"...we did, spend a lot of time together. I actually thought, some people thought, at times, we might even be in a relationship...if I could have it my way, I wouldn't spend as much time with your main competitor...I wouldn't spend that much time with someone." Daniel Ricciardo, Pre-Season February 2019
vs.
"Do you miss me?...Shall we share bunk beds?...Seeing my face from across the room." Daniel Ricciardo, Singapore September 2019
Alternative format Google Doc (5.4k word count) is available here in plain text with image descriptions!
Here's an intro to Formula 1 lore. Get to know some famous rivalries, resident curses, and basic history!
I am once again infodumping about F1, but this time it is about some of the lore in as unbiased of a fashion as I can.
If you notice anything wrong with this presentation (whether it be ALT text, a fact, something formatted oddly, etc.), please feel free to tell me, I will gladly fix any errors!
And, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!
Click here to view my intro to F1 as a sport.
Click here to view my intro to the 2026 grid.
Click here to view the original slideshow.
the most beautiful f1 fic recs because fanfic authors deserve all the love in the world (&my thoughts)
ships: maxiel, rustappen/gax, lestappen
would it be a better idea to make a unique list for all individual ships yes but i never claimed to be smart
ALSO! comment! kudos! scream in the bookmarks! we get masterpieces for free and all authors have praise kinks deep down and they deserve the fucking world <3
no ships
All Roads Lead To Rome by @jup1t33r
Despite being a fic written fifteen days ago and read my yours truly four days ago I have reread it no less than five times and screamed into the author's tumblr more. it is an amazing exploration of tiny max and 2012 seb and just. i have so much feels. i adore adore adore grid dad seb and the dynamic is beautiful. the writing is extremely high quality and i can literally see the scenes through their eyes. seb is trying his best and max is devastatingly being his child self, and just. this is a thousand hurt no comfort and we kind of have to just believe in the comfort in the future (READ THEIR DRABBLES THE COMFORT COMES THERE) but i like to believe the seb is the comfort.
maxiel
tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow by @baroness-elsa
the beautiful what if daneil stayed at red bull fic? and truly it is the destination, not the journey. the way this author describes racing cars is out of this world and i adore, adore, adore the dynamics. the fics goes through the 2018-2021 seasons and to me the 2021 season is sacred but for this fic i would give it an exception because daniel deserves a chance. the way the relationship develops is so adorable and soft, and just. daniel and max have so many feels from me and this fic portrays it so well. i adore their daniel perspective. just an amazingly beautifully written fic.
rustappen / gax (guys we need to decide on a name)
silver linings by @papaya-muse
when i tell you this is the rustappen fic you need to believe me. it's a streamer!max au but like, in the most beautiful way. it's sexy and funny and also immensely angsty as well. i think i've screamed about this fic a lot and sacrificed wayyy too much study time to devour it again and again (when it tell you i've read this four times i am Not Joking) this author deserves all the love, like, ALL THE LOVE. it's such an amazing fic and i never want it to end, but also, i want to see what happens. does it make sense?
earth angel by @papaya-muse
when i say i can read this i can hear their voices i can hear their voices. the most beautiful age gap fic where current george deals with eighteen year old max in his crashstappen glory. the george pov is like, fucking beautiful, this author is so good at writing george, and the scene are always so sexy but also cute and fluffy i literally cackled at my screen. i read this fic on my birthday in the morning and it's literally like god gifted me a present and then i couldn't resist and immediately reread this at night. literally the fic i check my email for. (also the author has explained their reasons for naming the fic but i don't care it will always remind me of the song earth angel and that is everything to me)
menthol smoke by @undeadheist
i fucking screamed at my screen when i saw the update the other day because this is like, fycking beautiful. it's maxcedes but engineer!max and OH MY FUCKING GOD this fic has everything. like. everything. the radio exchanges between max and george are so witty and i would devour a whole fic just of them talking about gaps and cars. the text convo between the 2019 rookies is just.. MY HEART. the stan twitter is just On Point. the crofy &sky crew is absolute perfection. the most beautiful writing and amazing george perspective. i think this fic is the dearest to me because i had never even considered engineer!max and now i need three thousand more fics from that exact promt. perfection. Perfection. oh, and, this author is amazing at nailing their voices.
