How does F1 work?

Chances are you have at least one friend that over the past few years has gotten really into a niche racing series after binging a certain Netflix series. Or perhaps it's you yourself that stumbled onto it and were hooked by the drama and spectacle of it all. Formula One has seen its greatest surge in popularity, possibly ever, after the debut of Drive to Survive on Netflix garnering all new audiences and bringing new fans into the fast paced world of F1. Now, with the season upcoming you want to watch the races live and follow your new favorite driver, but maybe not sure how it all works. What are the rules? How do pit stops work, and why is everyone always so upset about the tires? Well you made it here, so maybe we can learn how this all works together.

The Big Picture

F1 in its simplest form is a race. Go fast, finish ahead of everyone else, Win! Easy. But what does it add up to?

Formula One is divided into two championships.

The first is the Drivers championship. This goes to the individual driver that accumulates the most championship points at the end of the season. Points are awarded based on race finishing position, 25 points going to the winner down to just 1 point for the tenth-place finisher. Eleven through twenty-two score nothing for that race.

The second championship is the Constructors (Team) Championship. Each team fields two cars per race and the individual race points awarded to those cars (not necessarily drivers, in the event of substitutes for injury or penalty) are added together and accumulated in the constructors standings. At the end of the year the Team with the greatest number of points wins. What makes the team standings so important is it has a direct effect to teams ability to work on the next seasons car. Winning a Constructors Title comes with additional financial bonuses that allow more money to be spent on development. Conversely the top teams are penalized with a reduction in the amount of time they are allowed to spend on certain aspects of testing and development. Its important to note that Formula One operates under a “Cost Cap.” This means that across all teams there is an upper limit to the amount of money and time that is allowed to be spent on research, development, and testing of the cars. This prevents the larger teams from simply outspending their smaller counterparts and gaining an unfair advantage. So when the Constructors title is all said and done the top teams will get more money and the bottom receive more time. This is why the battles all the way down the field matter. Drivers fighting for that last points paying position have an impact on the teams future. When it come to the mid-field teams, the ones not consistently fighting for podium positions, the difference in position at the end of the year can come down to a single point, and that single point can have a significant financial impact, allowing the team to do more with the car.      

The Race Weekend

We know why they are racing, but how do they go about doing it? How do we follow along? A Race is conducted usually over three days in a given weekend. If you count the media days on Thursday, you may consider it a four day process. A typical race weekend, for us the viewer, begins Friday with the first of three Free Practice sessions (FP1, FP2, and FP3). FP1 and FP2 take place Friday and FP3 concludes practice on Saturday usually early in the day. Free practice primarily focuses on fine-tuning the best setups for the upcoming race. Teams will adjust the car to simulate different race and qualifying conditions, experimenting with various tire and car setup combinations. These test and practice sessions provide teams and drivers with feedback, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the track and make necessary adjustments for the upcoming qualifying and race. The second half of Saturday is Qualifying. Drivers will try and post the single fastest lap time during qualifying and those times will be used to set the starting order for the race. Qualifying takes place over three phases, nocking out the slowest drivers at the end of each phase. Once qualifying completes the order is set and positions established for the next days race. Sunday is Race day. Fastest car at the end of the day wins and takes home the championship points for them and their team. This format applies to a normal race week, however six weekends during the season are different. These are the Sprint Race weekends. Sprint weekends feature a second shorter race and reduce the available practice sessions. The sprint weekend format is as follows, Friday there is only one practice session (FP1) followed by sprint Qualifying. On Saturday is the Sprint race and then the normal Grand Prix Qualifying procedures. Sunday is still Race day.

Qualifying

Qualifying ("quali") is the first competitive session of the weekend. With as fast paced and competitive as the racing can get, or in tight race tracks where overtaking is difficult (Monaco...) starting position can have perhaps the greatest influence on the races outcome. Qualifying will set the starting order for the upcoming race by having drivers post the single fastest laps over three phases with the slowest being eliminated at the the conclusion of each phase.

