1. Holy cow I do not know what’s going on here.
Usually if I miss a Burnley match or a NASCAR race or something else I’m supposed to recap, I can figure out what happened. And while I can do that here, too, what happened doesn’t mean much to me.
2. I’m going to have to figure out what’s going on here.
If I’m going to follow Formula 1, I’m going to need to watch a race, and maybe that Netflix series. Thankfully, the next race (Am I supposed to call each race a grand prix? Should Grand Prix be capitalized?) isn’t until April 18th, so there’s plenty of time for me to forget to do this and then say the exact same things.
3. How do they get the cars between races?
Do the cars travel by boat? Do they drive them up the ramp into an airplane’s underbelly like in the space movies? Do they carpool?
4. Is F1 growing in popularity in America?
I’ve heard of multiple friends liking it, and the fact that it’s on ESPN and had a lot of commentary on it on my Twitter feed has me curious if this is becoming a big thing. If so, happy to be here. Hopefully financially happy (gimme those pageviews, friends).
5. Lewis Hamilton won.
I guess I should mention the results. The seven-time champion (including six of the last seven seasons) took the checkered flag, holding off the faster car of Max Verstappen. Since teams seem to be a big deal, Hamilton was driving for Mercedes while Verstappen was driving for Red Bull.
6. Lando Norris came in fourth.
I’ve been told Norris (who drives for McLaren) is a good favorite driver. Strong opening from the youngster. Got himself some points.
7. Rule confusion? This is something I understand.
Thank goodness. Passing rules.
So evidently there was some confusion about what was in-bounds and out-of-bounds on Turn 4, which is very familiar from NASCAR’s yellow-line rule. Assuming this was like that: It’s going to be selectively enforced, and it may or may not make sense but those in charge are going to act like it does while privately trying to figure out how to change it.
Did I get that right?
8. Italy up next.
Bologna, and I’m not talking Oscar Mayer. April 18th. Cars will be getting there by boat or plane, I’d imagine. At least in part.
As a Formula 1 devotee, I’m: (a) so happy that TBC will start to cover the Sport of Princes; and, (b) happy to offer a few thoughts that may be responsive to the points listed above.
1. Yes, the sport can seem complex to newcomers. (Tire and pit strategies can be especially difficult to grasp.) However, I’d posit that it’s really no more complex than other sports. I mean, put American football on and sit a complete neophyte down to watch and they’ll be confused at first. With just a little bit of time, you’ll absolutely get the hang of things!
2. I would absolutely recommend Drive to Survive (the Netflix series you reference), but it actually won’t do a great job of cluing you in to what’s going on during a race. Rather, DTS will provide you with the really compelling backstory that makes the sport so interesting. In order to understand what’s going on during the race, you’ll just have to watch the race and absorb everything via osmosis. (Also, you know what is cool? The plural of “Grand Prix” is “Grands Prix.”)
3. The logistics of Formula 1 are fascinating. (And, as you can imagine, they’re also environmentally catastrophic! But they’re in the process of remedying this and becoming a carbon neutral sport.) This video from Wendover Productions provides a good overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OLVFa8YRfM&ab_channel=WendoverProductions
4. It’s my understanding that American F1 viewership is experiencing double digit growth year-over-year. It’s now on ESPN, which is fantastic from an exposure perspective. What’s great, too, is that ESPN just repackages the excellent Sky Sports broadcast which is seen in the UK. (Some F1 fans tend to make fun of the Sky Sports personalities like David Croft, but I dismiss these criticisms. The broadcasts are just fantastic.)
5. It was a great win from Lewis, and one he actually had to work for. Verstappen and Red Bull are much closer to the Mercs this year than last. And yes, teams are very important in F1. Each year, two championships are up for grabs: the Drivers’ Championship (with the winner being the driver with the most points) and the Constructors’ Championship (the same, but with the teams). Lots of fans feel a very strong affinity for particular teams and will cheer for their particular team regardless of their driver lineup. Whereas, in other series like NASCAR, it might be a bit unusual for someone to identify as a “Joe Gibbs Racing” fan. But I’m no expert, so feel free to prove me wrong on this point!
6. Lando is awesome and perfect and never should he be subjected to any criticism. His McLaren teammate Daniel Ricciardo is also great.
7. You’ve got this right. It seems like the turn 4 track limit rules were enforced during qualifying, then not enforced for the first 3/4 of the race, then enforced again at the end of the race. The Stewards are a kinda shadowy group of (for lack of a better term) referees that review passes, crashes, mechanical issues, etc., and mete out justice in ways that sometimes seem: (a) inconsistent; (b) counterintuitive; (c) inexplicable; or, (d) all of the above.
8. April 18th can’t come quickly enough! Will make myself a Bologna sandwich to enjoy during the race.
Thank you for this! Very helpful. My pre-April 18th work is cut out for me.