#guide to f1

[slythereen]

apologies if you’ve answered this before or if there’s not really a specific gathered resource, but you seem knowledgeable about such things!— i am interested in learning more about f1 racing, do you have any recommendation for where to find a beginners guide/‘f1 for dummies’/place to begin learning more?

hello!!! i am also rather new to the sport and had to consume massive amounts of content from all over the place and frankly am still learning a lot all the time, so i'm not exactly an expert. what i can share are resources i relied on in my own ✨ descent into madness ✨ though !

so, my incomplete and questionable guide to selling your soul to f1:

it's all about how you like to learn and consume media tbh. i tried to watch a race initially, was confused, regrouped and started exploring. personally i watched all of dts up to the current season and then watched the first few races that i had missed while obsessively trawling twitter to learn more and waiting for my first live race (aka australia this year — massive rip). but it's up to you how you dive in!!

drive to survive

don’t get me wrong, dts has its issues — they invent drama, have some misleading portrayals, like to splice together clips from different race weekends together. it’s definitely more of a creative project than a straight up documentary. 

that being said, it also explains a lot of the lore and history behind the sport, teams, and drivers in an entertaining fashion. it’s newcomer friendly so it explains the rules. yes, will buxton gets a lot of heat for stating the obvious, but some of those obvious explanations are helpful for the clueless. 

there are also a lot of very cool shots and some good exclusive interviews that they get. sure, you can probably find them clipped on youtube, but may as well just watch dts. the first season is a little slow if you’re like me and want to see charles immediately (worth noting not all teams had agreed to participate s1), but that’s just me. 

(plus: it’s entertaining. i live for drama. just take said drama with a grain of salt and assume it’s probably invented or blown out of proportion.) 

the tiktok girlies 

again: tiktok can be a bit hit or miss. you’ll see a lot of bad takes and pure cringe if you linger too long on f1 tiktok. but i started watching content from a few f1 girlies who seems reliable and had friendly introductory content. they’re generally very nice and happy to answer questions. 

after a while i stopped watching them just because i no longer needed the intro information or explanations, but they did help fill in gaps and point out some of the inaccuracies of dts. 

some who helped me learn more:

@/lissiemackintosh (okay she's an f1 presenter but she's cool as shit i love her queen of the paddock etc etc)

@casxf1 (intro content is sort of her Thing)

@formula_dev (she was my go-to girlie for learning)

@f1toni

f1tv content 

i am pretty sure f1tv isn’t available in all countries, but i have always watched races through f1tv. there are a lot of ways to watch races live illicitly if that’s what you prefer, and other countries have sky or other channels they can watch on (USA also has espn), but i prefer f1tv because i’m too lazy to find streams and don’t want to worry about stream issues mid race. 

plus: f1tv comes with a whole archive of past seasons and a host of other media content during race weekends (ie, the fia press conferences on thursday, post-quali and post-race). they have a tech talk series that explains some of the technical aspects, do weekend warm-ups each race weekend that gives an update/context, and have been adding more intro content on the platform. there’s an app, which is convenient. 

the f1tv stream also allows you to use the channel switcher to choose between your commentary options (f1tv or sky’s commentators), or to see the live timing data, or to see any of the driver onboards. it’s quick and you can switch back and forth easily. (if your computer can handle it — my mac often can’t — you can use multiviewer with your f1tv subscription to set up a bunch of different screens and panels to watch, for example, the main stream and a driver’s onboard. or multiple onboards. or whatever you want basically. personally i usually put the race on my ipad and the onboard on my phone, because that streams perfectly and multiviewer likes to kill my laptop.) 

the downfall of f1tv is that they don’t have a smart tv app yet. idk why. it’s very irritating. it also might be a bit expensive to some, but i think it’s worth it. 

f1 twitter (hell)

it’s a minefield out there. truly. BUT my next big question, after starting to get into watching races live and watching some old seasons and learning how it works, is how people seemed to always be in the know about paddock gossip. i wanted to know about it as it was happening and see the ~drama~ unfold live and feel like i was part of the season actually occurring. 

so: twitter. follow your teams, follow your drivers, the for you tab is actually your friend here because it’ll bring new journalists and f1 commentators into your orbit as you learn who is who. some of the big driver fan pages operate as sources of information and updates with relative stealth if not immediate updating. 