The procedures for qualifying in 2026 have been adjusted slightly to accommodate for the additional cars on the grid this year. In the first session (Q1) all cars will have 18 minutes to post their single fastest lap time. In order for a lap to count the timed lap must have started before the clock reaches zero and stay within the track limits for the entirety of the lap (no going off track out of bounds). After the 18 minutes are up and all cars have crossed the line the slowest six cars will be eliminated and their positions will be set based on the lap times. The remaining cars will begin Q2 and all times cleared. Nothing carries over from one quali-session to another. This time the drivers have 15 minutes to post a fast lap. When the timer hits zero six more cars are eliminated and those eliminated will fill the next spots on the grid. In the final phase, Q3, the fastest remaining 10 cars will have 12 minutes to set a fast lap. The order of those final 10 cars will complete the grid for the upcoming race.

After Qualifying is complete the cars enter what is referred to as "Parc Ferme" (French for closed park). This means the cars a locked in the garage and teams are no longer allowed to change parts or make set up changes before the race. It is important that during testing and Quali that the teams have locked in their race settings or face penalties.

Tires (Tyres)

Yes an entire section dedicated to tires.

All tires in Formula One are solely provided by Italian manufacturer Pirelli. The 2026 tires are slightly smaller and lighter to accommodate the new technical regulations of this generation of F1 car. Formula One tires come in two main flavors, Slicks and Wets, and there are several varieties of each. The multiple tires types are frequently referred to as compounds and are identified by different color stripes on the sidewall making it easier for the viewer to quickly identify and understand the strategies being utilized.

Slick tires are named so because the surface of the tire is "slick," meaning it is completely flat and has no tread, the flat surface allows maximum contact with the road surface for the most traction (in dry conditions). Pirelli manufactures the slick tires in five different compounds. The compounds differ in softness and durability across a range, and are identified by the designations C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5. The Higher the number the softer the tire. The softer the tire the more the car grips. The more grip the faster the car goes. However, there is a tradeoff. The softer tires are less durable and will wear out faster. A worn tire will grip substantially less, making the car more unstable at speed and will be more susceptible to breakage and puncture. While the C5 will be the "fastest" tire it simply wont last long, while the C1 is "slow" a team can run it for longer durations reducing time lost via more frequent pit stops and allowing more strategic flexibility late in the race.

Now here is where it gets more complicated. During a race teams are obligated to make at least one pit stop to change tires. There is a requirement that each car use at least two different compounds during a race. Before the race three of the slick tire compounds will be made available to the teams and designated as the Hard (White stripe), Medium (Yellow Stripe), or Soft (Red Stripe). So the Compound Number may not always coincide with its race day designation, but what's important to you the fan, is following if your team has selected their tire strategy around the appropriate compound that will give them the best chance for a successful run. When to deploy the fastest available tire versus going longer on the more durable compound can be a teams key to success. Should they get it wrong the car on a worn out set of Softs becomes an easy target for overtaking, or a team trying to overextend a hard set closes the door on late race strategy.

Pirelli tire selection for the first three Grand Prix's of 2026

The Wet tires are seen less frequently and have only two varieties, an Intermediate (green stripe) and Full Wet (Blue stripe). The wet tires are different in that they are treaded and intended, as the name suggest, to be used during wet weather. The intermediate tires are for lighter rain and mixed conditions, offering a limited amount of dry grip with enough tread to push water from a damp track. The Full Wets are intended for heavier rain and are deeply treaded to maximize water dispersion. Historically if the rain is so bad that all teams have utilized full wets, the chances are the race will be stopped soon.

The Race

Now we have made it to dace day.

To start the race proceedings the drivers will take to the track for a "formation lap." This is intended as one final lap to order the grid, give the drivers one last chance to see the conditions before the race start, and most importantly engage whatever race start procedure the teams and drivers have established. The race start programs will largely consist of warming tires, doing a pre measured amount of burnouts and full throttle running to properly warm up the car after they have been sitting idol. Upon completion of the Formation lap the drivers will place their car in the appropriate starting box based on qualifying order, or adjusting placement for any pre-race penalties. The cars at the head of the grid will arrive to their start box first and will have to wait for the cars at the back to file into their spots. The leaders will be keeping the cars revving to maintain engine conditions and await Formula One's famous starting lights.

Once the final car has found its box five lights will illuminate at the starting line. The countdown begins with each light going dark one after the other. Then, to quote F1 commentator David Croft "IT'S LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO!" All the lights go out and the race begins.

