Bulls, Stars and Horses: Demystifying Formula One
Formula 1 (F1) is a sport that is often shrouded in mystery. People (other than diehard fans) usually know it just as a simple racing series, which can’t really be classified as a sport, because almost everyone on earth would be an athlete if driving cars was a sport ;p. So here I attempt to demystify what exactly the sport is, and hope to pique your interest in a sport that I am deeply passionate about and why I love it!
What is Formula One?
Instead of thinking of it as a racing series, I often liken F1 to a long-running (70 years as of 2020) travelling circus.
You have the drivers as the main circus acts, trying their best to show their skills, while also entertaining their fans and the masses who watch the sport.
The teams are the support staff, not always apparent, but without whom the entire spectacle would fall apart.
There are 2 ringmasters — the owners of the sport, Liberty Media and the FIA (International Automobile Federation). Liberty Media (A US-based media company, click here to know more) are the financial providers since it is a sport that requires a significant amount of resources and money to run and operate. FIA is the more apparent ringmaster, organising the spectacle and keeping everyone in check.
And the spectators, well are the spectators.
This travelling circus lasts for 9–10 months annually, covering 5 continents, 20+ countries, performing week in, week out at a new location, for new spectators.
But you must be thinking, why is the sport called “Formula One”, like some chemical concocted in a lab?
Breaking down the words, the “Formula” refers to the set of rules and guidelines that the teams and drivers must follow when racing (much like a formula in mathematics). And the “One” refers to the racing series being the top series for open-wheeler racing in the world.
Why should one watch F1?
“How can the same cars going around in circles on the same track be exciting?”
This is the response I get every time I talk about F1, with someone not following the sport. But F1 is much more than the cars on the track.
I like to compare it to football. Much like football, a driver with a weak team, no matter how good, will not be able to perform. Imagine this, Lionel Messi (One of the greatest footballers ever) playing in a team of amateurs. Will the team be successful? Similarly, the driver is the performer for the team. The team facilitates him with a car and track support, but the driver is the one on the stick and driving. Again, drawing parallels from cricket this time, no matter how good the coaches are, they are not the ones playing on the field. You need the top performers to perform at their best consistently. Therefore, though many people do not consider it a sport, F1 is a sport of the highest order.
But what makes it exciting? — you ask. For me, there are two things — unpredictability and strategy. F1 is one of the most unpredictable sports on the planet. Factors like weather, tyres, car performance, reliability, etc. affect the sport. This leads us to strategy.
I like to think of game theory when talking about strategy in F1 (To know more about game theory, click here). Every team can only guess what their competitors are going to do. What tyres will they use? When will they pit (tyre change)? How much will be the pace difference? How long will our tyres last? Will there be a weather change? All these questions need to be answered when thinking about the strategy for the drivers. This job is of the teams.
This has just been a small peek in the world of F1. It is an extremely competitive sport that often doesn’t come into the limelight, especially in countries like India. I hope that an understanding of the sport and its beauty, which I and countless more fans see, is developed. In the next post, I’ll talk more about the current roster of drivers and teams, laying a background for an aspiring fan to start watching the season which starts from July 5.
PS: The rationale behind the title will also be revealed in the next post, so stay tuned…
