What did I learn in the process of watching the first Formula 1 motorsport racing event today?

📁 Overview

Let's start by explaining how I came about this sport called Formula 1. Until this morning, I didn't know anything about Formula 1 other than it is a high-speed motorsport. As I've been hearing about Formula 1 on twitter for a quite a while from different creators. Along with that, I also watched the The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime last year where they talked about Formula 1 in several episodes. That made me wonder what is the Formula 1 really about. Why people love it so much? How I missed watching it. So, this morning I was all over internet trying to figure out what it actually is.

Let's Understand the Fundamentals of the Sport:

Like I mentioned above, I googled for straight 45 minutes about it. First things I googled was "Formula 1" which resulted me into finding videos of Formula 1 races. I don't know if you ever tried to watch a sport without knowing the rules or not, but I tried doing just that this morning. I'm glad that I didn't sleep while watching that. My suggestion to all of you: Don't try to watch any kind of sport without knowing the rules. Because it is like seeing monkey in the zoo. They might be doing something important for themselves, but for the people watching it, it is just jumping. So, I felt as if they are just driving, what's so interesting about that. But then, I dugged deep down in the rabbit home of trying to learn about the terms that they use during the game and what it meant for the Formula 1 sport.

Teams

One of the first things you may have noticed when watching a Formula 1 race is the teams. There are ten teams that compete in each race, each with two drivers. These teams are selected by the FIA, the sport's governing body, based on their performance in previous seasons and other criteria. Some of the most successful teams in Formula 1 history include Scuderia Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, and Red Bull Racing. Each team consists of sets of people who are capable of designing, and building the car. This involves developing a complex system of aerodynamics, suspension, and powertrain components, as well as incorporating the lates advances in materials and technology.

Drivers

Formula 1 drivers are the stars of the sport, renowned for their incredible skill and bravery behind the wheel. Each driver is carefully selected based on their talent and experience, and they must meet strict safety and performance requirements to compete at the highest level. Like I mentioned earlier, there are two drivers from one team, racing at any moment on the track during the race.

Season of Formula 1

Each season of Formula 1 is structured around a series of races, known as Grands Prix, which take place at circuits around the world. The specific calendar of races varies from year to year, but typically consists of around 20 races held between March and December. Each Grand Prix weekend is typically structured as follows:

• Friday: Two practice sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, during which teams can test their cars and gather data about the circuit.
• Saturday: One final practice session, followed by a qualifying session, which determines the starting grid for the race based on each driver's fastest lap time.
• Sunday: The race itself, which typically lasts for around two hours and involves a set number of laps around the circuit. Throughout the season, teams earn points based on their finishing positions in each race. The driver who earns the most points over the course of the season is crowned the Drivers' World Champion, while the team that earns the most points is crowned the Constructors' World Champion.

Points

In Formula 1, points are awarded to both drivers and teams based on their finishing positions in each race. The specific point system can vary over time, but currently, the points are awarded as follows:

• 1st place: 25 points
• 2nd place: 18 points
• 3rd place: 15 points
• 4th place: 12 points
• 5th place: 10 points
• 6th place: 8 points
• 7th place: 6 points
• 8th place: 4 points
• 9th place: 2 points
• 10th place: 1 point Both drivers of a team can earn points for their team, but only the highest-scoring driver for each team is counted towards the team's total points in the Constructors' Championship. For example, if the two drivers of a team finish 1st and 3rd in a race, the team will earn a total of 40 points (25 points for the 1st place finisher and 15 points for the 3rd place finisher). However, only the 25 points earned by the highest-scoring driver from that team will count towards the team's total points in the Constructors' Championship. At the end of the season, the team with the most points in the Constructors' Championship is declared the Constructors' World Champion. The driver with the most points at the end of the season is declared the Drivers' World Champion.

Few Questions that I had and answer of them after researching further more

These questions might sound random and stupid to some of you but these are legit some of the question that I googled to get some answers to.

What is the meaning of the podium?

In Formula 1, the podium refers to the raised platform on which the top three finishers of a race stand to receive their trophies and celebrate their achievement. It is a tradition in motorsports to have the top three finishers stand on the podium, with the winner standing in the middle, the second-place finisher on one side, and the third-place finisher on the other side.

Conclusion

Well, that sums up my understanding after watching the very first game of the Formula 1. I hope you find that to be meaningful.