at this point i follow enough people (and have infected my algorithm enough) that i tend to see gossip and updates across most of the teams. big news tends to get shared by everyone anyway. 

if you prefer tumblr, you can still get A Lot of updates on drama and gossip pretty quickly. there is a bit of a delay between information hitting twitter and information hitting tumblr (partially because none of the official teams or drivers have accounts on tumblr; partially because of the amount of people on f1twt versus f1blr). BUT, a lot of us tumblr girlies liveblog during the races and sessions and bring any crucial content over from twitter to share here, so the info will probably be here eventually/soonish. (following the race tags each weekend will prob give you a lot of the quick updates live.) 

some great charles specific update accounts

@leclercsletters

@leclercdata

@/charlsleclerc

@cleclercfansuk

others i follow for the 🍵 (not necessarily CL fans/i follow some ppl i disagree with for the intel) 

@fiadocsbot (😭) / @f1 / other official accounts press etc. 

@_allthatglitz

@maranellosaint

@scuderiafemboy (actually also has tumblr)

@fm1_3316

@/lecstappens

@candeleclerc16

@/elpredestinato

@formuleo_

@pikaclerc

@leclerqz

@fottitiferrari

@/f1tami

@/htrs4piastri

@estestroll

@fanaticsferrari

there are certainly more i see on my timeline all the time !!! this is just skimming through my following on the train 😭

tbh if i started trying to list tumblrs with hot takes that i follow we might be here all day. note to self: make my following list public lmfao

introductory posts & masterlists & others

full disclosure: these are resources i went hunting for out of curiosity and never actually used myself, but they looked fun and funky so yaknow. if there are iconic masterlists that i am missing, rip, someone please feel free to add or correct me. some of these are definitely seasons of old (aka like last year) but you get the point.

f1chronicle has this guide!

f1 put out their own beginner's guide to f1 video but it's like......5 minutes (and here is their longer intro video for 2023)

this much longer intro to the rules video by school of sports looks promising

apparent f1 also has a whole category of articles in their beginner's guide series

@babssionate's ppt guide to f1 and drivers intro

@shuntedmate's (sister's) ppt beginner's guide to f1

pitwall's beginner guide to f1 ppt

@race-week's guide to getting into the technical side of f1 (and whole blog appears to be some cool info on drivers and histories etc)

here is @lestappenforever's glorious guide to charles' driving style that i re-found while trying to figure out if i have a reference list tag (i dont)

[f1-stuff]

Chinese GP '24 // Charles and Carlos' Shanghai Guide

[n0vazsq]

When in Monaco | CL16 x Reader

pairing . . . charles leclerc x reader

summary . . . During a visit to Monaco, you meet up with Charles, who offers to show you his favorite hidden spots around the city. As you explore together, you can’t tell if it’s the scenic beauty or Charles himself slowly making you fall in love

request . . . no!!

warnings . . . none!

faceclaim . . . N/A

alexavia yaps . . . !PART OF MINI FIC SERIES! yurr this was supposed to be the last fic im writing for mini fic series but i decided to extend it!! hope you guys like it!! i love this sm tho it's my baby fr

. . . "Are you actually planning to show me around, or are you just making up random stuff as we go?"

Charles grins, walking backward on the cobbled streets of Monaco, hands shoved into his pockets. "Hmm… Maybe a little bit of both."

You narrow your eyes at him, a smile tugging on your lips. "I knew it."

He laughs, motioning for them to follow as he turns a corner. "I could take you to all those fancy places, but that's not the real Monaco."

"Oh? So what is the real Monaco?" You grin, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'll show you 'round."

And so, the tour begins.

Not the tourist spots, not the picture perfect locations you see all over social media; his Monaco.

The tiny coffee shop nestled between the high hills where the owner greets him like family. The quiet view point where he used to sit for hours, thinking. The hidden alley tucked between grand apartments and designer shops where he and his brothers would race on bikes as kids.

It's quite different from what you expected. More personal. More him.

As the evening sets in, you find yourself by the water, watching the city lights reflect off the waves. There's no grand declaration, no overly romantic moment; just Charles leaning on the railing beside you, arms brushing, eyes flickering between the view and your face.

You could see the way his eyes shone with a certain gleam when he glanced at you, his cheeks slightly pink from the chill ocean breeze. There was a small smile tugging at his lips, as if he was making jokes to himself.

