F1 Starter pack

FORMULA 1 STARTER-PACK KNOWLEDGE

GENERAL THINGS

 Ok so for starters, there are 10 teams,

each team has a budget of

approximately $135 million to improve their car each season,

which includes what they have to buy, there are some kind of

laws regarding the construction of the car,

so they look a bit the same,

but not really, because they are quite different. 

 Each team has 2 drivers, so 20 drivers on the grid. 

There are 2 types of championships

for which they compete ​

Driver championship – the driver with the most points wins​

Constructor Championship – the team with the most points wins,

like the total points of the two drivers​

In the race only the first 10 win points

(1st=25;2=18;3=15;4=12;5=10;6=8;7=6;8=4;9=2;10=1)

SCHEDUALE

Free practice (fp1,fp2,fp3)	qualification (Q1;Q2;Q3)	Race	Sprint
In normal weeks there are usually 3 practice sessions, FP1 & FP2 are on the first day Friday and FP3 on Saturday, these sessions are a bit boring, they are sessions where the Drivers test the circuit, test strategies, upgrades, tests, but I watch anyway, a lot can happen.	It is on day 2, Saturday ​ Here each driver has a time, to have the fastest lap (like a full lap). There are 3 rounds in total. (1=18min; 2=15min; 3=12min) they have small breaks between them. In Q1(20 drivers) the last 5 with the worst time are eliminated, in Q2(15) the last 5 are eliminated the same way, and they stay with the positions they took. ​ In Q1(10) the last 10 drivers, compete once more for the best time and when the time runs out, the positions are final.​ The driver with the best time, the first position is called pole position.	The race is always on Sunday Drivers start from the positions determined in the qualifications, the race lasts around 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the circuit, there are around 24 circuits, there are still a few left until the season ends. There can be a maximum of 3 weeks of consecutive races, there can be breaks in between (the places they wins are something like 1st= p1,2nd=p2 ... p=position)	Ok every few races, there are also sprint races that everyone hates because it sucks, it's a shorter race before the big race, in which drivers have a chance to earn more points, in which they only get 8 points ​ (1st=8 points) very stupidly the schedules keep changing ​ Friday:​ FP1 & qualifying for sprint​ Saturday:​ Sprint race & qualifying for race​ Sunday: race

 

PIT STOPS​

Each team makes a few stops to change their tires or to fix the car,

repair minor damage, such as replacing the front wings, etc.

 There are different types of tires:

Soft (red ones) - the fastest, they stay more fixed on the track but they deteriorate very quicklyMedium (yellow) - something between soft and hard,effectively medium (30-40 laps)

Hard (gray) - the slowest of all the normal ones but they

last the longest (40-50 laps)

Wet (blue) - they are slow but they are used when it rains

Intermediate (green)- they hold the track better, they do not slip,

than wet and they are used when it rains lightly

Each team has different strategies for using tires

which changes the results enormously

More stops = time lost but the newer the tires are,

the faster they are.

Every driver need to use atleast 2 different

type of tires per race.

World Record:

Red Bull holds one of the fastest pit stops at 1.82 seconds (Brazil 2019, Max Verstappen).

Teams aim for under 2.5 seconds on average

anything longer can cost key positions on track.

  

Undercut/Overcut: Pitting earlier (undercut) or later (overcut)

can help a driver gain time depending on tyre performance.

Even small errors can cause:

Unsafe release: Car sent out when another is passing = time penalty.
Loose wheel: Dangerous and can lead to disqualification or fines.
Cross-threading: If the wheel nut isn’t perfectly aligned, it can jam the hub.

FLAGS

 

Green Flag

Meaning: Track is clear and drivers can race normally.

When Shown: Displayed after a hazard has been cleared or at the start of a session or lap.

Yellow Flag

Meaning: Danger ahead. Drivers must slow down and no overtaking is allowed.

One Waved Yellow: Indicates a hazard is near the track (such as a spun car).

Two Waved Yellows: Indicates the track is partially blocked, and drivers must be prepared to stop.

