Formula One racing, or F1, is known to be the most prestigious type of auto racing in the world. Unfortunately, in the United States F1 racing is not nearly as popular as other motorsports such as Nascar. On a typical Sunday afternoon if one were to flip channels on the television, Nascar would most likely be airing on a major station. Furthermore, if one were to watch the race he or she would notice that the racetrack was packed with thousands upon thousands of people.
A large part of the lack of popularity of F1 in America is that only one race is run in the United States. All of the other races take place in countries such as Spain, France, Italy, and Canada. With Nascar every single race is run in the United States, which is obviously a large contributing factor towards its immense popularity. Despite the fact that Nascar is the racing preference of most Americans, Formula One racing is the best and most exhilarating type of racing in the world.
The action that takes place during an average 190-mile Formula One race is unsurpassed by any other motorsport. The typical racetrack consists of 2.5 miles and 12 turns. During the lapping of this track, the 900-horsepower 1400-pound cars can reach speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour. Even when cars capable of these speeds are put into the hands of world-class drivers such as Ferrari s Michael Shumacher and McLaren s Mika Hakkinen, mishaps are bound to occur. This is what makes this sport so exciting to watch.
Crashes however, are not the only exciting events of the race. It is thrilling to watch a car out brake another in order to squeeze its way ahead, or to watch the cars bump tires in an effort to occupy the same piece of race track to be set up correctly for the turn ahead. Other points of interest are the pit stops and the strategies that the various teams use in order to make a fast pit stop. A world-class team such as Ferrari can refuel a car, change four wheels and tires, and wipe off the driver s helmet in as little as 6.8 seconds.
The technology used in the sport is another drawing point of its popularity. State-of- the-art computers are used to track the car s every movement and to mechanically keep track of every mechanism in the car. The engine of an F1 car only has 2.0 liters of displacement, yet it can crank out 900 horsepower. The braking and cornering ability of these cars is also off the chart even when compared with modern day sports cars. All of this technology does not come without outrageous cost. A typical F1 car can cost as much as five million dollars to build and develop! However, the amount of money available to win far outweighs the cost of racing.
The talent of the drivers is the most impressive part of this sport. In order to truly appreciate the level at which these drivers perform one must have attempted to race a car at one point or another. The level of concentration, physical fitness, and talent required to race an F1 car as the Formula One drivers do is something that the average human could never comprehend.
In the motorsports world F1 is looked upon as the pinnacle of motorsport racing, therefore the drivers involved are considered the best in the business. The competition between these world-class drivers is intense. Presently in the 1998 F1 season only 4 points going into the last race separate the top two drivers. These drivers are Michael Shumacher and Mika Hakkinen who are separated by the slimmest of margins.
When people find themselves counting the hours until the next F1 race and getting up at 7:00 a. m. on a Saturday morning to watch it, they realize rather quickly what the best motorsport is. Formula One is as popular in Europe as Nascar is in the United States. If Formula One gets better media coverage in the United States, Americans will finally begin to see what they have been missing. Then more people will recognize Formula One racing as being the best and most exhilarating type of racing in the world.