"Do you like it?" he asks, voice softer now.

You glance at him, at the way the golden lights make his features even sharper, at the way the sea breeze ruffles his hair, messing it up slightly.

Behind you two, the backdrop of high apartment buildings between the green hills bordering France shines brightly under the black sky, creating a beautiful view.

"Yeah," you say, barely above a whisper. "I think I do."

Maybe it's Monaco.

Maybe it's just him.

taglist. . . @barcapix ,, @f1lover55 ,, @ilovebarcaaaa ,, @notm4d1 ,, @httpsdana ,, @paucubarsisimp ,, @justaf1girl ,, @awritingtree ,, @freyathehuntress ,, @chilling-seavey ,, @eloriis ,, @linnygirl09 (lmk if you want to join the taglist!)

[stexnem]

Haiii I am new to tumblr!! :3

Decided to post my silly lil art here because why not

[aaron04jpg]

MotoGP guide

TEAMS AND RIDERS

In MotoGP, there are “factory teams” and “satellite teams”

Both factory teams and satellite teams compete on the same track 

Each manufacturer is allowed 1 team per class

There is no limit to how many satellite teams can get bikes from a manufacturer (i.e.  there are 4 Ducati teams)

A team consists of 2 drivers

For the 2025 season, there are 11 teams and 22 drivers

Factory Teams

Factory teams are directly supported by motorcycle manufacturers

Factory teams are considered top-tier teams with the hierarchy; they often have priority access to the latest upgrades and are typically composed of highly skilled riders

The manufacturers design and produce their motorcycles and have their dedicated championship

Factory teams get significant financial and technical support from their manufacturer (access to the latest technology, support for bike development)

Factory teams are a direct representation of the manufacturers on track. the factory team’s success reflects on the manufacturer’s brand and image

Satellite Teams

Satellite teams are independent entities and may not be directly part of a manufacturer. 

They don’t have the same level of support from a motorcycle manufacturer as factory teams.

Satellite teams usually use the “same” motorcycles as the factory teams but they don’t typically have the latest upgrades or the same level of technical support

These teams typically purchase or lease the previous year’s bike from the manufacturers.

Satellite teams rely on their own sponsorships and funding (although they do receive support from the manufacturer it is not to the extent the factory teams do)

Satellite teams can switch manufacturers from year to year (when their contracts expire with manufacturers)

WEEKEND FORMAT

Each weekend from Friday to Sunday consists of free practice 1, 2, & 3, qualifying 1 & 2, a sprint race, a warm-up session, and a main race.

Friday: Free Practice Sessions

Fridays consist of only an fp1 and fp2

Fp1 (45 minutes)allows the drivers to familiarize themselves with the track and start setups. 

Fp2 (45 minutes) is usually faster paced as teams gather final data and tune bike setups

Saturday: Practice, Qualifying & Sprint Race

Fp3 (30 minutes) is a shorter session but important, fp3 directly influences qualifying

The combined lap times of fp1, fp2, & fp3 decide the top 10 riders who skip Q1 and go straight into Q2

Qualifying Q1 (15 minutes) the riders who didn’t place in the top 10 from combined fp1-fp3 times compete to go into Q2 (only 2 riders advance)

Qualifying Q2 (15 minutes) The top 10 from combined fp1-fp3 times plus the top 2 from Q1 compete for pole and decide the top 12 grid positions 

This sets the grid for the sprint and the main race

Sprint Race (15-20 minutes) were introduced in 2023 

Covers half the main race distance 

Awards points to the top 9 

Sprint races are every weekend 

Sunday: Warm-up & Main Race

Warm-ups (10 minutes) are just brief sessions in the morning before the race. 

Checks the bikes and finalize the setup

Main Race (40-45 minutes) typically covers 20-25 laps 

Points are awarded to the top 15 finishers 

These points count toward the rider, team, and constructor championship

PITSTOPS

Under normal circumstances, there are no pitstops in races due to how short the race is 

Riders and teams chose tires (soft, medium, or hard) before the race based on strategy and durability

Exceptions

Pit-stops can happen in flag-to-flag races, which happen during different weather conditions (i.e. rain)

Riders enter the pits to switch bikes, not tires

The teams prepare a second bike with the correct tires (wets for rain, slicks for dry)

An average pit stop is 5-10 seconds

RACE NEUTRALIZATIONS

Compared to f1, there are no safety cars, as the motorcycles are faster to maneuver than the cars.