what has been done by @renndistanz
can this even be tagged a ship fic if it's just watching a guy and the other die inside? so, luck, perfection. PER_FUCKING_FECTION. the feels are so good and it's unreliable narrator at it's peak. OT20 because I love seeing the grid react but not really because there was only eighteen. anyways it's a series and the second fic in the series is like, rancid, but like, complimentarily, and i adore adore adore lando and charles' perspectives and the trophy haunting the narrative. the most beautiful writing, super in the feels and amazingly on point.
lestappen
drive on, dreamer (you can't leave her) by @darlingboydiaz
i think i commented on the first time (yes this has been through MULTIPLE rereads) that this was the best lestappen fic i've ever read. after a lot more fics, like, A LOT, i still stand by this. max crashes and charles is in a timeloop. it's so amazing? like? what? it's so amazing. the exploration of charles' feelings is really well-written, the writing of the racing and the rain and the crash is so good, i can literally smell the petrichor i can feel the G force i can see the car move. it's literal perfection (made sweeter with a dash of brocedes) i want the world to know the moment i finished reading the fic i sat up and told my friend "how do i let this author know how amazing they are because this is unreal"
bloodsport by @unlapped
can the world know that i combed though the le mans tag in the f1 fandom after reason jenson button's book? ok. anyways, this fic is absolute perfection, them being retired but can never go too far from cars, the multimedia with interviews and shit, the AMAZING dynamic with ollie and max and charles. the pit radio? AMAZING. just, breathing. max fucking verstappen telling charles there's more than winning, and that sunrise sequence. i beg whomever to read this fic even if they don't care about cars.
home (is wherever I'm with you) by @sunshineyoujustwait
like, the literal best charles to red bull fic? it's multi-media mixed with tidbits of stan twitter, the daily fail, and interviews. i adore the characterisations because charles is having a completely normal reaction of nico rosberg levels of I Need That Shiny Metal Cup and max is being understading is everything i need. their dynmaic is beautiful i found myself laughing and squeaking
won't you sing me something for the dark by @undignifiedpopemobile
i had wrote in my bookmark for this fic a rush of blood to the head, and i was confused until i skimmed the first chapter and said, out loud, "oh, i remember this. (pause) it was really good." i haven't reread it in it's entirety becuase it is That Good and i think the realistic nature of it and how it deals with charles and max (in 2021 & 2022) and the natural reaction of being bested and being in love hurt me so much so beautifully i cannot reread it. but i is very good. a rush of blood to the head.
objects in mirror by @drivestraight
this author is like, the best, like, the Best, lestappen author if you are looking for a) feels b) realistic descriptions of being a car driver and c) FEELS. the entire series is like, absolute perfection, and it's a lovely oh look max and charles are talking, and wow sexual awakening, then oh my god the child is in a blue car and i think he is crying, but like, beautifully. another amazing charles to red bull fic and an amazing discussion of a championship campaign
salad days by slapshots
the blurb would be max is out of comission (from racing by crash) and takes over ferrari strategy. it's super effecitve! (that's not what it is, max just writes charles notes and reviews of his drives and its more adorable. OT20! grid friendship! and really fun texting. the dialogue is super belivable and i adore living in charles' head. really beautiful writing.
icarus also flew by @mvp114
this is another fic that i told myself i could never reread because it's so beautiful it pains me. set in 2024 and another beautiful max vs charles sprint for the title (no it's not a marathon these guys cannot slow down) the delve into charles' psyche is beautiful and begs the question if the person in the car is the person walking on track and the fic portrays it perfectly. chasing a championship is painful and dirty and passionate and charles would eat his liver to win and this fic is it. the most beautiful introspective writing.
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answering @powerful-owl's and @f1-primers's calls for more f1blr primers, i present to you my beginner's guide to f1 (inspired by everything i've ever found myself explaining to friends and family)
(note for posterity: this was originally written in 2022, and revised in 2023)
What is Formula 1?
Formula One racing is governed and sanctioned by a world body called the FIA − “Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile,” or the International Automobile Federation. The name “Formula” comes from the set of rules that the participating cars and drivers must follow.
The regulations allow for enough leeway within their parameters for the engineers to approach the car’s design with innovation and creativity. As a result, though they may look similar, each car is unique. Combined with the different engine manufacturers, you get 10 cars of varying competitiveness.
In short, “the Formula” is the same for all, but the interpretation of it is rather different from team to team.
