Sports, a running theme for me since Midsummer last year, has led me to collect several like they’re Infinity Stones. Rugby, Association Football, Pickleball, Petanque, Gaelic Football, Hockey, and even a spot of Curling during the Olympics last month. Each of these has piqued my interest in numerous ways, and owing to a confluence of great value for the AppleTV Bundle with Peacock, I’ve found myself entering the world of yet another new sport: F1.

F1 doesn’t have the greatest association in my mind. When I was around 5, my family visited the amazing Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago. It was and still is an excellent experience, one where you can learn about a wide variety of amazing topics, from Meteorology to surviving Enigma Machines. On this particular visit, I had ended up in an exhibit all about F1 and more specifically, Mario Andretti. His name is quite famous in the scene, and in this exhibit was a display of his engine. I, being quite young, found a big button begging to be pressed. The sound was immense, and reflecting on it further enhances the effect.

I was scared; it was too loud for me, and the subsequent film experience there didn’t help. I’ve never really been a fan of loud noises, and I wonder if there is a connection. Nonetheless, I’ve at least been aware of its existence for the better part of my life, but aside from NASCAR with my Grandparents, I’ve never given Motorsports much attention. That all changed three weeks ago.

While I tuned in to watch the opening MLS Matchday (Chicago Fire vs Houston Dynamo), I was greeted by a new option on the application. I’d heard months ago that AppleTV had the exclusive rights for F1 Streaming… at the time, I assumed it meant the film, which I hadn’t realized was an Apple Film in the first place. I’m subscribed to the service for several reasons, namely MLS, but also Neuromancer, Ted Lasso, and the upcoming Cosmere Adaptations. F1 was not amongst that list, until now.

I’ll let the cat out of the bag, and spill some beans… I like it a lot.

I’m a nerd, and my nerdiness spans countless interests. While I’m not a mathematician in any true sense, or a chemist, or a physicist, I am deeply fascinated, and conceptually I understand quite a bit. I may not be the most skilled at Free-Body diagrams, but I understand concepts like inertia, downforce, and suction. The aspect of F1 that has gotten me so hooked isn’t the testosterone-infused tension of racing, but its devotion to science and innovation. Things like carbon fibre are just one example of the technological advances borne out by the racing industry.

It is a sport that not only puts the Racers/Pilots/Drivers on the podium, but the engineering teams as well. I can appreciate the work that goes into making these machines work at their peak, bending their understanding of physics around a rigid set of rules to outdo one another. It’s like an ongoing Science Fair project with real-world testing and weekly iteration.

These teams are constantly monitoring data, an overwhelming amount of data about braking, acceleration, and suction forces (these things go so fast that they can literally lift manholes!) They adapt, they adjust, and week to week, the winners and losers can switch spaces. This year, these teams are particularly in tune with this information, as wholly new changes are creating a lot of new variables with which to contend.

My interest in F1 is perfectly timed, from its new inclusion on a streaming service to which I’m already subscribed, to the sweeping changes acting as a major revamp to team strategies, and finally to the newcomers that I plan to follow.

F1 is an ever-evolving sport in a way that cannot compare to any other sport out there. Rugby is a close second, with the rules readily accessible and changes very clear. F1 is subject to changes mid-season if necessary. This dynamic shift throughout the course of the seasons and between seasons has fundamentally shifted the way the sport is “played.”

For instance, this year, the chassis of each car has been modified, being lighter and stronger. In other sports, this would be like changing the kind of cleats that players could wear, or maybe the type of ball being used… This is a VERY substantive change due to the changing parameters for both aerodynamics and the forces on all aspects of the vehicle. As I said earlier, they keep tabs on EVERYTHING, so even a slight change could have cascading outcomes; but even that is only one half of the tectonic shift coming for the Formula 1 World.

F1 is on the “knife’s edge” of technology, with a trickle-down effect to consumer goods occurring a few years after discoveries are made. As I mentioned before, carbon fibre, the ultra-light, ultra-durable material, was discovered many decades ago, but its use in its current form came from experimentation in the 1980s surrounding F1. Further, Cooling Systems, reliable 5G connections, Regenerative Braking for London’s Bus System, the list goes on. Each of these things owe their existence in part to the efforts of engineers working to make the best racing vehicles. This forward thinking is also what is making such a massive impact for the 2026 Season.