Yellow Flags 

A yellow flag is shown when there is a minor incident (a crash, debris, or a stopped bike) 

Riders must slow down in the affected sector

Overtaking is not allowed in the flagged zone

Once the flag is withdrawn racing resumes as normal

Red Flag

A red flag is shown for more serious incidents (a dangerous crash, severe weather conditions, unsafe track conditions that can’t be cleared quickly)

All riders must return to the pitlane

Depending on how much of the race has been completed the race may be restarted from the beginning, resumed with the remaining laps, or declared finished

CHAMPIONSHIPS

Motogp has 3 championships: the rider championship, the team championship, and the constructors championship

Rider Championship

The rider with the most points at the end of the season becomes the World champion

When talking about rider championships, moto2 & moto3 are both included (i.e. Marc Marquez has 8 Grand Prix world championships, 6 MotoGP, 1 moto2 & 1 moto3)

Team Championship

The team with the highest total points at the end of season wins

Points are earned from the sum of the points earned by the Team 2 riders 

This reflects the performance of the riders, and the teams’s efforts, including the engineers and mechanics 

Constructor Championship

The constructor with the most points at the end of the season wins

Only the highest-placed rider from each constructor scores points for the manufacturer 

Points go with the rider’s finishing position (i.e. if Pecco in a Ducati finishes 1st, ducati gets 25 points)

POINTS

Riders earn points in sprint races and main races

There is no bonus point for the fastest lap

Sprint Race Point Finishers

12

9

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

Main Race Point Finishers

25

20

16

13

11

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

PENALTIES

FIM stands for Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (International Motocycling Federation)

FIM governs premier motorcycle racing series (Motogp, Moto2, Moto3) 

Regulations are broken into technical and behavioral/riding 

Warnings & small penalties

Warnings from the stewards either made privately or public 

Warnings can be given for small things such as track limits

Cash penalties or fines can also be issued to riders and teams

In-Race penalties

Change of position penalties are given during a race

The rider must slow down to either give back a position or let other riders pass

A long lap penalty means the rider takes a longer route through a specific part of the track during the race

Takes about 1-2 seconds off the rider’s time

Time penalty adds up to 2 minutes to the rider’s race time

Given if a rider gains an unfair advantage 

Ride-through penalty rider must enter the pit lane riding the speed limit

costs the rider 20-30 seconds

Stop-and-Go Penalty rider must stop in the pit box for 3-10 seconds before rejoining the race

Post-Race Penalties 

Position Drop at the end of the race (5th to 7th)

Grid penalty for the following race the rider is dropped several places on the starting grid next race

Riders can lose championship points as punishment

Riders can also get disqualified (usually following a break in the technical rules)

Penalty points

Riders collect penalty points

If they reach 4 penalty points they get a grid group

If they reach 10 penalty points they are banned from the next race

How Penalties Occur

Jump starts

Exceeding track limits 

Ignoring yellow flags

Causing a collision 

Exceeding fuel or tire limits

Technical Violations

MEET THE GRID

Now that we understand how the sport works and what to expect during a typical weekend let’s learn who to expect

Which teams are constructors, factory, and satellite teams

Notable: you will also hear the name Valentino Rossi (9x world champion) he is considered one of the greatest of all time

He not only owns the VR46 team but also has a driver academy which many of the Italian drivers go through

He is also famous for his rivalry with Marc Marquez (Rosquez)

Factory Teams

Ducati Lenovo Team (Ducati)

63 Fracesco “Pecco” Bagnaia 

93 Marc Marquez

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM)

37 Pedro Acosta 

33 Brad Binder 

Aprilia Racing (Aprilia)

89 (1) Jorge Martin 

72 Marco “Bez” Bezzecchi 

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP (Yamaha)

20 Fabio Quartararo 

42 Alex Rins

Honda HRC (Honda)

10 Luca Marini 

36 Joan Mir

Satellite Teams

Redbull KTM Tech3 (KTM)

12 Maverick Viñales

23 Enea Bastianini 

Gresini Racing MotoGP (Ducati)

73 Alex Marquez

54 Fermin Aldeguer rookie

Pertamina Enduro VR46 (Ducati)