A common example of how different interpretations of the rules can directly correspond to lap time is the Brawn GP double diffuser. 2009 saw a major regulation change, which often reshuffles the order. However, no one was expecting a team on the brink of folding at the end of 2008 to emerge multiple seconds faster in pre-season testing.
The most obvious visual differentiator on the Brawn car was its double-decker diffuser. The new regulations had intended to strip the cars of downforce by reducing the size of the diffuser, but a loophole was left open that allowed for a second diffuser to be built into the crash structure of the car. The innovative Brawn double diffuser, which was found to be compliant with the regulations, is often credited with why Brawn GP won the 2009 Constructors Championship.
On the other hand, innovation can also be a team’s downfall. When the regulations were once again overhauled in 2022, Mercedes raised eyebrows with its “zero sidepod” design. Unfortunately for the Silver Arrows, the zero sidepod concept proved to be the wrong decision, and the team that won 8 constructors championships in a row from 2014-2021 has struggled to regain their once dominant form, after finally abandoning the zero sidepod design in early 2023.
The minimum total distance of a Grand Prix race must be 300 km or 190 miles. This is the standard distance for all races except for the Monaco GP, which is 260 km or 160 miles.
Every F1 car is composed of two main components − the chassis and the engine.
Chassis − Formula One cars these days are made from carbon fiber and ultra-lightweight components. The weight must be not less than 798 kg or 1,759 lbs, including the driver and tires, but excluding the fuel. The dimensions of a Formula One car are a maximum of 5.63 m in length, 2 m wide, and 95 cm tall.
Engine − Since the regulation changes of 2014, all F1 cars must deploy 1.6 liter turbocharged V6 engines. For this reason, 2014 marks the start of the “turbo hybrid era” - which Mercedes dominated until the 2022 regulation overhaul.
The Teams and Championships
Each F1 season features two different championships: the Constructors’ Championship and the Drivers’ Championship.
Constructors are people or corporate entities which design key parts of F1 cars that have competed or are intended to compete in the FIA World Championship. Since 1981, it has been a requirement that each competitor must have the exclusive rights to the use of certain key parts of their car – in 2018, these parts were the survival cell, the front impact structure, the roll structures and bodywork.
Essentially, the Constructor must own the IP to the chassis. Think “Constructor” = “team.”
Works Team: the traditional definition of a “works team” is a manufacturer that builds its own car and engine.
Everyone else is a customer team sourcing the engine from a third party.
The 2023 engine suppliers & teams (* indicates a works team):
*Red Bull and Alpha Tauri ran Honda engines in 2021. Red Bull and Honda came to a deal that allowed Red Bull (and Alpha Tauri, its sister team) to use Honda IP in 2022 after Honda announced its departure from F1. Beginning in 2023, Red Bull Powertrains took full responsibility for all manufacturing and servicing of the engines. Red Bull Powertrains currently works alongside Honda on the engines and will continue to do so until the end of the 2025 season when the next generation of engines will be introduced.
Racing Terms
The Racing Line
For each car on each track in each condition there is an ideal path or “racing line.” Getting closest to it gives you the fastest lap time. Missing the ideal spot during any phase of turn by millimeters is a “mistake.”
Oversteer
Generally, oversteer is when a car turns more than the driver intends it to. The visible results of oversteer can include the tail sliding out or a full spin. Oversteer occurs when the rear wheels lose traction before the fronts. Whenever a driver seems to suddenly steer in the wrong direction mid corner, it’s pretty likely it’s an oversteer moment.
Understeer
Understeer is when a car turns less than commanded by the driver, resulting in the car traveling wide. Occurs when the front wheels lose traction before the rears.
Wheelspin
Happens when the engine tries to spin the tires faster than the grip of the circuit permits – they just spin in place. Common on starts because tires are cold so grip is low.
Lock up
When too much force is applied to the brakes, it causes the brake disc to stop or rotate slower than the car's motion. The tire then scrapes along the surface of the track as the car is still carrying momentum - this causes white smoke and ruined tires (i.e., a flat spot).
Graining
Graining occurs when strips of rubber are torn from a tire and then immediately stick back onto the hot surface of that tire. This creates an uneven, irregular surface that makes braking and cornering difficult while reducing grip and traction.
Graining typically occurs when the tire is sliding laterally and is more common with the softer tires. It is often a short-term problem, as the graining goes away once the tire wears and becomes uniform again.
Blistering
This is what happens to a tire, or part of a tire, when it overheats, which leads to the creation of air bubbles inside the tread.
