Formula One: The Pinnacle of Motorsport

by Hannah Roberts | Oct 19, 2024 | Sports

“It is lights out and away we go” is a phrase that echoes out of most Formula One fans’ speakers on a Sunday afternoon. Hearing David Croft start the race with his famous line brings a thrill to viewers, and it signals the start of what will be an exciting two hours for fans. The battle for first place, the excruciating pit stops, and the fights between the drivers so that they can earn points for their teams and themselves are what fuel every race on the F1 calendar. 

 

Formula One is a sport that is made up of over 20 races per season. There are 10 teams that make up the F1 grid, and there are 20 drivers that compete against one another. Each team has two cars and two drivers that race every race weekend. Here is a list of every team in F1 and who their drivers are for 2024:

  • Alpine Renault: Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon
  • Aston Martin Aramco: Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso
  • Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz
  • Haas F1 Team: Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen
  • Kick Sauber: Valterri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu
  • McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
  • Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
  • RB Honda RBPT: Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda
  • Red Bull Racing: Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
  • Williams: Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto

 

Formula One is seen as the pinnacle of motorsport, and for good reason. These drivers had to work tirelessly to get to where they are today, and they had to work their way up through the Formula divisions to make it into the top tier of their sport. To ensure that the sport stays at a meticulously high standard, there is a regulatory body called the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, more commonly known as the FIA. The FIA ensures fair play between all the teams and the drivers as they enforce a set of rules to ensure that the racers are as safe as they can be at all times on the race track.

 

A Formula One race weekend starts on a Thursday with driver press conferences, and it ends on a Sunday with the actual race. Fridays consist of two practice sessions, and Saturdays are for the third practice session and qualifying. These practice sessions are an hour long, and they allow drivers to get a sense of what the track will be like on race day. Practice helps the drivers get used to various external factors, such as how long their tyres will last given the weather and the condition of the track, as well as how quickly they can take the turns and race down the straights. Qualifying, on the other hand, is a system that determines where each driver starts the race on Sunday based on how fast their lap time was. Ensuring that qualifying goes well is crucial for a team, because the closer to the front of the grid you start the race, the higher your chances are of winning if the driver can defend themselves and their position.

 

The races on Sundays are most fans’ highlight of the weekend. The amount of laps that drivers need to complete for a single race depends on how many kilometres the track is. Every track is made up of straight sections (known as straights) and corners (known as turns). If the straight is long enough, then drivers have access to the drag reduction system (DRS) on the back of their car. This is a driver-controlled mechanism on the rear wing of the car that allows drivers to increase their speed when it is opened. This gives them access to a faster speed so that they can catch up to the driver in front of them if they are a second or less apart.

 

Every race is a new opportunity for drivers to earn points that will help them edge closer to winning the coveted Driver’s Championship. The World Driver’s Championship is what all drivers are ultimately competing for. It is a collection of points scored over the races, and it determines who the best driver was for the season. Accumulating enough points to win the most prestigious prize in the sport is easier for some because of a variety of factors that include the race car that the driver has to compete against others with, their confidence in the car’s abilities, and their own talents and capabilities.

 

There is also the Constructors’ Championship, which works the same way as the Driver’s Championship, except the teams are collecting points and they have two people trying to win them. For engine developers and corporate sponsors, the Constructors’ Championship is the most important because it helps them determine whether they should be affiliated with the team or not.

 

This year’s Driver’s Championship is much more exciting than last year’s because there is more competition between the top five drivers. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris are competing with one another for the shining first-place trophy, and Charles Leclerc is also winning more points as the races go on. Additionally, Oscar Piastri has the potential to earn more points in the remaining races of the season based on his performances in the last few races. Carlos Sainz has also been performing well for his last season in a Ferrari race car, and he has the opportunity to fight for more points and race wins.

 

Many people view Formula One as drivers that “drive around in circles for two hours”, but there is a lot more to the sport than that. F1 is a strenuous sport that requires a lot of strength training so that the racers are able to cope with the demands of driving an F1 car. The forces that act on the drivers take a toll on their bodies. Therefore, they need to be physically prepared and fit for racing. Being a Formula One racing driver requires great deals of strength, both physically and mentally. The drivers need to be able to make split-second decisions while travelling up to 300 kilometres per hour, all while concentrating on battling their opponents and staying focused on the track.

 

Formula One may seem like a boring sport to some people, but to F1 fans, it is the most exhilarating sport in the world. If you ever find yourself doing nothing or wanting to have some background noise while you study on a Sunday, check to see if there is a race on, and try to watch it. Who knows, maybe it will become your new favourite sport.

 

Hannah Roberts
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