In a process that’s been ongoing, F1 is committed to being Net Zero by 2030. In the world of emissions, that would be a massive victory for anyone considering the environmental impact of a predominant automotive sport. After the development of hybrid engines nearly a decade ago, the whole powertrain for these vehicles has changed. This year, all of the engines are supposed to be 50% fuel and 50% electric. This has led to much consternation between drivers and teams, but the impact, or lack thereof, will be significant. Additionally, fuel this year is supposed to comprise 100% sustainable fuel sources. The technologies developed here will, in time, lead to less dependence on fossil fuel resources and greater strides toward a sustainable future.

These changes, for many, “destroy” the sport, and “ruin” how it sounds. Sorry, but having no attachment other than what the current state of the sport is, I honestly don’t see much of a problem. Some complain of the shift in strategies and tactics built around these new systems, such as electronic assisted boost that needs to be managed as a resource. That in itself feels more like a competitive improvement beyond just speed. Now you have to think a few steps ahead, and based on the interviews I’ve seen since the Melbourne Grand Prix this weekend, I think a few of the drivers are coming around on the whole idea. I get it, though, change is an upset to things you’re used to, doubly so if it’s a game or sport where suddenly how someone engages with it is entirely different. That doesn’t mean everything is bad… well, unless you’re Aston Martin, in which case you look as bad as I did after incorrectly completing my EdTPA (a teacher licensing portfolio, for the uninitiated) the first time… Which is to say, not good.

So, F1 can be summed up pretty succinctly in one sentence: Chess Racing by way of Science Fair… Okay, that is a bit reductive, but Nerd Racing isn’t a much better moniker now, is it? That is what it is, though, Drivers engaging in tactical racing, communicating with their team of engineers, and putting practice and progress on the pavement.

24 Races across 24 Locations from March to December. (Though due to the ongoing War in the Middle East, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs may be cancelled.) That is a lot of racing, and it leaves a lot of room for teams to vie for the top spots. Each of the 11 teams is fielding 2 Drivers, who ideally, compete for ~190 Miles of pedal-pounding action. The number of laps varies between tracks; for example, there were 58 laps in Melbourne, and only 56 laps will be taken this upcoming weekend in Shanghai.

At each location, race fans can experience a first set of 3 practice sessions where teams will get a feel for the track, allowing the drivers to experiment with the strategies they want to employ. This time around, it led to some interesting and dangerous outcomes, with several vehicles experiencing issues with the new braking system and power systems. By the end of the three sessions, most of the kinks were worked out, or so they had seemed.

Following the practice sessions come the Qualifications. Qualifying occurs in 3 stages (Q1, Q2, and Q3), with each stage refining the positions of each driver. As I mentioned, there are 11 teams, and 2 Drivers per team, leading to a total of 22 drivers (again, ideally) ready to launch from the grid when the lights go out. To determine who will take the top spot (first-in-line, Pole Position), the three stages of Qualifying find the fastest drivers, and the drivers whose skills or vehicles could use refinement. Drivers compete for the best lap times, much like a Time-Trial in a video game. If you’re fast, you’re fine. If you are rather slow, you may end up at the back of the pack.

After Q1 (18 minutes), the bottom 6 drivers are locked into their grid positions, leaving the remaining 16 to advance. After Q2 (15 minutes), the next 6 are secured, leaving the top 10 to compete for that coveted Pole Position in Q3 (12 minutes). Q3 is the most intense stage, as Pole Position is a true seat of advantage, and each team wants their drivers as close to the front as possible.

Finally, the Grand Prix reaches its zenith on Race Day. The teams are prepared, with practice and qualifiers under their belts. All that is left now is the 190-ish mile race. Of course, it isn’t all pedal to the metal, and we must discuss the last set of main rules that come into play on race day itself.

For an F1 Race, there are a few rules that must be addressed that set the stage for how the action plays out. Namely, the Pit. A driver must pit AT LEAST once per race, and at said pit, the tires of the cars are routinely switched out. When switching them out, teams and drivers have to decide the type of tyres to use. Hard tyres last a long time; they definitely get the job done. Medium tyres are more pliable, which allows them to grip the asphalt better, leading to faster speeds. The tradeoff comes in the form of increased wear on the tires. These will not last as long as hard tyres. The last main type of tyre is the Soft form. These are the best for attaining a fast speed, but they will wear through very fast. The teams MUST use at least two types of tires per race, and generally, they will make that swap at their mandated pit opportunity.