The racing is pretty straight forward, be ahead at the end and win. Along the way teams will be required to take at least on mandatory pit stop to change tires. The cars are required to use at least two different tire compounds during a race. Failure to stop or fit both tire sets will result in a penalty. During the race the driver has a few tools at his disposal with the deployment of the extra battery power to make overtakes ( See: 2026 New Regulations - New Power Modes) as well as balancing tire strategy. The race is over when the lead car crosses the finish line. Any cars that are further than a lap behind positions are fixed where they currently are placed, and all other cars still on the lead lap are free to race until they cross the line.

Rules and Penalties

Here is where things can get complicated. The following section is by no means a comprehensive look at the rule book, but a list of highlights and some of the more common scenarios, situations, and regulations a fan might encounter.

Flags

• Green - this is an easy one, track is all clear.

• Yellow - used in the event of hazard on track and a driver should anticipate having to take some avoiding action. The yellow flag comes in two flavors; Single Yellow - slow down you are approaching a track hazard, and Double Yellow - Really slow down there is a significant hazard ahead. While passing through a section of track under a yellow flag drivers must slow down and no overtaking is permitted until they have left that sector.

• Red - STOP. A red flag is shown to stop a current session and the drivers must slow and return to the pit lane.

• Blue - A much faster car is approaching and you are about to be overtaken. The blue flag is often shown to the cars at the back of the pack when the lead cars are approaching to lap them. While a lapped car is allowed to unlap themselves they are not permitted to do so in a manner that would impede the lead cars.

• Black and White - NOT the checkered flag. The Black and White flag is show to a driver when they are breaking the rules and this is their final warning. Any further continuing of the rule breaking activity will result in penalties.

• Checkered Flag - The race session is over.

Safety Car/ Virtual Safety Car (VSC)

The safety car is a designated vehicle that is deployed as a pace car during the event of some on track incident. If there is a collision or some other on track incident that would require the track to be cleared or car to be removed, but not so significant as to require a red flag the race director can elect to deploy the safety car. During this period the race is neutralized while still ongoing. All cars will form up in a line behind the safety car and follow at a reduced speed until the track is clear and racing can resume. In some lesser cases a Virtual Safety Car can be called. In a VSC scenario the race is also neutralized and continues to proceed. The VSC requires all drivers to slow and maintain a certain speed. Its a lot like imposing a speed limit and no overtaking is allowed.

During safety car periods teams will often take this time to perform a pit stop. This can be advantageous because during a period where all cars on track are slowed there is less time lost relative to the rest of the field.

Track Limits

Track limits violations are one of the more common infractions seen, especially on tighter tracks. A driver is marked to have exceeded the track limits when all four wheels have left the race track. Usually this is marked by a solid white line on the edge of the track. A driver exceeding track limits three times will be shown a black and white flag, indicating their final warning. Another violation will result in a penalty being assessed to the driver.

The other variety of track limits violation is "leaving the track to gain a lasting advantage." This typically occurs when a driver cuts a corner or otherwise leaves the track to either pass another car or gain a significant time advantage. When this happens the drivers are allowed to sort themselves out and give back any ill gotten positions earned. If they elect not to self resolve and the officials deem the move illegal a penalty to the infracting driver will be assessed.

Racing Rules

In 2022, the FIA introduced the Driving Standard Guidelines to bring clarity on acceptable overtaking and defending maneuvers. These guidelines define how drivers should behave during wheel-to-wheel battles. This is a VERY simplified explanation.

Young Charles Leclerc

The greatest number of incidents occur while overtaking in corners. The guidelines specify that the attacking driver must have their front axle at least alongside the defender’s mirror by the apex (the inner most point of the racing line nearest the inside of the corner) to be entitled to space when overtaking on the inside. They must also stay within track limits and allow room for the defending driver throughout the corner. For overtaking on the outside, the attacker needs their front axle at least alongside the defender’s front axle at the apex. If the defending car is half a car length ahead at the apex, the attacking driver isn’t guaranteed space for the exit. Like inside overtakes, track limits must be maintained. A driver can receive a penalty for not leaving the appropriate space and forcing another driver off the track.

When defending from overtakes on the straights a driver can only change direction once. When they elect to defend to either side they are stuck with that until they rejoin the racing line. Additionally, once braking begins, they can only change direction to follow the racing line, otherwise being handed a "moving under breaking" infraction.

