Sports are an integral part of many peoples’ lives, but in the United States one of the most interesting is often passed over. Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsports. Every year it finishes with an exciting championship, whether or not it’s hotly contested or it’s dominated by a single driver. The ten current teams, each with two drivers and cars per race, build their own machinery and compete in races around the world that take around an hour and a half and happen over about 60 consecutive laps.
Beginning in 1950 after the rise of motor racing, F1 has a long history of drivers and teams, which, as with the history of any other sport, is fascinating to explore. This year, in the 2023 season, the driver and team everyone is talking about are Max Verstappen and Red Bull. Together, they have already accrued enough points by winning and getting podiums in order to easily take both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ (teams’) Championships with several races left in the season.
Unlike many sports, the F1 championships are based on points, so there are never any playoffs. Many seasons have come down to the last race, like in 2021 and 2008. These races were indisputably some of the most exciting, with close, wheel-to-wheel excitement up to the final stretch.
In the faceoff in 2008, Lewis Hamilton was ahead of Felipe Massa by seven points going into the final race, meaning if Massa won, Hamilton would need to finish fifth in order to win the Drivers’ title. Going into the last corner after a rainy and chaotic race, he was set to finish in sixth place, which would give Massa the title. But then, out of nowhere, Timo Glock, who was just ahead of Hamilton, slid off the track, giving the place and the Championship to Hamilton.
For a great introduction to F1 and the drivers, Netflix has a slightly dramatized show highlighting both on and off-track events that is released at the end of each season, called Drive to to Survive. For those new to the sport, it can clear a lot of things up. Once you know a bit more, try watching a race. Race weekends in Formula 1 are staged in a regular format: for a normal weekend, practice is on Friday, qualifying for the starting positions is on Saturday, and the race is held on Sunday. Tune into the Formula 1 channel on YouTube TV or use other providers to see each race for yourself. To quote Murray Walker: “GO, GO, GO!”
