If you’re new to the wonderful world of Formula One, welcome! I remember feeling like such an outsider when I heard people talking about drivers, cars, races, and more. Let’s get you up to speed with a beginner’s crash course in Formula One, shall we?
It’s lights out and away we go… with the basics!
The Formula One season is made up of 23 races (at least for the 2022 calendar) held in different circuits all over the world. F1 is comprised of ten teams, with two drivers on each team. As such, there are only twenty F1 drivers on the grid every season. The teams are each responsible for building/updating cars, strategy, drivers, etc.
Every season, there are two championships: driver and constructor. The driver’s championship rewards the driver who scores the most points, while the constructor’s championship rewards the team (two drivers combined) who scores the most points.
Points are awarded as follows:
- 1st Place (P1): 25 **Podium
2nd Place (P2): 18 **Podium
3rd Place (P3): 15 **Podium
4th Place (P4): 12
5th Place (P5): 10
6th Place (P6): 8
7th Place (P7): 6
8th Place (P8): 4
9th Place (P9): 2
10th Place (P10): 1
Drivers who finish P11-P20 (past tenth place) do not receive points for that race.
Races take place on Sunday and qualifying is held the day prior (with the exception of Sprint Qualifying weekends, which are structured differently).
Flags 101
First used in 1963, flags are a form of communication from the trackside to the car/driver. There are several marshaling sectors throughout the track. At the start of each marshaling sector, there is a ‘marshal post.’ This is where the flags are waved to communicate to drivers at various points on the track.
In addition to the traditional marshaling flags, F1 implemented a GPS marshaling system in which marshals use buttons to send flag signals to race control, circuit light panels, as well as the driver’s dashboard. The LEDs on the driver’s dash light up when the associated flag color has been waved.
Here’s a quick summary of all of the flag types:
Chequered Flag
Probably the most well-known flag of the bunch, the chequered flag indicates the end of the race (and every practice and qualifying session). It is waved as drivers pass the finish line.
No one seems to know the origin story of the chequered flag, and there’s not much evidence to support various theories. The first photo of its use was captured in 1906 at the Vanderbilt Cup in New York as French driver Louis Wagner crossed the line to claim victory.
Five F1 races have stopped early due to misuse of the chequered flag: 1978 Argentine Grand Prix (Ronnie Peterson), 1985 British Grand Prix (Alain Prost), 2014 Chinese Grand Prix (Lewis Hamilton), 2018 Chinese Grand Prix (Sebastian Vettel), and the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix (Valtteri Bottas).
Yellow Flag
Used most often, the yellow flag indicates there is ‘danger’ or a hazard on or near the track. Yellow flags could be in a certain area of the track, or the entirety of the circuit. Under yellow flag conditions, drivers must reduce their speed and drive with caution. They are not allowed to overtake and must be prepared to change direction or stop. In 2021, a more formal system was introduced to help identify cars that don’t slow down as required as many drivers were not respecting the flags.
There are different types of yellow flags:
Single waved yellow: the hazard is on the track.
Single frozen yellow: the hazard is near the track.
Double waved yellow: the hazard is blocking the track and marshals are working on/near the track.
Yellow flags are waved during any safety car period. They are waved alongside a board that indicates either ‘SC’ for safety car or ‘VSC’ for virtual safety car.
In addition, yellow flags can be used at the start of a race. Marshals stand on the pit wall at each grid spot. Drivers can raise a hand to signal a problem, where the yellow flag would be waved to warn other drivers of possible danger.
Green Flag
Green flag is typically shown after a yellow flag to indicate normal racing conditions can resume and that the track is clear during/after an incident or track hazard. It will be waved at the marshal post following a yellow flagged section as well as the yellow flagged section of the track once it is safe to resume driving at normal conditions.
Other times green flags are used:
- At the beginning of a practice or qualifying session;
At the back of the grid during the start of the race, indicating all of the cars are lined up;
At the start line indicating the race can re-start in the case of a rolling start;
At the end of a safety car period
Red and Yellow Striped Flag
This communicates to the drivers that the track is slippery, whether as a result of oil, water, or loose debris. It can also indicate there is a small animal on the track when this flag is rocked side-to-side (rather than waved).
