Formula 1 (F1), the highest class of single-seater auto racing, is widely considered one of the most dangerous and difficult sports due to the physical and mental demands required of the racer. However, people believe that F1 isn’t a sport because of the assumption that it’s just “cars going in circles.”
F1’s requirements for training exceeds many if not almost all of the sports in the world. This is due to the amount of gravity-force (G-force) drivers will need to deal with in the race, going up to 4-6 G-force for 90 minutes to two hours straight. To put this into perspective, according to the article G-Force and Formula One: Explained by Mercedes (another team in F1), when George Russel, a driver for the Mercedes team who weighs 70kg, zooms through turn one in the Japanese Grand Prix, he will experience 350kg of force.
In order to win the championship in F1, the drivers need to get the most points added up throughout all the races by finishing in the top 10 for each one. If the driver isn’t able to do this, he will get zero points.
While it is true that F1 involves cars going in circles, F1 racing has many rivalries between drivers that make it interesting to watch. A great example is the rivalry between Max Verstappen, the current top F1 driver, and Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion driver. The rivalry included intense grand prix races for the world champion title between the two, each of them winning left and right. They’ve also had multiple crashes, one notably being in the British Grand Prix race. In the end, Verstappen ended this rivalry by winning the 2021 F1 world championship, making it his first-ever world championship out of the four he’s won.
Despite being an amazing driver, Verstappen’s streak of four world championships came to an end when he lost in 2025 to Lando Norris, a member of the Mclaren team. However, many say that this was a win for Verstappen because of the impossible comeback in the end, considering he was 104 points behind Oscar Piastri, another McLaren driver, after the Dutch grand prix.
Ever since F1 started, the cars have evolved, improving performance, driven by the advanced aerodynamics and powerful engines. However, not only do the cars need to be fast and endure intense races, they also need to protect the drivers. In 2018, the halo was introduced to F1, which is the part that surrounds the driver’s head. This little structure can withstand 12 tons, which makes it very durable, protecting the driver during crashes.
However, before the halo was introduced, many tragedies occurred because of a lack of protection. During the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, former F1 driver Jules Bianchi had a fatal crash into a mobile crane, hitting his head at 78 mph. This unfortunate tragedy has led to many changes in F1 racing. Despite the many dangers from driving a car at fast speeds at sharp turns, many young drivers all start from go-karting and continue slowly building up to F4 and hopefully achieve their dream of getting into Formula 1. Their determination shows how demanding the sport truly is, both physically and mentally.
