Formula 1, explained for rookies

F1 isn’t just a car race. It’s a science experiment.
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You’ve been hearing about F1 too, right? Formula 1 is skyrocketing in popularity in the US, driven in part by the Netflix series Drive To Survive. In this video, we’ll break down exactly what you need to know to keep up with this crazy, expensive sport everyone’s suddenly obsessed with. But we’ll also take a deeper look at the big (HUGE*!) question here, which is: Why do this? Why pour so much money, so many bright minds, so much technological effort into F1… into entertainment?

The answer is in what we get in return. Formula 1 is much more than a car race. It’s a space program, for the road.

Chapters:
00:00 Why is F1 so popular right now?
01:32 Is F1 worth it?
02:09 WTF is F1?
03:12 Thank you Storyblocks!
04:15 How does an F1 race work?
04:57 How does F1 scoring work?
05:36 How does an F1 car work?
07:39 What does an F1 team cost?
08:44 Do F1 teams make money?
09:40 Is F1 wasteful?
10:15 Why is F1 a science experiment?
11:23 Does F1 tech help road cars… really?
13:12 What is the future of F1?
13:56 Help :)

Important note (because I never want you to be confused about whether something is sponsored): The Mercedes F1 Team did not pay me or give me a ticket to the Miami Grand Prix. They did however let me into their garage, for which I am very grateful! I’m a huge fan! The only sponsor of this episode is Storyblocks, which means they get to approve their ad beforehand, but didn’t have any say in the rest of the video.

Thanks to Johnny Harris for helping me shape this story early on, and to Toni Cowan-Brown for taking the time to look at a cut of this video. It means a lot to be supported by fellow producers!

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You can find me on TikTok here for short, fun tech explainers: https://www.tiktok.com/@cleoabram
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You can find me on Twitter here for thoughts, threads and curated news: https://twitter.com/cleoabram

Bio:
Cleo Abram is an Emmy-nominated independent video journalist. On her show, Huge If True, Cleo explores complex technology topics with rigor and optimism, helping her audience understand the world around them and see positive futures they can help build. Before going independent, Cleo was a video producer for Vox. She wrote and directed the Coding and Diamonds episodes of Vox’s Netflix show, Explained. She produced videos for Vox’s popular YouTube channel, was the host and senior producer of Vox’s first ever daily show, Answered, and was co-host and producer of Vox’s YouTube Originals show, Glad You Asked.

Additional reading and watching:
- My absolute favorite newsletter on F1, Engine Failure by Lily Herman: https://tinyurl.com/3dccc5fa
- “F1 - the plane that never takes off,” with Toni Cowan-Brown and Benedict Evans: https://another-podcast.simple....cast.com/episodes/f1
- “F1 Aerodynamics: The Basics” by Chain Bear (LOVE this channel) https://youtu.be/ZFEzMKYjShc
- “F1 Drivers Explain F1,” from F1 https://youtu.be/twAlqtvVMdc
- “How a Formula 1 Race Car Works” by Animagraffs https://youtu.be/V7707zEX9X4
- “The Insane Logistics of F1,” by Wendover Productions https://youtu.be/6OLVFa8YRfM
- “Why F1 Banned Their Best Car,” by Donut Media (highly recommend this channel!) https://youtu.be/NBWfnOhc34I
- “How to Make F1 Sounds,” by Matt Chambers :) https://youtu.be/I_jDJvfYEgA

Vox: https://www.vox.com/authors/cleo-abram
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10108242/

Gear I use:
Camera: Sony A7SIII
Lens: Sony 16–35 mm F2.8 GM
Audio: Sennheiser SK AVX and Zoom H4N Pro

Music: Musicbed

Follow along for more episodes of Huge If True: https://www.youtube.com/cleoab....ram?sub_confirmation

—
Welcome to the joke down low (an idea 100% in reference to Answer In Progress’ awesome “joke below the fold” - I always scroll down to see them and always wanted to do this myself too):

What do we want?
Formula 1!
When do we want it?
NEEEEEEOOOOOOOWWWWWWW

Find a way to use the word “neeeeooowwww” in a comment to let me know you’re a real one ;)