Brake bias
Ratio of brake pressure applied to front and rear brakes. Too much rear brake will tend to cause the car to spin; too much front brake and car will not turn in. Can be adjusted on the steering wheel.
Watch this video for insight into the crazy complicated F1 steering wheels
Downforce
There is a limit to how fast a car can travel on the ground without the car taking off. This means that all cars need to generate a downward force sufficient enough to keep them firmly on the ground.
Downforce can be generated from the air flowing around the car and will increase as the speed of the car increases.
Think of downforce as the opposite of lift for an airplane. The wings of an airplane help it to take off into the air. The same wing, if installed inverted on a car, can make the car stay firmly on the ground. As the speed of the car increases, the wings will press the car more firmly into the ground. This force that presses the car to the ground is called downforce.
BONUS: Why is it so hard for F1 cars to pass (“overtake”) each other?
All of the downforce created by the aerodynamic engineering on F1 cars also creates a lot of wind turbulence in the wake of the car. This makes it extremely difficult for F1 cars to follow closely behind each other. The dirty air also chews up the following car’s tires and overheats the brakes.
Track evolution
Lap times get faster as the weekend goes on, particularly during qualifying. This is partly due to the natural evolution of the track. Unless it rains, there is more rubber going down when everyone’s running a soft tire and braking harder, which naturally makes the track quicker. More laps around the track also cleans the track of dirt and dust, which also provides for more grip and faster speeds.
Put simply, more laps on the track = more rubber on the track = more grip = faster speeds. This is also referred to as the track being “rubbered in.”
Safety Car & Virtual Safety Car (VSC)
The safety car comes onto the track during a race when the Race Director wants to reduce speed for safety reasons - for instance, after an accident when there are marshals on track clearing away debris.
According to the regulations, the safety car enters the circuit “whenever there is an immediate hazard but the conditions do not require the race to be interrupted.”
The safety car's job is to limit the speed of cars on the race track so that workers can come out and pick up any debris or crashed cars.
Note: if conditions are bad enough, the race will instead be “red flagged.” A red flag means a race suspension, and all cars will return to the pit lane. The race is effectively paused.
Red flagged conditions can occur due to weather (e.g., heavy rain), or a crash so bad that marshals cannot safely clear the debris or evacuate the driver with cars still circling the track.
Under a safety car, on the other hand, the drivers continue to drive around the circuit, and each lap completed does continue to count towards the lap total of the race.
During a safety car period, cars slow down and no overtaking is allowed until the drivers receive a green flag, indicating that the race has been resumed. Where a red flag pauses a race, the idea of the safety car is to “neutralize” the race by keeping the cars in the same order.
This means that the only strategic consideration during a safety car period is whether or not to pit.
Teams often use a safety car period to take a chance and make “cheap” pit stops (i.e., pit stops with less time lost, as all the cars are going slowly).
While less time will be lost in the pits due to the reduced on track speeds, cars do still lose track position when pitting under a safety car.
The gamble here, especially with a VSC, is not knowing when the safety car period will end. On the other hand, teams may opt to skip a pit stop and gain track position over a pitting car.
In modern F1, race neutralization via Safety Car is done in two variations.
The traditional SC Period, where the Safety Car actually goes out on track and collects the entire field behind it to form a slow-running queue; and
the Virtual Safety Car, where the drivers are simply required to run sector times that are over a specified Delta, effectively slowing them down.
The VSC is imposed in cases where there is a double waved yellow sector (i.e., a hazard on the track), but the situation is not so bad that the actual safety car needs to come out.
The VSC lap time is roughly 30 percent slower than what the FIA considers a standard racing lap, which means positions on the track will remain the same, but all cars will be slower. In theory, the gaps between the cars should remain the same, thus preserving a gap that a leader may have built up throughout the race.
In an actual safety car scenario, all of the cars get physically bunched up following behind the safety car and the gap they had to the car in front and behind is erased.
Tyre / Tire Compounds (called "tire" below, sorry I'm from the US)
A basic tenant of F1 tires: warmer tires = faster tires. This is why you see cars weaving behind a safety car - the driver is trying to generate enough heat in the tires to keep them in the optimal temperature window.
There are 5 slick (or dry weather) tire compounds used during an F1 season. These are on a scale of softness (C5) to hardness (C1).
Harder tires are more durable and therefore last longer during a race; however, they also provide less grip, which results in less speed.
