Formula 1 is a not very well-known sport in the United States. It is comparable to NASCAR, but way different. There are 20 cars on the track at a time; 20 racers trying to beat each other out for that first spot. There are ten teams with two drivers each. All racers are in different cars (besides their teammate), and all cars only follow the same regulation type such as size. These 20 racers are putting their all in for 90-100 minutes to make the podium. They race around different tracks at a very high velocity. They race 24 weekends all over the world.
The race weekend is set up in a very specific way so that the driver can get used to the track. There are three practice sessions, the first two practice sessions are two hours long and the last session is an hour. Then, there is the qualifying race which takes 45 minutes to determine the drivers’ starting spots in the official race. This is split into three sections which are abbreviated to, Q1, Q2, and Q3. Q1 lasts 18 minutes and the five slowest drivers are eliminated. In Q2, the next five slowest drivers are eliminated after 15 more minutes on the track. Those two qualifying rounds make out the standings of 11-20. The top ten starting spots are determined in Q3, which adds another 12 minutes. In contrast, the official race is 305 kilometers long and generally two hours long.
It takes a lot to become the best in Formula 1. Currently Red Bull and their driver Max Verstappen are at the top. Verstappen has won the Driver championship, awarded to whoever has the most points/wins at the end of the season. The McLaren team won the Constructors Championship, which means that their drivers gained the most points together. The best driver and team switch off every few years. Before Red Bull and Verstappen, it was Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton. Winning those championships is every team and driver’s dream. They make a new car every year to improve themselves, and they train all year round to be the best.