Humanities III, Professor Molstad, room HC415. It’s a Friday afternoon, and our class is deep in discussion about Tocqueville and democracy in America when I discreetly pull out my phone and click on the Formula 1 app. We have a no-phone policy in class, but I couldn’t care less – it’s race week in Miami. Specifically, it’s Sprint Qualifying, the three-stage knockout that determines the starting positions of the race cars for Saturday’s mini race.
I prop the phone up against my water bottle on the desk, trying my best to look like I’m still fully invested in the Tocqueville discussion as the Sprint Qualifying starts. Some of my classmates also turn their gaze to my phone, their interests piqued at the 20 race cars flying by on my screen. And I quickly discover that as fascinating as Formula 1 (F1) looks, most people don’t give it a chance. Why? Because they think it’s just cars going around in a circle for hours on end, or they think it’s way too complicated to understand.
But F1 isn’t like that. As this year’s season begins to come to a close with just four races left on the calendar and the championship still up in the air, there’s no better time to dive in.
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- Any place, any time: Contrary to what most people think, F1 races don’t last all day like Nascar does. The Grand Prixes (think the winding, scenic World Grand Prix races from Cars 2) are a perfect homework distraction or an exciting companion to keep you entertained during your solo meal in the DC; they last only two hours max. Everything about F1 is fast-paced and adrenaline-fueled: pit stops are at most 3.5 seconds long, and the 20 race cars scream around the tracks at 200 miles an hour, so quick that the drivers have to learn to blink at certain parts of the track just so they don’t crash.
- Easier than O-Chem: The races are also super easy to follow, and you don’t even need to leave the comfort of your suitemate’s couch to tune in. On a regular weekend, Fridays are reserved for practice sessions, Saturdays are for Qualifying, and Sundays are the race days. Each race starts with the 20 drivers lining up on the grid depending on their Qualifying results, and when the five lights go out, it’s a battle for points and victories. Points are awarded based on finishing positions, and every point counts towards the Driver’s and Constructor’s Championships, which means that every lap, overtake, and pit stop can have massive consequences during the year-long battle.
- Drama for days: I never watched “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” but I wouldn’t hear the end of the rivalry between Team Jeremiah and Team Conrad as my friends debated which guy was better for Belly. If you want that same level of drama that goes on for the whole year, F1 has you covered. With this year’s season almost over, McLaren has already won the Constructor’s Championship by a large margin. The stressful part is the Driver’s Championship, where McLaren driver Lando Norris (my personal favorite) leads the standings by just one point over his teammate after winning the most recent race in Austin, Texas. And no, I’m not a bandwagon fan. But pick a team or a driver, and you’re guaranteed intense drama that you can talk about with your roommates for hours.
- Big talk, big game: I’ve never seen the sport gaining so much popularity before, and it feels like F1 is everywhere nowadays. Walking through the halls at Bethel, it seems like no matter where I turn, I notice someone wearing a shirt with their favorite team on it. Not that I’m complaining or anything, but being jumpscared by Max Verstappen and Red Bull all the time was not on my 2025 bingo card. There’s nothing better than being able to watch or rant to your friends about the latest news in the F1 world. And if racing strategies or driver standings aren’t really your thing, you could even discuss the best fashion trends of the drivers as they dress up for Media Day.
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This weekend is the Brazilian Grand Prix, which is arguably one of the most stressful and exciting races of the year all thanks to monsoon season in Brazil. If you’re thinking about watching on Hulu or ESPN or even YouTube, make sure to look out for McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, as well as Red Bull driver Max Verstappen and Mercedes-AMG driver George Russell. All four are in contention for the championship, and it’s one of the most thrilling season endings in the modern era of F1.
That weekend in Miami, Lando Norris went on to win his first race ever after five years in the sport. And I cried. There’s not much I cry about, not even movies where the dog dies, but ironically enough, it’s a 25-year-old British guy winning a race that gets me. I can’t promise you the same reaction, but the sport will pull you in with its speed, intensity, and excitement.
If you’re looking for the next best sport to get invested in, or you just want something to watch to pass the time on the weekends when campus becomes a ghost town, Formula 1 is a perfect choice. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
