Formula 1

Overview

Formula 1 cars are the world's fastest regulated road-course racing automobiles. F1 is the highest international level of open-wheel racing, with 10 teams of two drivers who compete in Grands Prix from March through December at circuits across five continents.

1440 Findings

Hours of research by our editors, distilled into minutes of clarity.

  • Over 120 cameras are used to film a single F1 race

    Watching a Formula 1 race today is an immersive experience: Every car has onboard cameras; there are helicopter, drone, and lift shots; nearly every corner has a camera to document drivers jockeying for position; and over 120 cameras are used to film a single race.

    Video

    How Formula 1 is filmed

  • F1 pit crews change tires in less than 3 seconds

    Roughly 16 people cooperate in a highly coordinated sequence of events to swap tires mid-race without losing the driver any time. Watch a slowed-down explanation of each person's job in the crucial pit lane moment.

    yt how pit stops are so fast
    Video

    F1 pit crews change tires in less than 3 seconds

  • Why F1 cars don't have cockpits

    F1 racing cars go over 200 mph, making fatal crashes inevitable throughout its history. Car models have changed many times to make them safer, but the sport has never adopted a closed cockpit, a perhaps obvious solution to protecting drivers from fast-flying debris. Instead, F1 cars have a halo-shaped top, which helps cool drivers, allow for quick escape, and more. Watch a breakdown here.

    Video

    Why F1 cars don't have cockpits

  • F1 team Renault crashed one driver's car to have the other win a race in 2008

    Using rules regarding crashes that require all drivers to slow down (and often take a pit stop), floundering Team Renault asked Nathan Pinquet, Jr., to crash to help teammate Fernando Alonso win. The scheme worked, but when the team fired Pinquet a year later, he revealed the conspiracy, dubbed "Crashgate."

    yt how renault won an f1 race by crashing a car
    Video

    F1 team Renault crashed one driver's car to have the other win a race in 2008

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