female drivers who drive a selection of the F1 calendar races, with all the same F1 teams being involved and having a very similar setup.
Formula 1 isn’t just about your gender; it is about perseverance, intelligence, mental and physical, and precision. These are skills that I believe, no matter your gender, you can bring to the table.
So, whether you are waking up at 4 am like me or just learning what a pitstop is, F1 has a way of demanding your attention and pulling you in. There is no time like the present to start watching, and the Miami Grand Prix is a great way to get started with media coverage being such a staple at this specific race.