If you don’t know what Formula 1 is, then you need to stop everything and read this article.
Crashes, drama, rivalries, this sport has it all. The races are even more captivating to watch live. Formula 1 cars can go up to 200 miles an hour within a few seconds and the circuits have their own style, personality, and crowds. Every race requires a different strategy from the teams. It’s mandatory that there is at least one pit stop during the race from every driver and they must change their tire compound, meaning the type of tire used. These races are getting harder and harder to predict which I think just means that they are even more entertaining. Because there are only ever 20 drivers, 2 per team, competing in a single race (and most often in the entire championship), it’s actually easier to follow all the drama about contracts, friendships, and rivalries. These teams know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, so they know exactly what to say in the media to get into the heads of their competitors. Watching the funniest moments from the press conferences is one of my favorite things to do to pass time. You really get to see the driver’s humor and drama between one another. Sometimes, the drama feels like a reality television show.
The Drivers
Like most women, I don’t mind watching good looking guys. Formula 1 has quite the selection of fine European men. Enough said. There are drivers from England, France, Spain, Germany, and even Monaco. Take a look for yourself. I rank Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris highly on the scale of good-looking Formula 1 drivers. I call dibs on Lando Norris so don’t get any ideas.
The Luxury
Formula 1 cars are expensive, like really expensive. The FIA, or the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, which is the governing body for Formula 1 and other motorsports, has put a $140 million budget cap for each team to spend on developing their car with the best technology and upgrades. The championship is split in two ways: one for the drivers and one for the constructors. The constructors are the teams that build the cars which consist of Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, Mercedes, Alpine, McLaren, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Haas F1 Team, AlphaTauri, and Williams. Because the drivers risk their lives operating and pushing those cars to the limits, they have a hefty salary to make it all worth it. The minimum salary that drivers will be signed to is roughly $500,000 per year. But that’s just a starting amount. Most drivers are at least signed for $10 million a year with Lewis Hamilton being signed for a shocking $44 million a year. Formula 1 is all about that moola, whether they admit it or not.
The Destination
They race all around the world. In fact, in the 2023 season, Formula 1 will be coming to the United States on five different occasions: Miami, Florida, Austin, Texas, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Just recently, the teams traveled out to Singapore and Japan for the first time since 2019 following the COVID-19 pandemic. The race schedule lasts the entirety of a weekend starting on Thursday. Thursdays are media days and press conferences. Fridays consist of two practice sessions. Saturday is a third and final practice session and a qualifying session in which the starting grid for the race is determined. Lastly, Sunday is the Grand Prix for the weekend. Each race lasts about 90 to 120 minutes depending on several different factors.
The Commentators
Formula 1 commentators are lively and explain the sport well. They are all about growing the audience and the love of the sport across the world. Honestly, one of the best parts of this sport is the commentators. They are informative, funny, and experienced in the world of Formula 1, so they know the right questions to ask the drivers and how to best keep the audience entertained.
Lastly, but arguably the most important reason, Mr. Lando Norris
As previously mentioned, Lando Norris is quite the driver for a number of reasons. Not only is he excelling in his career, but he is strongly holding seventh place in the championship. He is considered “best of the rest” when it comes to the remaining twelve drivers because of how difficult it is to compete with the leading teams. Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Ferrari, and AMG Mercedes are obviously going to be ranking in the top six spots in the driver’s championship because of their skills and capabilities. However, Lando has mastered speeding around in his McLaren and has reached this status at a young age. Being only 22 years old, Lando is in his fourth year as a Formula 1 driver. For the strict selection of drivers, Lando has done an incredible job at establishing himself in the sport for many more years to come.
I highly recommend watching funny Formula 1 complications to get yourself interested in the sport. If you have ever wanted to watch a more luxury version of Nascar, Formula 1 is perfect for you.