Softer tires are much less durable, but they provide a lot of grip and are much quicker than hard tires.
During an individual race weekend, Pirelli, who manufactures all Formula 1 tires, will choose three of the five tire types to be used during the weekend. The tires used will always be next to each other on the spectrum (e.g., C2-C4)
As of the 2023 season, drivers receive two sets of hard tires, three sets of mediums, and eight sets of softs per race weekend.
It is up to the team to manage the tires throughout the practice and qualifying sessions to ensure that the driver has a good tire selection to use during the actual race.
The important thing is to ensure that drivers have at least two different compounds available to be used during the race.
Wet weather
During a race where it rains, drivers do not have to follow the same tire compound rules that apply in dry conditions.
Wet weather tires have treads on them to help displace the water (as opposed to the smooth, or “slick” dry weather compounds), but this gives drivers less grip and therefore, less speed.
“Full wets” vs. “intermediates”
Intermediates are the most versatile wet weather tire, and may be used on a wet track with no standing water, as well as a drying track surface.
Full wets are most effective for heavy rain, and can displace 85 liters of water per second per tire at 300 kph.
F1 rules require drivers to race on at least 2 different tire compounds during a race. This means that drivers are required to stop at least once during a race to change their tires.
Pit Stops
Terminology
Box:
Box can be used interchangeably with “pit” and is used by drivers and their race engineers to indicate that the driver needs to come in for a pit stop. It is derived from the German word boxenstopp, which means pit stop.
It is usually used twice for maximum efficiency, which is why you will often hear the race engineer telling their driver to “box, box.”
Double stack:
Double stacking means to pit both cars from the same team on the same lap. The leading car will go into the pits and get their tires changed, and immediately afterward, their teammate will repeat the process on that same lap.
The basic logic behind pit stop strategy is newer tires = faster tires. This is because newer tires provide more grip.
However, the obvious problem is that pit stops take time. While the changing of the tires themselves is incredibly fast (F1 pit stops generally take 2-4 seconds – 4 seconds is considered slow, 10 seconds is catastrophic), teams also have to account for time spent in the pit lane.
Drivers must slow to 60 kph in the pit lane, and will be fined for speeding. Time spent in the pit lane, including the stop itself, averages about 22-23 seconds, although it varies by the circuit.
The number of times a driver stops will depend on the weather, track conditions, their rivals’ strategies, and potential car damage or punctures.
Undercut vs. Overcut: The strategies
The undercut: An undercut involves making your pit stop earlier than the car in front of you.
This puts you onto fresher tires, which means you will have a pace advantage compared to the car you are chasing.
The idea behind the undercut is to use these fresher tires to overtake the driver ahead of you, who will theoretically be slower due to older tires.
If it all goes to plan, the car which pits earlier will quickly pass the car it was chasing, and then use those fresh tires to build up a big enough gap between themselves and their rival to ensure that they can’t be caught.
The overcut: Instead of pitting before the car you are chasing, the overcut involves staying out while your rival pits, thus gaining track position.
The overcut is powerful on tracks where tire warm up is a challenge.
The idea behind this strategy is to build up as large a gap as possible while the car that pitted first struggles to warm up its new tires. Ideally, the resulting gap will be large enough that the car which stayed out will still come out ahead after its own stop.
This strategy is risky and is used less frequently than the undercut.
Look for drivers trying the overcut who have started the race on hard tires. Hard tires are more durable and last longer, so the idea will be to gain track position over everyone else when they pit before you as you continue to run on the hard tire. This strategy is all about tire management.
Qualifying
F1 qualifying is broken up into three parts: Q1, Q2, and Q3.
In the first phase of qualifying, called Q1, all 20 drivers have 18 minutes to go out on the track and set their fastest times. At the end of that period, the slowest five drivers are eliminated, and the remaining 15 cars go through to the next phase.
In Q2, the remaining 15 cars have 15 minutes to set their fastest times. Again, at the end of the segment, the slowest five cars are eliminated, and the top 10 go through to the final phase of qualifying, Q3.
In Q3, or the “top 10 shootout,” the top 10 drivers have 12 minutes to set their fastest times, with the driver who sets the fastest time claiming pole position. Pole position starts first, or “P1” on the grid
The times set in qualifying on Saturday determine the starting positions on the grid for Sunday’s race.
In certain races in 2023, F1 is trialing a new qualifying format.