Note: Severe hazards may prompt a Safety Car deployment or lead to a Red Flag.

Red Flag

Meaning: The session or race is stopped immediately.

When Used: Brought out after a major crash, severe weather, or unsafe track conditions.

Required Action: All cars must return slowly to the pit lane.

Black Flag

Meaning: The driver is disqualified and must return to the pits immediately.

When Used: Issued for major rule violations or unsafe driving.

Black with Orange Circle ("Meatball Flag")

Meaning: The car has a mechanical issue or damage that could be dangerous, such as a loose wing or damaged tire.

Required Action: The driver must enter the pits immediately to repair the issue.

Blue Flag

Meaning: A faster car is approaching to lap you, so you must let them pass.

Race Conditions: Failing to yield after warnings will result in a penalty.

Qualifying: Warns a slower driver on an out or in-lap to move aside for a car on a flying lap.

🏁 Chequered Flag

Meaning: The session or race is officially finished.

Result: The first driver to cross the finish line wins the race. Everyone must finish their current lap and return to the pits.

SAFETY CAR

The safety car appears on the track when an accident happens on the track and they need time to clean it up but it's not serious enough to stop the race.

Safety car (sc)	Virtual safety car (vsc)
It's literally a car.​ It slows down all the cars until the green flag is out. Drivers are not allowed to steal positions.​ All the cars pile up one after the other, so all the distance advantage created between them is lost.​ Usually drivers can go into the pits to change their tires without losing too many positions like they usually would.	all cars must slow down, but no real car intervenes The distance between drivers does not change so no time advantage is lost

PENALITIES

 

Drivers can receive time penalties (usually 5-10s) for a variety of things (usually during pit stops, the crew will have to wait out the penalty time before changing tires)

-Causing an incident/hitting someone​

-Overtaking someone off the track (must give up position)​

-Ignoring a flag​

-Not using at least 2 different sets of tires​

-Starting before the starting lights​

-Overtaking during a safety car​

-Exceeding the speed limit on pit lane​

-Exceeding a team's budget/limit on certain parts changed​

A drive-through penalty is when a driver must enter the pit lane, drive through it at the pit lane speed limit, and exit without stopping at their pit box. It’s meant to cost time — roughly 18–25 seconds, depending on the track.

Stewards can issue a drive-through penalty for medium-severity rule breaches, such as:

Exceeding track limits repeatedly (if it affects others)

 -Jumping the start lights (false start)

-Ignoring blue flags (not letting faster cars pass)

-Crossing the pit exit line

-Unsafe re-entry onto the track

-Causing a collision (minor or unintentional)

CIRCUITS

There are many different circuits but the main difference is that there are 2 types of day and night:​

Track racing, the most common​

Normal open track areas​

(specially designed)​

Street racing takes place on city streets​

Like Las Vegas or Monaco, they are very ​

tight so it is much harder to overtake​

THE FIA(International Automobile Federation)

It’s basically the governing body of world motorsport

including Formula 1, Formula 2, WRC, WEC, and others

Think of the FIA as the “referee” and “rule-maker” of all official car racing

 Many F1 fans dislike the FIA because they feel its

decision-making is inconsistent and overly political.

Over the years, the FIA has been accused of

uneven rule enforcement , handing out penalties

for some drivers or teams while

ignoring similar incidents for others. Fans also point to

controversial race management, such as the

2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where inconsistent

application of safety car rules changed

the championship outcome. The organization’s slow reactions to

issues like track limits, unclear radio messages,

and late penalty

calls frustrate fans who expect a sport at F1’s level to

have precise,

transparent officiating. Additionally,

some view the FIA’s leadership

as too bureaucratic, focusing more on image and control

than on improving the racing experience.

The most hated man in motorsport world

Mohammed Ben Sulayem(must watch)

HALO

Halos are the bars above the driver's head and are for protection. In the world of Formula 1, driver safety is paramount. Following the death of Jules Bianchi at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, a new safety device called the "Halo" was introduced to improve driver safety. While its reception was mixed at the time, the controversy surrounding the device has now subsided.