Formula 1 | A Guide For Beginner’s | Rules, Cars, Teams, Drivers & Point System
Did you know what is “Formula 1” ? or Are you new to this concept?
If yes, then in this Guide, I’ll walk you through the most exciting, entertaining, dramatic, and prestigious motorsport in the world that shows the perfect combination of “Man & Machine” working as one.
Let’s understand some ground rules and mechanisms of the race.
RULES OF THE RACE
The race consists of a 3-day schedule Friday, Saturday & Sunday in which practice session, qualification session (Q1, Q2 & Q3), and then race take place respectively, and whoever completes the lap in the shortest time will start the race on Sunday with pole position (1st position).
Also, if some regulations by FIA are not followed or the teams do some mechanical changes in the car due to failure of components then the respective driver will receive a penalty and starts the race from the middle of the grid or in some cases end of the grid.
What is Grid? ….. Good question!!👌
and the answer is:
“Grid is a marked section of the track at the start where the cars line up according to their times in the qualification session, the fastest among them occupying the front position.”
F1 CARS
The F1 cars are highly sophisticated one-seater race cars that are developed using state-of-the-art technologies that work on a hybrid fuel system consisting of a minimal amount of organic fuel and the re-charging battery unit system that is harmonized with the electronic control system which gives the driver more control and customizability options according to his driving style and also the overall design of the car including engine and chassis are the live examples of the pinnacle of true engineering that world has never seen before.
All of these elements make the “Formula One car” the fastest car in the world of motorsport that blows the mind of the audience with speeds up to 300- 400 km/h and swift movements around sharp corners with speeds up to 80–130 km/h depending on the climate & track conditions, give thrills.
TEAMS AND DRIVERS
In F1 there are 20 - drivers that participate in the race all around the world with the association of 10 - teams each team containing 2 - drivers. Also, most of the teams manufacture their cars and they try to provide their drivers with the best car that could not only match their driving style but also give them the confidence in the car that help them to win the races.
In F1, many companies tried their luck in winning World Championships, and guess what!!🤓 …. they got lucky but you know luck doesn’t work every time, so, companies like BMW, Porsche & Honda, etc., retire from F1.
As some companies were retiring, the new ones were getting into the sport like Mercedes & McLaren, etc., which dominated F1 motorsport for quite some time. Also, the current drivers and team’s line-up are as follows:
POINT / SCORE SYSTEM IN F1 Motorsport
In F1 Motorsport, there are two types of point systems drivers - individual score & Constructor - both drivers summed-up points, and the team who has been able to win the most races and earn the most points wins the championship…🏆
That is one way of saying things, however, let’s look from another angle… the strategy is to earn the most score from each race, therefore, teams manage both of their drivers in a way that both of them win with higher positions and bring more points to the table.
However, the race is unpredictable because the moment you believe that you are winning, you are done!!💀 and suddenly out of the blue, you made a mistake, your car slips and bumped into the barracks or you push your car enough that your engine heats up and fails, etc…, many dramatic incidents could have happened throughout the race, that could sabotage the dream of becoming world champion or world’s best constructor in moments.
The scores system, we have been discussing that decides the future of the drivers is lined up as follows:
The top picture shows the individual driver points and the bottom one shows the overall points of teams based on both driver's points. As you can see the points are distributed in a way that only the top 10 drivers get some points and the rest of the drivers get nothing, this shows the high level of competitiveness of F1.
ENTERTAINMENT
F1 is full of drama, excitement, and high-octane emotion that give a strange amount of adrenaline to its viewer at each turn at each pit stop, take-over, and crash that viewer couldn’t keep track of the time and forgets everything by giving all focus on supporting its favorite team.
Whilst this emotional ride, the drivers are also pumped-up and mentally ready to fight with their competitors by keeping them behind as much as possible by using different tactics and strategies.
Overall, it is a ride of a twisty emotional rollercoaster for both drivers and the viewers who are watching live in the Grand Stands or on TV. Also, as F1 is the biggest event that spans from March to December each year, therefore, the countries hosting the F1 race earn a load of money in 3-days, which they couldn’t earn in the whole year but at the same time, the expenses of hosting a race are also very high…. which I will talk about some other time. However, at the end of the season, each driver gets a piece of the pie from F1 Motorsport and the fame that he ever dreamt of for a long time.
CONCLUSIVE THOUGHT
All-in-all F1 is a full package of entertainment, excitement, and inspiration for all people of different ages, races, and backgrounds. It shows us the best example of consistency & perseverance, hard work & luck, and above all, tackling criticism & the tremendous courage of never giving up. If you are thinking about how to fight the bitterness and harsh consequences of life then I suggest you, watch the F1 race for once and I bet you would forget your problems when you see the driver pushing so hard, working so hard throughout the weekend and trying to win the race and suddenly lose his pole position or worse losses his chance to continue the race due to engine failure or a crash in a matter of milliseconds.
If are you hyped up and want to know more about F1 then, don’t forget to follow me on Medium, so you would get a notification when I will upload my story.