Penalties

Penalties in Formula One are handed out when the race director identifies a potential infraction and is then sent to the race stewards. The stewards investigate and make a determination if an infraction has been committed and what the appropriate penalty to be assessed is. There are a few different types of penalties. Some of them are taken off track and others during a race. There will always be other special unique circumstances but these are the most common.

Grid Penalties - Grid penalties are the loss of starting position for the next racing session. Most commonly issued during qualifying for impeding a driver on a fast lap, but can also be issued for replacing certain critical components while still in Parc Ferme conditions.

Time Penalties - During a race a driver can be hit with a 5 or 10 second penalty for a variety of racing infractions. These penalties are served during the drivers next pitstop. The car must remain stationary in the pit box for the assigned duration of the penalty. The pit crew is not allowed to touch the car until the end of the penalty time. If the crew works on the car to early or the diver fails to remain stationary for the assigned time an additional time penalty will be assigned. If the driver does not need to pit again after receiving a penalty, the time will be added to the end of their race time, and potentially fall down the finishing order.

Drive Through / Stop-Go Penalties- These are less common race penalties, usually reserved for more serious infractions, like failing to slow under double yellow or some pit lane safety infractions. A drive through penalty will require the driver to take their car though pit lane without stopping before rejoining the race. This does not count as a required pit stop. A stop-go is much like a drive through penalty with the addition of the driver having to come to a complete stop for 10 seconds before rejoining. The mechanics are not allowed to work on the car and is not counted as a required stop for the race.

Disqualifications- In some cases a full race disqualification can be issued. These are usually reserved for more serious infractions or technical infringements. The most common DQ for the past few season is due a skip plate being found to be below the required minimum post race thickness.

This isn't all there is to know but it will get you started. Thank you for taking the time to learn about this unique game we love so much.

BONUS

2026 New Regulations

Formula One underwent one of the biggest regulation changes in decades. There were dramatic changes to the cars’ size, engines, fuels, and safety measures. Not all the changes are visible or completely relevant to the fans at home, but here are some of the important ones.

New active Aero.

In years past we had DRS (Drag reduction System) a deployable rear wing flap that would reduce downforce and allow a driver, in certain designated portions of the track, to increase their top speed. However, this year the wing designs are being “simplified”. There is still active aero. The front AND rear wings will dynamically adjust throughout the lap. In corners the flaps are all up and closed, increasing drag and more aggressively slowing the cars allowing for later breaking. In the straights the flaps will open and induce less drag. So, while DRS is officially gone, it’s still there but looks and acts a little different than it used to. Bottom line, active aero is no longer just for reducing drag on the long straights, but both adds and decreases downforce throughout the lap.

New Power Modes.

With the new engine regulations going to a 50:50 split between fuel and battery power, drivers are having to change the way they utilize power through out the lap and when fighting for position. Drivers now have much more control over the deployment and recovery of the electrical power available.  The new year come with three new buttons. BOOST, OVERTAKE, and RECHARGE. Boost mode lets drivers utilize more electrical power on demand anywhere on the lap. This will allow increase power for both attack and defense through multiple sections of a lap. Overtake mode is similar to boost, but deploys all available electrical energy, and is only available in designated Overtake sections of the track and if the driver is within one second of the car ahead (Sound familiar? DRS isn’t quite gone). So to compare the two modes; Boost gives more power anywhere and not dependent on driver position, Overtake gives ALL the power but only in designated straights behind a car ahead. Now for the third button, Recharge. Electrical power is a finite resource. If you completely drain the battery, you will be potentially down 50% power making you an easy target to get passed. The name “recharge” is fairly self-explanatory it makes recharging the battery available. This will have to be a strategy choice drivers make on when and how to recharge the battery. In previous iterations energy recovery was only done through breaking, like a kinetic recovery system available on most conventional hybrid cars. This year however the energy recovery systems can be activated through letting off the throttle and coasting, or anywhere a driver is not fully engaging engine power, as well as under breaking like before. This opens up the ways a driver can “harvest” energy from the car to recharge the battery. The drawback to all of the new power modes being that now the driver, aside from having to navigate a race track with 21 other cars traveling at 200 miles per hours, will have to be managing their battery usage and recovery almost 100 percent of the time while on track.