I know what you’re thinking because I thought this too: why would someone waste three hours every weekend watching cars going around the same track for 60 laps? I couldn’t imagine anything more boring until I discovered Netflix’s Drive to Survive documentary that detailed the 2018 Formula 1 series.
Ladies, Formula 1 is like a soap opera on crack. Drivers try to sabotage each other, team principles and CEOs go after each other in press conferences, the sport exudes wealth and poshness, and let’s not forget that the drivers are risking their lives everyday racing at 200 mph. The budget for designing cars is a cool 2.6 billion dollars and the highest-paid driver made 57 million dollars this year. The money and the piranha-like culture among drivers make F1 one of the most dramatic and competitive sports on the planet. But how did it all start?
Formula 1 officially began in 1950 and was born out of the pre-war European racing culture. The cars were rudimentary and extremely dangerous to drive. What started off as a few races in Europe has evolved into a global phenomenon—stretching to Japan, Vietnam, Abu Dhabi and Russia. In a typical season, drivers will compete in 20 to 22 races, starting with the Australian Grand Prix in March and ending in Abu Dhabi in December.
Each Grand Prix track has a different design. For example, the Italian GP circuit in Monza has long straightaways that suit Ferrari cars the best, while the circuit in Monaco is made mostly out of tight corners. The tracks are anywhere between two and four miles long and are either “street circuits” on actual roads, or “race circuits” designed specifically for racing. There are currently four street circuits on the 2020 race calendar.
Race weekend starts with three free practice sessions, where drivers can test out their cars on the circuit and develop pit stop and tire compound strategies. After free practice, there is a qualifying session in which drivers have ten minutes to set their fastest lap times. There are three ten-minute sessions in which the slowest five drivers get cut. This sets the grid positions for the actual race on Sunday where 20 cars line up to fight for a podium position. Drivers must finish in the top 10 to earn points and the driver with the most points at the end of the season wins the World Championship title.
One of my favorite parts of the sport is the different driver and team dynamics. Formula 1 breeds a different type of cut-throat competitor that doesn’t fear death. Teammates will ignore team orders to win and team managers have accused each other of cheating. Historical rivalries between drivers have produced juicy crashes and foul-mouthed banter on the radios. Some have even gone so far as to get into physical fights with each other, like Max Verstappen and Esteban Ocon, or crash cars when neither driver refuses to yield, such as Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.
Driver personalities are also another reason to watch F1. You can find every archetype on the grid: the rich kid, the class clown, the drivers who are always causing trouble and drivers who barely speak to the press. The current Formula 1 lineup is an eclectic group with an average age of 26. My favorite drivers are all 23 years old or younger—it’s wild to think that kids my age are being trusted to race cars that cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make!
If you do decide to watch Formula 1, you will be in good company. There are 1.768 billion people who tune in to watch it, including many celebrities. Cristiano Ronaldo, Kris Jenner, Tom Brady, the Hadid sisters and Matthew McConaughey have been spotted at the races. The 2020 season begins on March 15th in Australia and a new season of Drive to Survive is expected in early March. I highly suggest tuning in to a race—you might find a new passion, or in my case, an obsession!