Formula 1 is the world’s premier motorsport competition, with teams and drivers from all around the globe battling it out for the esteemed F1 Drivers’ Championship and the F1 Constructors’ Championship. The series is famed for its incredible innovation and awe-inspiring speed, with each race typically covering more than 200 miles at speeds of up to 370mph. F1 drivers are more like fighter pilots than sportspeople, navigating extreme g-forces and making daring decisions in the blink of an eye – at a mind-boggling pace.
Every F1 race takes place over a weekend, with practice and qualifying sessions held on Friday and Saturday – before Sunday sees the main event take centre stage at the circuit’s iconic temple of speed. During the opening two 60-minute FP1 and FP2 sessions, the 10 cars compete to find out how their car works in different conditions and make adjustments ahead of the more competitive three-part Q3 session that sets the first 20 positions on the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
This season, Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen is the defending champion and looking to retain his title. Lando Norris and McLaren are hot on his heels, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc also vying for glory.
Behind the scenes, countless engineers work to create some of the fastest and most advanced racing cars in the world. The incredibly intricately-designed machines feature turbo-hybrid power units, eight-speed paddle shift gearboxes, 18-inch tyres and more – all pushing cars down onto the track at mind-blowing speeds.