The F1 beginner's guide

Formula One is a fast paced, high energy sport with a passionate fan base spanning the globe. As the years have gone on more and more people have begun to tune in to the old historic racing series, especially with the introduction of Netflix’s Drive to Survive which first aired in 2019. Getting into the sport is exciting but can also be intimidating due to the amount of knowledge that gets thrown at you. 

But don’t worry, we all have to go over that startline, so don’t fear, your F1 crash course is here! I, myself, am pretty new to the sport, but I’ve been fortunate enough to learn so much since I got into it, so sit back, relax and read on as we get into our F1 beginner's guide.

Formula One as a racing series existed long before the 1950 World Championship was established by the FIA as a response to another racing series. The sport itself was officially established in 1946 by the Commission Sportive Internationale (CSI) of the FIA as the premier single seater racing series and became effective in 1947. Just a few years later the World Driving Championship was established with the Constructors World Championship being established in 1958. Since the introduction of the World Championship only one team has competed in each and every season, Ferrari, as well as the legendary Williams team, have been in the pit lane the longest of any teams. 

The points system

Many things have changed in Formula One since its inception. One of the biggest evolutions is the points system which has changed many times. The current points system gives points to the top ten finishers, with an extra point given to the person who sets the fastest lap of the day. But that extra point only applies when the driver finishes in the top ten for that race. 

The flags

Let’s not forget the flags as well. If you guys are confused by the flags, trust me, I was as well. And I don’t blame you. There are a total of 11 flags being used, but we usually only see the green, blue, yellow, red, and chequered. The green flag is used to indicate the track is cleared and ready for the cars. Blue is always shown to a driver leaving the pits to inform them of oncoming traffic. This flag is a bit unique because it has a few other meanings as well, for example during a race it is shown to a driver to indicate they are about to be lapped and during practice it means they are about to be overtaken. Yellow signals danger on the track and is shown in one of two ways. One is single waved which causes drivers to reduce speed in specific sectors and cannot overtake, double waved means they need to reduce speed significantly and must be prepared to stop or change directions. A red flag is waved when officials have decided to end the practice session, qualifying, or race; in this event all drivers must proceed slowly back to their garages until the session resumes or is officially ended. The chequered flag is waved from above the pit wall and marks the end of the practice, qualifying or race and is waved until all competing cars have reached it.

The tyres

Before we go, let's also go over tyres! There are five types: soft, medium, hard, intermediate, and full wet. Soft tyres are indicated by the color red and are usually used mainly for qualifying sessions, they offer the most grip over a shorter amount of time but they are as a result used up within a few laps. Medium tyres are identified by the color yellow and are considered more favorable during a race distance but they do make appearances during free practice and quali like any other tyre. Hard tyres are associated with the color white and are the tyres most suited for long race stints. Now green indicates that the tyres are used for intermediate conditions on track, basically meaning the track has a majority of it damp or wet, most of the time these tyres will be referred to as Inters.(1) Blue tyres are full wet tyres or Wets(2) these tyres are deployed when the track is fully wet and or rain is continuously falling onto track. All of these tyres are crucial to the race weekend so every team receives a set of 13 dry tyres (red, yellow, and white), 4 sets of inters, and 3 sets of wets on a regular race weekend. 

Hope this crash course helped you guys out! Keep in mind it’s okay to feel overwhelmed at first, it’s totally normal but just remember we all have a starting line. The big question is are you gonna cross it and start your race?

1. Inters: This tyre is used when track conditions are intermediate. The only downside is that if the tyres are used on a fully dry track they will be effectively destroyed.

2. Wets: This tyre is used when the track is covered in water and or is raining.