49 Fabio Di Giannantonio

21 Franco Morbidelli 

Prima Pramac Yamaha (Yamaha)

88 Miguel Oliveria 

43 Jack Miller

LCR Honda (Honda)

5 Johann Zarco

35 Somkiat Chantra rookie

Trackhouse (Aprilia)

25 Raul Fernandez

79 Ai Ogura rookie

2025 SCHEDULE 

The schedule stretches across 22 rounds, making it the biggest season in MotoGP history

Pre-Season Testing

Sepang Shakedown Test: January 31-February 2, 2025 (this test is for rookies and race riders from manufacturers in concession Rank D which is currently Yamaha and Honda)

Sepang MotoGP Test: February 5-7, 2025

Buriram MotoGP Test: February 12-13, 2025 

Race Calendar 

Thailand, Buriram: February 28-March 2

Argentina, Termas de Rio Hondo: March 14-16

Americas, COTA: March 28-30

Qatar, Lusail: April 11-13

Spain, Jerez: April 25-27

France, Le Mans: May 9-11

England, Silverstone May 23-25

Aragon, MotorLand: June 6-8

Italy, Mugello: June 20-22

Netherlands, Assen: June 27-29

Germany, Sachsenring: July 11-13

Czech Republic, Brno: July 18-20

Austria, Red Bull Ring: August 15-17

Hungary, Balaton Park: August 22-24

Catalunya, Barcelona: September 5-7

San Marino, Misano: September 12-14

Japan, Motegi: September 26-28

Indonesia, Mandalika: October 3-5

Australia, Phillip Island: October 17-19

Portugal, Portimao: November 7-9

Valencia, Ricardo Tormo: November 14-16

GET CONNECTED

The easiest way to stay up to date is by following MotoGP on Instagram (and their broadcast channels) and Twitter

They also have a YouTube where a lot of full races get posted

There is an official app (MotoGP) and website (www.motogp.com)

Similar to f1, they have a VideoPass subscription to watch the races, they have a current season, archived seasons, documentaries, collections, and a spoiler-free experience

To get a VideoPass you have the option of VideoPass+TimingPass, Yearly, Monthly, and a free trial 

A full season pass is 148.99€

Currently, the preseason full pass is 24.99€

The free trials work for 1 grand prix race weekend for full access

After testing, Monthly subscription costs will come out (I will update when they do)

Please feel free to ask questions, correct any mistakes I made, or add any information I missed :)

[alexturntable]

pumamotorsport we are one month away from @/charles_leclerc home race 🥹

[wikiipediabf]

here's how yuki tsunoda can win the world championship

[skitskatdacat63]

Here are some other F3 Seb pics I thought were really cute

[albon-no]

Yuki + 🍄 for @gaynfl

[1337wtfomgbbq]

Alain confronting Ayrton: I know those love letters are from you.

Ayrton: ... Did you like them?

Alain: To be honest. Yes.

Alain: I don't get it. You try to kill me, but you write amazing love letters.

Ayrton: I'm a complex individual🤷‍♀️

Elio and Nelson showing up.

Elio snidely: Uuuuh, what's that? *grabs letter* Love letter from... from you?!

Elio and Nelson stare at Ayrton.

Ayrton: I erm d-don't write love letters.

Ayrton grabs paper and shoves it in his mouth: I eat them😤

Ayrton muffled: Alain was just kidding. Right Alain.

Alain:

Alain: Of course.

Nelson puts arm around Alain's shoulder and pulls him along.

Nelson: I fucking hope so, Alain. That weirdo's not worth it. Even to a frog like you.

[anonduck07]

I’ve recently started watching F1 Academy and I’ve found it pretty good so far, so here’s a guide I made in hopes it gets more people watching it too. If you can’t tell, yes I’ve got a favourite driver, and yes it’s Doriane Pin 🫶🫶

Note: I made a typo on the last page; F2 win gets 40 points not F4 and the Formula Regional European Championship is FRECA not F3

[sainzinnorris]

okay now that i have the information, this is a CarLando recap of Singapore gp 2023:

1. lando slapping carlos's ass and carlos's response was “ that was hard” , followed by a blush and momentarily losing track of whatever he was saying.

