Since the release of the Netflix documentary series “Drive to Survive” in 2019, which follows the Formula 1 season and the interpersonal dynamics and drama that come with it, the sport has grown increasingly popular, especially among younger women. I fall into this category.
I have never been particularly invested in sports, but when I first watched “Drive to Survive” in 2021, I was fascinated — not just by the on-track racing, but also by the off-track politics and the relationships between drivers, teams and the sport’s regulatory body, the FIA. When I first started following F1, there weren’t many resources that comprehensively broke down how the sport works and how to follow it, so I want to offer that here.
What is Formula 1?
The sport is made up of 11 teams, each with two drivers, for a total of 22 drivers competing. Each team designs its own car within regulations set by the FIA, meaning that success does not solely depend on the driver or the car, but a combination of both. This structure corresponds to F1’s two championships: the World Constructors’ Championship, awarded to the team with the most points, and the World Drivers’ Championship, awarded to the individual driver with the most points. Points are earned during races, known as grands prix.
The F1 season starts at the beginning of March and runs until early December, with a month-long summer break, usually in August. There are 24 grands prix in the 2026 F1 season, each held over the course of a weekend.Â
The Formula 1 Race Weekend
Free Practice
On Friday and Saturday, there are three rounds of free practice: FP1, FP2 and FP3. As the name implies, these sessions give drivers time to practice, while team engineers use them to test different car setups and determine what performs best on the track.
Qualifying
Qualifying determines the order in which drivers are placed in the starting grid for the race. It is crucial to place as close to the front as possible; during the race, the higher a driver starts, the more likely they are to either maintain that position or finish stronger.
Qualifying takes place on Saturday after FP3 and is split into three rounds: Q1, Q2 and Q3. In Q1, all 22 drivers have 18 minutes to set their fastest lap times. Once the time is up, the six slowest drivers are eliminated, and their grid positions for race day are locked in based on those times. Q2 follows the same pattern, with the next six slowest drivers eliminated, setting positions in the middle of the grid. The only difference is that Q2 offers drivers 15 minutes to set their fastest lap. The final round, Q3, lasts 13 minutes and features the remaining 10 drivers. Instead of eliminations, the ranking of their lap times determines their positions for the race, with the fastest driver taking first place, or pole position.Â
Sprints
Over the course of the season, there are six grands prix that follow a sprint format, in which FP2 and FP3 are replaced by a sprint and sprint qualifying. A sprint is a shorter race, usually 30 minutes long, and sprint qualifying is structured the same as typical qualifying, but with slightly shorter rounds.Â
Race
Races are held on Sunday, and the number of laps, or total race time, depends on the track. Usually, races range from an hour and a half to two hours, excluding any issues on track. Before a race officially begins, there is a formation lap in which the drivers circle the track once to warm up their tires and prepare for the start.
During the race, drivers are required to make at least one pit stop to change tires. Within F1, there are five types of tires: soft, medium, hard, wet and intermediate. Soft tires allow the fastest pace but wear out the quickest, while hard tires last the longest but are the slowest. Medium tires fall in between the two. Wet and intermediate tires are both designed for use in rainy weather conditions.Â
Races can be stopped or red-flagged if there is a significant crash on track that requires all driving to pause. In these cases, drivers return to the pit lane. More commonly, however, when there is a crash or debris on the track, a yellow flag is issued and a safety car is deployed. A safety car is often a physical car, though a virtual safety car may be used if the issue is less severe. Under either system, drivers must maintain a slower speed and are not allowed to overtake.
How to Follow F1
In the United States, F1 is available to stream on Apple TV with a subscription. Keeping up with a sport also means staying up to date with news beyond just the races themselves. Following content creators on social media is a great way to stay informed without tuning in to every event. At first, races can feel confusing or complicated, but the more you engage with the sport, whether through watching events or content that analyzes the races and dynamics between drivers and teams, the easier it becomes to understand and follow.