Red Flag
This flag indicates the race/session has been stopped. When track conditions become too dangerous or a major accident has occurred, red flags will be waved at all marshal posts and abort lights are lit up across the start-finish line. It varies by situations, but drivers will either return to the pits or stop immediately.
Red flags have been shown only 79 times since 1950. The 2021 season saw SIX red flags (Imola, Baku, Silverstone, Hungary, Spa, Saudi Arabia), which is the most in any year since the championship began.
Blue Flag
Blue flag is a common flag, albeit an unpopular one! This communicates that the driver in front must let the faster car behind pass. It’s typically waved at lapped, backmarker cars that are over one lap behind the leaders of the race. A faster car is behind them, and the car in front must let the faster car behind pass.
If a driver fails to respond to three blue flags, they receive a penalty as seen in the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix to Haas driver Nikita Mazepin.
Blue flags are also waved at the pit exit to communicate drivers there is oncoming cars on the racetrack as they leave.
White Flag
The white flag indicates a slow moving vehicle is present on track (for example: tow truck, ambulance).
Black and White Diagonal Flag
An equivalent of a yellow card in football, the black and white diagonal flag is a warning of ‘unsportsmanlike behavior.’ It is waved with the driver’s number. If further infringements take place, it may be waved with a black flag.
Most recently, this was shown to the Red Bull of Max Verstappen at the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix for aggressively defending his lead with title contender Lewis Hamilton. His response via team radio? “Yeah, perfect. Say hi!”
Black with an Orange Circle/Disc
This flag indicates the car is damaged (or there is some issue that could cause danger to themselves or others) and the driver must pit immediately to either fix it or retire from the race.
Black Flag
An equivalent of a red card in football, the black flag indicates a driver is disqualified with immediate send off. This is used in cases of dangerous driving or other rule violations. It is waved with the driver’s number. Once waved, the driver must immediately go to the pits and exit the race.
The last time a black flag was waved was at the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix when the Ferrari of Felipe Massa and Renault of Giancarlo Fisichella passed a red flight while exiting the pits.
One of the most bizarre black flag appearances came in 2019 when Haas actually asked the stewards to show them to their own cars during a practice session at Monaco. They had lost all car-to-pit communications and the drivers were ignoring the pit boards telling them to come back in!
Tyres
New Regulations in 2022
Pirelli is the official tyre partner of Formula One. All teams are supplied a set allocation of Pirelli tyres for each race weekend. 2022 marks a ‘new era’ of Formula 1 (following the Turbo Hybrid era) which features a new set of regulations and cars built with the goal of closer racing and more overtaking. The regulations were introduced by Liberty Media, who worked in tandem with the FIA to deliver cars that would provide a better ‘show’ — but also cars that are less expensive to design, build, and race. This was done in an effort to close the gap between teams of different budgets (for example: Haas and Mercedes).
One of the most visually striking differences of the cars is the change to 18-inch tyres.
Compounds
There are 7 different types of tyres (sometimes called “compounds”) that differ in both grip and durability: 5 “slick” compounds and 2 “wet” compounds.
For dry-weather racing, there are slick tyre compounds. The range of slick compounds are numbered from C1 to C5, with C1 being the hardest and C5 being the softest. So, what’s the difference? Softer compounds allow drivers to take turns faster without sliding BUT they wear out quicker – particularly in warmer weather. Harder compounds last longer, but are not as fast.
The range of wet compounds includes the Cinturato Green intermediate and Cinturato Blue full wet tires. Both of these tires are generally not used in dry conditions. Dissimilar to the slick (dry) tires, these tires have grooves, which helps disperse water.
C1 (Compound 1) / Hard
This is the hardest tyre of the Pirelli “slick” compounds. Hard tyres are best used at circuits that put the most energy loading through the tires (i.e. fast corners, abrasive surfaces, high temperatures). Hard tyres take a longer time to warm up, but they are the most durable of the slick compound range. These tyres have maximum durability and low degradation, so this is ideal for high track temperatures. Alternatively, C1 has less grip and lower cornering speeds than softer compounds.
C2 (Compound 2) / Medium
C2, or “medium compound tyre,” is extremely versatile. Medium compound tyres are best used on circuits that have high speeds, temperatures, and energy loading. It has a wide range and adapts to many circuits on the calendar, and, as such, you’ll see it used often. They are considered the most “ideal” tyres in terms of equal compromise on speed and durability. It is commonly used on high temperature circuits.
