The cars, sleek and aerodynamic, race around the street track at speeds of over 250 miles per hour, no more than 20 feet apart, wheel to wheel, each contending for a common goal: first place. It's not only first place in that particular race, though, that these 20 drivers are fighting for, they’re fighting for their seat. They’re fighting to stay in the ultra-competitive worldwide racing circuit known best as Formula One.
With 21 races, 20 drivers, and 10 teams, F1 provides for a grueling season, where the best, and no less, is expected from you, from the media, the fans, and especially the owners of the team you drive for. And, every driver has that thought in the back of their mind that keeps them striving for perfection: If their performance is not up to par, there will always be another driver to take your seat. If not another in F1, then one from Formula Two or Three, the “minor leagues” of one of the widest known racing circuits. There will always be someone knocking at the door, just waiting for the chance to be a part of “The Grandest Show of them all”.
Like every pro sport, this is a “big money” business, with higher level teams typically putting in upwards of 400 million per year, and the bottom level teams even spending 25 million per season. That major money will easily be returned with a huge profit if the team has the right people in the right positions. Saying that is one thing, doing it is another. Team chemistry plays into the success of a team big-time, as the pit crew has to be in sync with each other, the team principal (like a head coach in football) is tasked with making sure everything runs smoothly for both drivers during the race and executing the “game plan”. In addition, you have the chief technical officer, in charge of the car, and designing it to be the fastest on the track. Not to mention, the drivers themselves, many whom have competed with the other drivers in F1 on go-kart and minor league F1 circuits since before they were teenagers.
One of the major gauges for success each season is the constructor's team standings, which determine who wins the “team title” each season. More often than not, that is also the team of the driver who won the “Individual Title”, such as last season, when Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton captured his sixth F1 individual title while helping Mercedes win their fifth consecutive team title. The way the constructor’s standings work is that for each race, the top 10 finishers earn points. (25 for 1st, 18 for second, 15 for third, then 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1 for the remaining top 10 respectively). Each team is represented on the track by two drivers, and the total points, if any points are earned, are added up between the two, which equals the team’s score for the race. Of course, the individual title is determined the exact same way. Whichever driver posts the most points by the time the season concludes wins the individual title. Hamilton has won the honor each of the past five seasons and established himself as one of F1’s premier drivers, as you will see in a short feature story 360 Sports is putting out later this week.
This season, Mercedes is projected to take first overall once again, in a season that is expected to be shortened and will not start until June 7th with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Mercedes is just one of the ten teams in Formula One, as Ferrari and Red Bull are amongst the top three as well. Then comes your middle-of-the-pack teams, such as McLaren, Sauber, Renault, Racing Point, and Haas. Finally, at the bottom are those teams that haven’t been able to find much success in recent seasons such as Williams and AlphaTauri. However, a new season leads to new opportunities, so it will be interesting to see how the 2020 season plays out, as you never know who will cross the finish line first on race day.
One of the other major components of F1 is the practice and qualifying that lead up to the actual race. Typically, teams get the chance to test out their cars on the track, and get a feel for where they should go aggressive and where they should be cautious in Friday practice. It also allows drivers to work out the kinks before Saturday. Saturday’s importance lies in that based on the time the driver posts in one lap during the qualifying session, determines where he will start on the grid come race day. Where they start, known as poll position, plays a huge role in who ultimately comes out with the win. However, it’s important to note that although the track is thin in comparison to NASCAR, and is typically made up of winding twists and turns, poll position isn’t everything, and the ability to “overtake” or pass an opponent is almost always there. Plus, in comparison to NASCAR, the fact that the track is not just an oval, but a narrow winding path, many times through city streets, makes for many exciting showdowns as tight conditions force cars to go wheel to wheel. Not to mention, these cars, built for speed are constantly being improved, regularly reaching speeds of 200+ miles per hour during these races.
Simply put, Formula One Racing is a phenomenal sport that combines speed, action, a team atmosphere along with the individual aspect of racing that involves just the driver and the car. With races beginning and June and set to go through late November, this is truly one of those sports that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole race, from the time the green light flashes until the final car speeds across the finish line.
Perhaps this quote from 1960s British driver Graham Hill best captures what is in the mind of every F1 driver: "I am an artist, the track is my canvas and the car is my brush."
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