2. p1 and p3 in quali and cue to lando pinching carlos's boobie to lando brushing his hips against carlos's and cue to carlos following him like he's mezmerized.

3. lando replying “ vamos" under carlos's twitter post and “ CARLOOOOOOOS” under his instagram post. (we all think he's whining for carlos but alright-)

4. the carlando hug. it's beautiful. it's mezmerizing. I've seen it too many times. it's poetic.

5. the podium interviews before the celebrations with carlos and lando mentioning each other more often than they're breathing, the cooldown room where they're just “ ai , ai , ai " and “ oh- oh- oh" (sounded like their foreplay without context). lewis just walks in at the last moment without any background context and the sky commentators went like “ alright, if this is how the reporting for the race happens, we'd want this informative reporting every race weekend ;)) ” [ also cue to them recreating the “ ai ” and “ oh ” ]

6. the carlando podium. that spraying technique from lando onto carlos's mouth and carlos sticking his tongue out like that. and the way carlos's practically chugs champagne onto lando's mouth (for second one reference: check the video where fred is drowning carlos in champagne, it's for a very split moment , but you can see it )

7. the post race press conference with carlando in their married domestic bubble + third wheel lewis. also cue to CarLando sitting together far away from lewis and carlos showing lando something which causes them to smile and get giddy over idk, and carlos following lando quickly in the most babygirl way ever. 🏃🏾‍♀️

8. carlos's instagram selfie post dedicated to CarLando solely + an insta story of the same post, an insta story solely dedicated to an hd aesthetic picture of their hug, cue to lando resharing the selfie post on his own story with “ #CALANDO” as well as resharing the hug™ on his story, and posting the CarLando selfie on his p2 celebration post. a joint instagram post. 😏

9. to mclaren and ferrari admin celebrating carlos and lando. [ mclaren commenting “ vamos” and scuderia ferrari commenting “ good job lando :) ” ]

10. carlos and lando being congratulated by the mclaren and ferrari mechanics.

11. the post race interview again where carlos suggested lando and him should go out for drinks tonight and smiles whenever he mentions CarLando and tone implications of suggesting he knows CarLando works exist.

12. carlos's radio message of “ gap to lando every lap" and carlos intentionally slowing down just enough to keep lando within drs range , lando understanding the signal. when told by his race engineer about the gap (0.8) carlos goes like “ it's on purpose ”. the amount of precision, trust, teamwork and respect. freaking insane.

[race-week]

[6-30am]

George Russell's name in gold, on the wall of the Mercedes-Benz museum, history of motorsport section

Perhaps older Formula 1 fans knew this was a thing, but this was a surprise to me. I went to the Mercedes-Benz museum for the automobile history and knew they had the silver arrows on display, but I didn't know how much, if at all, they acknowledge the current team. When you enter this giant circular room, the first thing you see are the names of every race driver that has competed for Mercedes, in gold foil, revealing themselves gradually as the dim lights hit at just the right angle. I gasped at the beauty and smiled so widely at seeing my guy up there. Forever part of Mercedes history, no matter what tomorrow brings.

[winnerkirkwood]

Have you been wondering about what Indycar is all about? Been hearing that it’s super fun, but haven’t known where to start? Heard that a new season is starting soon (March 2nd) and want to jump on the bandwagon? Well, here's a primer for the 2025 season.

A lot of the information is a conglomerate of this primer and this primer, with some updates for the 2025 season! Check out both of those primers for more details!

What is Indycar?

Indycar is North America’s premier open wheel racing series. It’s been around for at least 100 years, making it one of the oldest forms of motorsport. There are 17 races, running on Ovals, Street Courses, and Permanent Road Courses. There are 11 teams and 27 cars on the grid. 

Indycar is based in Indianapolis, and its most important (and popular) race is the Indy 500. 

The Indycar Chassis

Every team uses the DW12. There have been a number of adjustments over the years, like the aeroscreen and the hybrid engine. Even though every team uses the same chassis, teams develop dampers, set ups, etc. This means that there is close racing but the teams can still innovate. There is no power steering, which makes racing physically difficult for the drivers.

