Ever wondered why you should watch a bunch of cars going in circles at an average speed of 200-220 km/hr?
Well, first of all, they do not go around circles, the tracks are critically crafted, with every turn testing the drivers’ talents. Second of all, chaos should be one of many reasons to give up your weekend plans to watch Formula 1, I know I do!
Talking about chaos, I might or might not enjoy Ferrari blowing up their races, not literal cars, I am not evil!
But after what the Ferrari managemnet did to dearest Carlos Sainz in the 2024 season, believe me, them not winning a single Grand Prix in 2025 was extremely satisfactory to watch.
In 2024, the F1 G.O.A.T (greatest of all time), Lewis Hamilton decided to break a decade long partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas in the hopes of driving in red, which basically is every driver’s dream. But for Hamilton to fulfil his dream, Sainz who was a Ferrari driver since 2020 had to give up his seat as Charles Leclerc; the “Prince of Ferrari” would never be asked to give up his throne.
This resulted in Sainz going to Williams who, let’s be honest, is not competing for either of the championships anytime soon. However, Sainz, alongside James Vowel, William’s team principal and Alex Albon, another Williams driver, is striving hard to bring the team back to the top.
The most interesting part of the race for me are the radio conversations, where drivers talk to their designated engineers during the race about pit stops (stopping in garage to change tires or fixing any car damage), strategies and other drivers around them which to me is entertainment at its peak.
Think about you driving at a speed of 220 km/hr, someone around the same speed chasing you to take your position or overtake you, and you trying your best to not let that happen while on an adrenaline rush. You are bound to say something controversial! Isn’t that entertaining?
But when it comes to radios, Ferrari has the best conversations. Ferrari drivers do not mock other drivers but give snarkiest, most sarcastic replies to their own team members. If you watch F1, you would know all about Ferrari’s terrible race strategies.
Another intriguing aspect of F1 is travelling the world. The current F1 calendar features 24 races in 21 different countries. The best ones according to me are the Mexican Grand Prix and Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Mexican because it is Sainz’s home race and Abu Dhabi as it is the final race location.
Last year, the champion wasn’t decided until the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and the anticipation of who would win was too exciting. Would it be Max Verstappen getting his fifth title or Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri winning their first? Norris was the 2025 champion who also happens to be Sainz’s BFF on the grid so, of course I was team Norris.
If this article has inspired you to watch F1 then let’s get our basics straightened out. The 2026 Formula 1 season has 11 teams, each consisting two main drivers, making a total of 22 drivers on the grid.
There are two championship battles taking place, a driver’s championship wherein all 22 drivers compete and a constructors’ championship where all the teams compete.
Races take place throughout the weekend as Fridays are for practice rounds where drivers test the cars, tires, and team strategies. On Saturdays, qualifying rounds happen, wherein the lineup for the race on Sunday is decided. The car securing pole position i.e first position starts at the front, then cars who are P1, P2, P3 and so on.
2025 was all about Mclaren boys competing for the title whereas 2026 with all the new regulations has Mercedes with the fastest pace and Ferrari just behind it.
My money’s on Kimi Antonelli as Ferrari still can’t seem to figure out how to communicate a strategy to save their lives. Let’s be real, Hamilton would’ve bagged that eighth crown with ease if he’d just stayed put in Mercedes and not taken Sainz’s seat… but hey, bygones be bygones, right?