C3 (Compound 3) / Soft
C3, or “soft compound tyre,” display a unique balance between performance and durability (but tend to perform much better than lasting for a long time). This compound is very adaptable. You’ll generally see it used as the “softest” compound at a high-energy loading track or as the hardest compound on a low-severity track or street circuit (i.e. Baku/Monaco). It is one of the most commonly used compounds and are often used as “sprint” tyres toward the end of a race.
C4 (Compound 4) / Supersoft
C4, or “supersoft compound tyre” works best on tight and twisty circuits (think: Monaco). These tyres warm up quickly, but what they make up for in performance, they lose in durability and overall life. They focus moreso on performance than durability but are still more durable than ultrasoft compounds (but are less fast).
C5 (Compound 5) / Ultrasoft
C5, or “ultrasoft compound tyre” is the fastest compound from the Pirelli range. It is suited for any circuit that requires a lot of mechanical grip. But what they gain in extra speed and traction, they lose in the shortest durability of the compounds. They have the least life of all of the tyres in the slick range.
Intermediate Green
Intermediate tyres are the most versatile of the rain tyres, able to be used on a wet track (with no standing water) as well as a drying surface. Capable of removing 25-30 liters of water per second, per tyre (at 300 kph), intermediate tyres are typically used in damp conditions.
Wet Blue
Wet tires are the most effective compounds for heavy rain, capable of removing 65-85 liters of water per second, per tyre (at 300 kph). These compounds increase resistance to aquaplaning, thus providing more grip in heavy rain conditions.
Race Strategy and Pit Stops
A lot of the race strategy depends on the choice of tyres, which depend on the circuit characteristics, weather, and more. Different types of tyre compounds may offer an advantage.
Regardless of the tyre compound, the driver can only get the maximum performance when tyres are in their optimum temperature window. This is why you’ll see the teams cover tyres in blankets while sitting in the garage or on the starting grid (as long as possible). After this, the responsibility is on the driver to successfully heat up the tyres to keep them in the window. This is why you’ll see drivers zig-zagging on the track during the formation lap prior to the race start.
Tyres must be changed at least one time during a race, which leads us to a true display of synchronized teamwork: pit stops. Pit crews have 16 people:
- Two jack operators (one at the front, one at the rear) to level the car off the ground;
Four wheel gunners (at each wheel)
Eight tyre carriers (two carriers at each wheel to remove the old wheel and replace with the new)
Two stabilizers (at each side) who hold the car steady
They are changed during a pit stop where teams and drivers work in unity and synchronization to change all four tyres as quickly as possible. The average time is 2-3 seconds, but last season we saw sub-2 second pit stop (Red Bull: 1.82 seconds). Incredible!
There is a speed limit of 80 km/h or 50mph while entering and exiting the pit lane. Taking this into consideration, a pit stop can take anywhere from 25-30 seconds, depending on the circuit.
Undercut and Overcut
When drivers are vying for track position, there are two pit stop strategies to consider:
UNDERCUT: A trailing driver pits a lap or two before the driver ahead (in hopes of gaining track position due to the time gained due to the fresher set of tyres against the opponent’s older set of tyres). When done correctly, the previously trailing driver who pitted first will be ahead of the previously ahead driver as they come out of pit lane.
OVERCUT: A trailing driver stays on track while driver ahead pits in hopes of gaining more time. This is less common and is typically done when tyre wear appears to be less of an issue or the driver who did pit is coming into traffic (and, thus, dirty air). The driver who did not pit can then use clear air to put in a few quick laps to extend the lead and complete their pit stop ahead.
Track Evolution
One of the most interesting parts of the race is that the track itself will get faster as the race or qualifying session goes on. But, why? As cars drive around the circuit, the tyres sweep away debris and replace it with a very thin layer of rubber on the racing line. This creates a smoother surface with more grip compared to the inconsistent surface on the other parts of the track off the racing line. Tyres will inevitable wear less and be much easier to handle. You’ll notice that drivers/teams will wait until the last moment to conduct qualifying runs to take advantage of track evolution. Every millisecond counts, after all!
