What Are Some Things A New F1 Fan Should Know?
Formula One, commonly known as F1, is the highest international racing class for single-seater formula racing cars. If F1 sounds familiar to you, it is because it is one of the most popular sports in the world and draws in a huge audience. F1 was introduced on May 13th, 1950, as the World Drivers’ Championship at the Silverstone Circuit in the UK. It officially became known as the FIA Formula One World Championship in 1981. If you are a new F1 fan or want to become one, read on to learn all you need to know about this elite class of car racing.
How Does an F1 Season Work?
An F1 season consists of several Grand Prix races that are held all over the world. In Formula One, the word “Formula” refers to a set of rules that all racers must follow and “Grand Prix,” a French word, translates to “grand prize” in English. All races take place on tracks that are graded “1” by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Most of these tracks are located in remote settings connected to major cities. A few races, including the British Grand Prix and Singapore Grand Prix, are held on closed public roads.
Every F1 driver must carry a valid Super License that is issued by the FIA. The performance of the drivers and constructors of the cars are evaluated through a point system at the completion of each race. At the end of the season, the FIA adds up the points scored by each team and awards two World Champions, one for the drivers and one for the builder.
Best F1 Drivers in 2022
If you are a new F1 fan, you should know who the best F1 drivers in the world are. Here is a list of the top 10 drivers from the 2022 F1 standings.
| Position | Driver | Nationality | Car | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Belgian-Dutch | Red Bull Racing RBPT | 454 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Monégasque | Ferrari | 308 |
| 3 | Sergio Perez | Mexican | Red Bull Racing RBPT | 305 |
| 4 | George Russell | British | Mercedes | 275 |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz | Spanish | Ferrari | 246 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | British | Mercedes | 240 |
| 7 | Lando Norris | Belgian-British | McLaren Mercedes | 122 |
| 8 | Eesteban Ocon | French | Alpine Renault | 92 |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | Spanish | Alpine Renault | 81 |
| 10 | Valtteri Bottas | Finnish | Alfa Romeo Ferrari | 49 |
2023 F1 Season
F1 fans have a lot to look forward to in 2023. The F1 calendar features 23 different Grands Prix, spanning all around the world from March to November. The Armaco Pre-Season Testing will take place in Sakhir from February 23-25. The first official Grand Prix will be the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Bahrain on March 3-5. The season will conclude with the Etihad Airways ABU Dhabi Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi from November 24-26. The defending champion, Max Verstappen, will be racing with a Red Bull car again. He is confident that Red Bull can produce a competitive car for the upcoming season, even though they were hit with financial and sporting penalties for breaking cost cap regulations.