Teams do not have the same livery, which means that two cars from the same team can look very different. The same cars might also switch liveries throughout the season. It’s very confusing at first, but the commentators are usually pretty good at knowing who is who, and you get better at remembering which teams run which liveries as you keep watching. Spotters guides are released before each race, and they can be very helpful for familiarizing yourself with liveries

Common Misconceptions and Facts you should know

Indycar runs on a variety of different tracks: Ovals, Street Courses, and Permanent Road Courses. They all require different strengths, and the oval especially will require different set ups from the car. It is split pretty equally between these three types of tracks across a season. If you’ve never watched Oval racing, give it a try.

There are currently two engine manufacturers: Honda and Chevrolet

Push to Pass: 200 seconds of extra horsepower per race, which are used to pass someone or defend from a pass.

Pit Stops are longer than F1’s: less people go over the wall, and Indycars refuel midrace. This means that there is more strategy variance during races. 

Indycar has a very different culture than F1. This is because of several reasons (less pressure from the press, most drivers living in the same city, living in motorhomes every race weekend). People are friends, people say sarcastic shit, and it’s chill. 

Qualifying

There are three rounds: Round 1, the Fast 12, and the Fast 6.

Round 1 is split into two groups randomly, in order to give the cars enough room to do their qualifying lap. The top 6 from each group move onto the fast 12. The top 6 from that group move on the the fast 6, where the pole winner is decided.

(if this sounds confusing to you, it is much more clear when qualifying is happening!)

Ovals have a different qualifying procedure. Cars go one at a time, run two laps, and those two laps are averaged together. Fastest gets pole. 

The Indy 500 has its own qualifying procedure. It’s an average of four laps, and there are only 33 spots, so if 34 drivers want to race, one has to get cut

If you cause a red flag, you cannot move on to the next round and your top two laps do not count. This is so that people do not purposely cause a red flag. 

The Charter System

The charter system will be implemented in the 2025 season. There are 25 chartered cars that are guaranteed to start each race. Prema has two unchartered cars, which means that if Prema qualifies last, they will not start in the race.

Championship

Points are based on where the driver finishes in the race. 50 points are awarded to the winner, with 2nd place getting 40 points and 3rd place getting 35 points, and so on. The lower you finish, the less points you score. A pole award gets 1 point, and if you lead a lap you get 1 point. There are certain other intricacies in the points system, but what you need to know is that generally consistency over time is rewarded more than winning a race. 

The championship winner gets the Astor Cup. 

Indy 500

The Indy 500 is special. 2025 will be the 109th running of the Indy 500, and it is the largest non-religious single day event in the world. It is by far the most popular Indycar race, and is regarded as the most important Indycar race of the year. 

Winning the Indy 500 is super special. Many people do not believe you are great in Indycar until you win the Indy 500. Every driver wants to win, and give the event a lot of respect and reverance.

This means that there are a lot of traditions and a lot of pomp and circumstance around it. The Indy 500 has about two weeks worth of practice sessions, and pretty much all the drivers live in the bus lot during this time. 

After the Indy 500, the winner drinks milk. This part is sponsored by the Indiana Dairy Association, and you get like 10k if you drink the milk. Everyone’s gotten super into it, and the milk choices of the drivers get published on instagram. It’s a whole thing, but it’s pretty fun. 

Teams

Team Penske is a top-tier team. They are known for striving for perfection, with the team motto being ‘Penske perfect’. Roger Penske, the team owner, also owns Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indycar Series. Drivers: Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Scott Mclaughlin

Chip Ganassi Racing is another top-tier team. They are known for their success since the late 1990s. They are consistently dominant across all tracks. Drivers: Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Kyffin Simpson

Andretti Global is another top team. While they were struggling for the past few years, they have recently greatly improved. Andretti is a legendary name in Indycar, and they have historically been strong on street circuits. Drivers: Kyle Kirkwood, Colton Herta, Marcus Ericsson

Arrow Mclaren is affiliated with the F1 Mclaren brand. They have been inconsistent, and are very controversial (don’t treat drivers well). They put a lot of effort into their social media. Drivers: Pato O'Ward, Nolan Siegel, Christian Lundgaard

Rahal Letterman Lannigan is a mid-tier team. They do well on street circuits and permanent road circuits but really struggle on ovals. The team is owned by Bobby Rahal (a former driver) and David Letterman (yes, the late night host). Drivers: Graham Rahal, Luis Foster, Devlin Defrancesco

