When I say the pinnacle of human engineering, what do you think of? Nasa? The computer?
Well I think of Formula 1.
Now there are lots of reasons why I like Formula 1, and I’m going to explain some of them to you today.
Firstly, the teamwork. Now it’s easy to watch a race it and see one man in a flashy car, with everything centred around him, and no teamwork involved. This simply couldn’t be further from the truth. Sitting behind the driver is the culmination hundreds of men and women and thousands of hours, all devoted to one thing: going fast. So yes, whilst the race result does depend purely on the driver, they are merely the final link in the massive chain that is a Formula 1 team.
The Formula 1 circus travels from country to country, covering five of the seven continents, week in week out. During this epic journey, 23 circuits are visited and this is another thing that continues to amaze me about the sport. As I said before, a simply flabbergasting amount of effort and work goes into having a car ready for a race weekend. I mean it takes 30 people just to start one car, and for them to be travelling literally from one continent to the next in the small space of a week, have to construct garages, unload the countless spare parts and assemble the car – just to name a few – is astounding.
Moreover, I believe the sheer speed of a Formula 1 car often goes unnoticed. It is a fact that there is not a single other racing series in the world that even comes close to paralleling the speed an F1 car goes round a track, and of course the driver skill necessary to reach such heights in lap time.
Which brings me on to drivers: it is a common belief that Formula 1 drivers don’t really have any skill, and that all they do is sit in a cockpit and turn a wheel left and right until they get to the end of the race. This is one of the most widespread misconceptions about formula 1. The physical stress their bodies are put under over the course of a single lap – never mind a race – is enormous. Something that emphasises this indisputably is the fact that over a single, hour and a half race, a Formula 1 driver will lose up to 4kg in weight, which is an incredible amount in such a short period of time. To maintain this level of performance consistently for an hour and a half displays sensational stamina. No wonder they’re so popular! So, in fact, Formula 1 drivers are athletes, and the countless hours put into training mean they are some of the fittest in the world.
Now, this is all well and good, but what effect does Formula 1 have on you and me? In 2021, the global audience for Formula 1 stood at 445 million viewers. So popular has the sport become, the Netflix docuseries ‘Drive to Survive’ has brought even more attention to the sport, with a focus on appealing to those who hadn’t considered watching before. Even my grandmother looks forward to it, and she doesn’t even watch! How is that possible, you must be thinking? It’s from the vicarious pleasure she derives from listening to the whoops and shouts made when there’s a bit of action. Now, the idea of 445 million individuals is difficult to conceive, so let me give you a hand with picturing it. 445 million people is equivalent to the entire population of the European Union, although admittedly that’s got a little bit smaller since 2016!
Let’s also think about the positive effects Formula 1 can have on a single person. Well, it keeps them single for a start off! Now, we all have very busy lives. GCSEs, A-Levels and everything else. However, I passionately believe that the key to academic success… is Formula 1. Hear me out please! Here at Ashville we pride ourselves on striking a good balance between the constant struggle of academic life versus having enough down-time to ensure good mental health. During a tough working week, F1 provides the perfect incentive for the weekend, to try our utmost on our work, to be the best versions of ourselves. On a drizzly, cold and depressing Monday morning with double maths looming, nothing motivates me more than to picture the race from the day before, Hamilton’s braids bobbling under his helmet as he goes wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen into turn 1.
I’d be pushed to find something better to do on a Sunday afternoon than watch the F1. Sitting on the sofa, bottle of Corona in hand (other drinks are available) supporting my favourite team whilst watching cars going upwards of 200 miles an hour and pulling over 5G in a single corner, what could be better?
Article taken from Toby’s winning House Public Speaking entry