Archive
1
The F1 summer shutdown: 14 days, explained
For two weeks every August the wind tunnels stop spinning and the laptops stay shut, and the FIA checks its work.
2
F1 pre-season testing, explained
Three days, one circuit, and lap times that mean almost nothing on their own; here's how to actually read a pre-season test.
3
The F1 calendar: how 24 races fit together
Twenty-four races, six sprints and a mandatory shutdown: the season isn't just a list of Grands Prix, it's a logistics puzzle with the championship built on top of it.
4
The F1 sprint format, a history of constant change
Formula 1 has rewritten the sprint weekend four times since 2021, and every version was a fix for the version before it.
5
What 'classified' means in F1 results, explained
A car can be smoking at the side of the track and still count as a finisher, if it went far enough first.
6
Minimum race distance for points in F1, explained
How far into a Grand Prix the field has to get before a result actually counts, and why a red flag on lap ten can turn a win into six points or nothing at all.
7
F1 race distance, explained
Every grand prix chases the same 305km target, except when a two-hour clock or a red flag gets there first.
8
The F1 half-points rule, explained
When a race gets cut short, the points get cut too, on a sliding scale rewritten after Spa 2021's farce made half points a national joke.
9
F1's tiebreak rules: how a level championship gets settled
When two title contenders finish level on points, F1 doesn't flip a coin, it counts wins, then second places, then third, until someone blinks.
10
Drivers' vs constructors' championship in F1, explained
One trophy makes a driver immortal, the other pays the team's wage bill, and F1's history is full of years when the same garage couldn't have both.
11
Q1, Q2 and Q3 in F1 qualifying, explained
Three sessions, three different jobs: survive, choose, and then risk it all on one lap.
12
How F1 qualifying works: Q1, Q2 and Q3 explained
Three timed sessions, three shrinking grids, and one clock that turns a Saturday afternoon into the tensest hour of the weekend.
13
F1 sprint qualifying, explained
One practice session, three knockout segments, and a tyre rule that takes the guesswork out of compound choice.
14
F1 sprint weekend, explained
One practice session, two qualifying sessions and two races inside three days, with the car frozen twice along the way.
15
The fastest-lap point in F1, explained
One extra point sits at the end of every grand prix, and it only pays out if you're inside the top ten when the chequered flag falls.
16
The F1 points system, explained
Twenty-five points for a win, one for tenth, and seventy-five years of tinkering to get the ladder right.