Meyer Shank Racing is a mid-tier team. They are relatively new to Indycar, but very well known in IMSA. They have a technical partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing. They have been very successful (winning an Indy 500 and getting several pole positions). Drivers: Felix Rosenqvist, Marcus Armstrong

Ed Carpenter Racing is a mid-tier team. They have recently not been doing well at all, but have a new sponsor and a highly qualified veteran driver (Alexander Rossi), so they are looking to turn it around. They typically do well on ovals. Drivers: Alexander Rossi, Christian Rassmussen

AJ Foyt Racing is a mid-tier team. They recently started a technical alliance with Team Penske, and they have improved greatly the past few years because of that. Drivers: Santino Ferrucci, David Malukas

Dale Coyne Racing is a backmarker team. They have been very bad the past few years, with last year specifically being comically terrible. They typically require drivers to fully fund their own seats. Drivers: Jacob Abel, Rinus Veekay

Juncos Hollinger Racing is also a backmarker team. They are relatively new, and have struggled with funding problems. Drivers: Sting Ray Robb, Conor Daly

Prema is completely new to the series. They are affiliated with the Prema team in F2, and have shown that they are committed to the series. They have also hired many veteran indycar staff, so while they are new they will likely have a good basis of knowledge. Drivers: Callum Ilott, Robert Shwartzman

Drivers

josef's youtube channel

scott mclaughlin interview (season review)

bus bros - a youtube series by josef and scott, which has since ended.

will power athletic article screenshots

will power interview (season review)

scott dixon interview clip (dinner w/ racers)

scott dixon interview (java w/ james)

alex palou interview (season review)

kyle kirkwood vlog

kyle kirkwood interview (java w/ james)

colton herta interview (season review)

colton herta interview (off track w/ hinch and rossi)

graham rahal gets bumped at the 2023 Indy 500

felix rosenqvist (java w/ james)

off track with hinch and rossi

david malukas' youtube channel

david malukas indy 500 qualifying vlog

conor daly's podcast (speed street)

conor daly's youtube channel

jacob abel interview (off track w/ hinch and rossi)

marcus armstrong's podcast (screaming meals)

rinus veekay Indy 500 driver intros

rinus veekay Indy 500 2024 qualifying

Non Drivers that you should know about

tony kanaan interview (doug and drivers)

bryan herta interview (hot seats with hinch)

fox broadcasting team (off track interview)

Extra resources:

Racing thoughts is going to have some primer episodes, and it's very good! pretty beginner friendly. they have a series that is specifically meant for indycar newbies, so check it out! This episode is a good place to start

Off Track with Hinch and Rossi is run by a current driver (Alexander Rossi) and a former driver and current commentator (James Hinchcliffe). They are very personable, and it is a blend of serious racing talk and them being silly. They also have a number of interviews with people involved with Indycar.  Indycar 101 is a good place to start.

Street Legal breaks down the legal minutiae of motorsports, and it is very good, especially if you don’t know much about law.

Ghosts of the Brickyard goes specifically into the history of the Indy 500, and I really recommend it if you want to know more about the Indy 500 and why it is so important.

Trackside Podcast is run by Kevin Lee, a commentator, and Curt Cavin, VP at Indycar. They usually have very good sources, having worked in the industry for a while. 

Throttle Therapy is hosted by Katherine Legge. She has participated in several Indy 500s, and has driven several different types of cars over the years. She has a lot of experience, and a unique perspective.

Indycar has posted multiple older races on their youtube channel, if you ever want to watch old races.

100 days to Indy is a docu series specifically about the Indy 500, but it’s good for getting a sense of drivers personalities, as well as some of the drama from the past few seasons. Its available on Netflix and the CW in the US, and on Paramount+ internationally.

I would also recommend following Indycar on your preferred social media platforms. 

How to Watch Indycar

Indycar is going to be on Fox this year. There are a number of options, such as cable, or paying for YoutubeTV or Hulu live. 

Indycar Live is a good option for international viewers too. Indycar Live will also have replays of races 24 hours later for viewers in the US.

If you have any more questions, you can always reach out to me!

[cutielando]

F1 GUIDE FOR NEW FANS

hi, my lovelies!!

i have spent the past couple of hours putting together a document containing all the general and necessary information for a new Formula 1 fan to understand how things are going!!

you can find it HERE!!

I hope some of you guys will find it useful!!

edit: the link has now been updated to the new document for the 2025 season!