The F1 Constructors’ Web Championship
If there is one industry that springs to mind when you think about cutting edge technology, speed, and performance, it’s Formula 1. On track, and back at the factories, teams battle it out for the ultimate prize in motorsport — fractions of a second at a time.
With such fierce competitivity, these fractions of a second can be the difference between tasting champagne and going back to the drawing board. But what about on the web? Thousandths of a second matter here too. Just like Formula 1, the online world is an ever evolving industry, where standing still means you’re going backwards.
So, we thought it would be interesting to see how those in an industry dedicated to performance, perform online. The worlds of Formula 1 and the web meet; welcome to The F1 Constructors’ Web Championship, where only the best make it to the podium.
How It Works
Using Google’s website auditing tools, we have prepared five rounds (or Grand Prixs) to put the team’s websites through their paces. Each round focuses on a key area that contributes towards a fast, reliable, and engaging website.
The five rounds are as follows:
- Performance — Which website is fastest? Pure pace is essential for those on mobile.
- New Technology — Who is using cutting edge technology? Does the website work offline?
- Accessibility — Have all potential users been considered? Is the text readable?
- Best Practices — Is the website secure? Do popups get in the way?
- SEO — How mobile friendly is the site? How well can it be found online?
At the end of the five rounds the points will be counted and our championship decided. Will we see a new constructor take the crown?
Current Standings
Let’s take a moment to remind ourselves how the teams are currently performing on track. We’re just over the halfway point of the season, and it’s been a very close battle upfront between Mercedes and Ferrari so far. Mercedes have led by some distance in the last few years, securing the last four constructors championships, but Ferrari have found something this year and look like the team to beat, despite currently placing second. Here’s how the standings look after twelve races:
Now for the rounds — lights out!
Round 1: Performance
Much like out on track, our first round, performance, is all about speed. Here we’re looking for the website to load fast, and respond quickly when used. This round is simple; fastest wins.
We saw a few blue flags waved in this round, but who’d have guessed they would be shown to the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari! The battle for second was a close one, with not much to choose between Williams, Red Bull, and Renault. Overall, there was a bit left on the table by all teams, the opportunity to pull ahead is certainly there. Haas take the maximum 25 points for this round, but it wasn’t by much.
Round 2: New Technology
For our second round, it’s a race to use the latest web technology. The websites that use more of the latest technology score more points. How close are our teams to the cutting edge?
Haas are looking strong with a second podium finish in as many rounds, putting a sizeable gap between them and Williams. The midfield battle was tight and came down to some very specific tests. This was a hard round to score well on, as we tested against the very cutting edge of web technology, most of which isn’t widely known about. Sauber push forward and take the top step, and the 25 points.
Round 3: Accessibility
How well do the websites cater for wider audiences? It’s often overlooked, but very important. The team’s websites face a tough checklist of requirements in this round, and the more tests they pass, the higher they score.
Renault scored well on this round, pulling out a little way from the rest of the field. Haas have achieved three podiums so far, and Williams two. Are we starting to see the main contenders for the championship? It’s still all to play for.
Round 4: Best Practices
Set to be the hardest round of the championship, the team’s websites are checked for their use of best website practices. A brutal round that will highlight the best from the rest, only exemplary will be good enough for the podium.
This round shook the teams up quite a bit, and really shows that the devil is in the detail. The entire field was bunched very close, with little between most teams. A weaker round for Toro Rosso and Red Bull, who have been fairly consistent so far. Williams and Renault achieve another podium, whilst Force India find their form.
Round 5: SEO
Our field consists of a lot of big names, who should all be well versed in what it takes to deliver when it comes to search engine optimisation. Have they kept up with the latest requirements just as they have with the changing F1 technical regulations?
Unsurprisingly we see the big boys fight nearer the top here, with Williams, Mercedes, and Ferrari scoring well and earning places on the podium. We saw some very good results across the field, with no team scoring less than 80%. It would be fair to say SEO is certainly the strongest round for all of the teams. Mercedes take the final podium of the championship and score some much needed points, as do Ferrari.
The Results
The rounds are complete, time to count the points and see where our high performance Formula 1 teams place in The F1 Constructors’ Web Championship.
The championship came down to the wire, somewhat reflective of recent seasons. Williams, Renault, and Haas gave us an exciting three way battle for the crown, but Williams take it by just 2 points, despite Haas leading for most of the championship. Williams’ greater reliability and more consistent results secured them the top spot. Sauber come away as best of the rest, marginally beating Mercedes and a closely fought midfield. McLaren’s troubles continue, and unfortunately, Ferrari’s better result in the final round wasn’t enough to move them off the bottom of the table.
Here’s how the rounds progressed:
Performance Matters
It is becoming more and more important to strive for better performance online, and there are many new technologies and techniques aimed at making the web more efficient and accessible. Websites (and web apps) should be fast, reliable, and engaging, for everyone. This experiment has shown how some key areas can impact how a website performs against its competition. All of the websites we tested had a lot of room for improvement, and as some of the new technologies become more widely adopted, we’ll likely see their scores improve.
Can You Beat An F1 Team?
Perhaps your website can outperform a Mercedes? Or even a Williams? If you’d like to know how your website holds up against the Formula 1 teams then get in touch or leave a comment below.
