F1 for Beginners – Nellie Neill
Have you ever seen those incredible Formula One car edits on Tiktok or heard the names Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen get spread around like wildfire and wonder what it’s all about? Welcome to the insane (and highly addictive) world of F1, where you’ll find that speed, precision and strategy create some of the most intense competitive races around the globe. This guide is sure to get you up to speed on the universe that you have been missing out on or haven’t quite grasped…
The basics
There are 10 teams with 2 drivers in each racing for points that tally up to the Driver’s World Championship (1st place gets 25 points down to 10th place with 1 point and no points for those below 10th)
- These points also contribute to a Constructor’s Championship which is the combined points of the two drivers in a team, the team with the most points takes the championship and the higher the team is in terms of points, the more money they receive
- The races this year are from February to December, meaning that from December 2024 to February 2025 there will be the seasonal break, during which no F1 will take place in that time
There has been a total of 24 races this year with 6 races left to go, the next race is on the 20th October and will be held in Austin, Texas
- Teams’ cars have to meet the regulations of the FIA which stands for the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile. This federation is the governing body of racing competitions worldwide and oversees them to ensure safety and that teams are being compliant with the rules
- There is also one reserve driver for each team in case a driver gets injured or leaves the team
- There are four engine manufacturers (Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda and Reno), each Formula One team must choose an engine from these and create the most aerodynamic efficient car as they possibly can
Key terms
Pole position- Where a driver qualifies with the fastest time in the qualifying race, consequently, starts first on the grid
Podium- When a driver finishes within the top 3 and they get to stand on a podium at the end of the race, during which they receive a trophy
P1, P2 and P3- The P stands for position and the number afterwards signifies the position in which the driver is in during and after the race
Pit stops- This is where drivers’ pit crew change their tires during the race, the timing of this is usually a strategic decision made by the team (there are soft, medium, hard, wet and intermediate tyres used for different terrain and are switched in the race)
- The teams are required to use the pit stop at least one time in a race
DRS- A button on the driver’s wheel that activates the rear wing to open, allowing the car to travel faster (there are certain areas of the track called DRS zones where drivers can do this)
Backmarkers- Drivers/driver teams whose cars are typically at the back of a race
Race weekends
These take place on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday (VERY inconvenient when you are in an RHS fixture or divisions..). Friday is free practice where drivers familiarise themselves with the track, Saturday is the qualifying race and Sunday is race day. Or in some cases, race morning for us in the UK as the Australian Grand Prix is most often at 4 in the morning… so get prepared for that!
Flags
A single yellow flag- usually waved when a car goes off track or a minor incident happens
A double yellow flag- For hazardous things on or off track
Red flag- For MAJOR incidents.. aka Sergio Perez in virtually every race in 2023
Blue flag- Warns slower cars that a faster car is approaching them
Black flag- For a penalty warning or disqualification
Green flag- Means that the race is on again
Checkered flag- To signify the start/finish time
So, that is all for now as I could pretty much go on to write a 1 million page essay about the rules, drivers, teams etc. But I’m saving that for after half term.. I hope that this has covered enough for now and that I will see you watching the Grand Prix in Austin this weekend!!
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