There are other tyres for wet conditions, and vehicles can choose to pit during a thing called a VSC (Virtual Safety Car), where all racers are sent into a reduced speed mode due to some issue with a car or debris on the track. But those finer details will come in time.

Active Aero is a new system wherein the driver has control over a set of wings in the front AND back of the vehicle. Older systems used static wings that would provide benefits in one area, versus another. This active system makes the full shape of the vehicle more adaptable, opening for straightaways and pure speed, and then switching to corner mode, where the wings will force the car downward and increase the grip. Now drivers have more options and more control of how their vehicle performs and where. Tactics, tactics, tactics is the key here.

Recharge is a system that transforms kinetic energy accrued from braking into usable electricity that charges up the battery system. This is a key aspect of the racing strategy that drivers are contending with this year. Where do you brake? How long? How can you optimally brake without losing an advantage? How can you use this against a rival? These are the questions that a driver has to face… while travelling 200+ km an hour. High-Octane Chess, that’s what we’re getting here, and here’s what you can do with that battery power.

One of the last things I want to address is the use of Overtake Mode. Before this year, DRS (Drag Reduction System) was used to help vehicles pass or overtake their competitors. This was an ability enabled only in specific zones of a track, and now it is a mode that can be deployed by a driver to try to progress ahead of the other racers. Its use can be all at once, or spread across the lap as they see fit.

Cadillac Ferrari is the new team in F1 this season — the first completely new constructor to join the grid since Haas debuted back in 2016. And for me, they carry a narrative thread I couldn’t have scripted better myself.

Remember that exhibit at the Museum of Science & Industry? The one with the deafening engine that terrified 5-year-old me? That was the Mario Andretti exhibit. Mario’s son, Michael Andretti, is the person who originally pushed to get this team onto the grid. In 2023, Michael Andretti and General Motors announced their intent to enter F1 under the Cadillac brand, but the bid was rejected by F1’s commercial rights holders, who argued an 11th team wouldn’t add value. Michael eventually stepped back from direct leadership, and Dan Towriss took over as CEO of TWG Motorsports. By November 2024, F1 reached an agreement in principle with GM, and final approval came in March 2025 — with GM paying a staggering $450 million expansion fee. Mario Andretti himself now serves on the board of directors. The engine that scared me as a child belongs to the legacy that built this team. Life is funny like that.

The team is running Ferrari engines and gearboxes as a customer operation until GM’s own power unit is ready, which is targeted for 2029. GM is building a dedicated engine factory near Charlotte, North Carolina, and the team operates across multiple locations: Fishers, Indiana, and Warren, Michigan in the US, plus a technical base near Silverstone in England. Their technical leadership is stacked with experienced F1 hands, many recruited from the storied “Team Enstone” lineage, including Pat Symonds, Rob White, and Nick Chester. Team Principal Graeme Lowdon previously ran the Marussia F1 team.

Their driver lineup brings serious pedigree: Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez combine for 16 Grand Prix wins and over 500 race starts between them, though both sat out the entire 2025 season after parting ways with their previous teams. Backing them up are reserve driver Zhou Guanyu and American test driver Colton Herta, who left IndyCar for Formula 2 with Cadillac’s support.

So how did their debut go in Melbourne? Mixed, but honestly impressive given the circumstances. The team had roughly one year from final approval to build race-ready F1 cars from scratch — a monumental task when you consider these machines contain around 43,000 individual parts. Bottas retired from the race with a technical issue, his stoppage triggering a Virtual Safety Car period that actually reshaped the strategies of the frontrunners. Pérez finished the race but outside the points. Their stated goal for 2026 isn’t wins or even regular points — it’s staying inside the 107% qualifying rule and ensuring reliability. For a team that didn’t even exist two years ago, just getting both cars to the starting grid at their very first Grand Prix is a statement.

I’m following Cadillac because their story is irresistible: an American team built from nothing, powered by Ferrari, staffed by F1 veterans, and connected — however indirectly — to the very exhibit that introduced me to this world over nearly three decades ago. They’re at the back of the pack now, but that’s where every great underdog story begins.