The change, called “Alternative Tyre Allocation,” is meant to reduce the number of tires used during a Grand Prix weekend in a modest attempt at environmental sustainability.
During qualifying, if conditions are dry, the teams will be limited to a specific set of tyres for each of the three rounds. Teams will be required to use the hard compound during Q1, the medium compound during Q2, and the soft compound during Q3. If race officials declare track conditions to be wet, the restrictions will be removed.
Tire Strategy
Specific tire strategies vary by:
The new sets of tires available to the driver for the race
This will be determined by which and how many sets of tires the driver runs through in the practice and qualifying sessions that weekend.
If the race is expected to be a 1-stop or a 2-stop
At circuits where track position is important (e.g., Monaco), drivers will prefer a 1-stop. At circuits where overtaking is possible, drivers may opt for a 2-stop, as this provides additional opportunities to fit faster, fresh tires.
Expected rates of tire degradation (this also affects whether the race will be a 1-stop or a 2-stop).
Weather
For example, it always takes longer to heat up the harder compound tires, and cold weather may make heating up even soft tires tricky. If tire warm up will be difficult due to track conditions, this will make the outlap after a pit stop slower than a car running older, warmer tires. In these conditions, the overcut is powerful!
Expectations of a safety car.
Certain tracks (e.g., Baku) see a lot of crashes, and therefore at least one safety car per race is almost expected. Teams may take this into account when planning tire strategies. Of course, the exact timing of a safety car cannot be anticipated.
Example:
At the Jeddah Street Circuit during the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP, almost all of the drivers choose to start the race on the medium tire. Pirelli expected that the ideal pit window for the medium tire would be between Lap 21 and 26, at which point it was expected that the preferred strategy would be a 1-stop, with drivers switching to the hard tire and making the hards last to the end of the race.
These "pit windows" are determined by rates of tire degradation - in other words, Pirelli did not expect the medium tire to last more than about 25 laps in Jeddah before experiencing tire failure. At Jeddah, the soft tire had an exceptionally high rate of degradation, and would require too much pace management on high fuel to be a starting tire. On the other hand, the warm-up on the hard tire would make the first few laps difficult for anyone in the pack, which is why most drivers started on the medium tire.
Parc Fermé
The term parc fermé is a French phrase that translates literally as “closed park.” It traditionally refers to a secure area at a circuit where cars are checked over by scrutineers for legality and safety.
The checks (both random and routine) include weight and dimensional measurements, which are carried out using laser technology, as well as equipment checks in which homologation labels are viewed to ensure parts are pre-tested and meet relevant standards.
No work can be done on a car in the parc fermé zone.
In modern F1, parc fermé also refers to certain periods of time during a Grand Prix weekend when the teams are restricted in the work they can do on a car.
Teams are free to modify their cars as they wish (within the rules) right up to the start of qualifying. As soon as the green light goes for Q1, all cars are placed under parc fermé conditions from then until the start of the race.
How do parc fermé conditions work?
The basic principle of parc fermé is that, once in a parc fermé period, the scope for the teams to alter and adjust their car is very, very limited. It’s a cut-off point beyond which they can repair and prepare but not fundamentally alter their race car.
As defined in article 34.6 of the Sporting Regulations: “a Competitor may not modify any part on the car or make changes to the set-up of the suspension whilst the car is being held under parc fermé conditions. In the case of a breach of this Article the relevant driver must start the race from the pit lane.”
The idea is to ensure that the driver qualifies and races in the “same car.”
Before each car leaves the pit lane for qualifying, the teams will provide the FIA Technical Delegate with a set-up sheet. This is the exact set-up they must stick to for the rest of qualifying and the race.
Teams can do certain maintenance work under parc fermé conditions, including replacing parts like-for-like, but they are not allowed to modify any part on the car or change the suspension set-up.
If parc fermé conditions are violated, the car has to start the race from the pit lane.
What are teams ALLOWED to do during parc fermé conditions?
The FIA regulations list more than 20 different specific modifications that can be made to the car while under parc fermé conditions. Anything not on the list requires special written permission.
How does parc fermé affect strategy?
The parc fermé rules force teams to run the same setup in both qualifying and the race.
“Race trim” refers to a setup more conducive to running a full race, whereas “qualifying trim” refers to a setup dedicated to getting that one perfect lap. For instance, one setup may result in a faster lap, but at the expense of a higher rate of tire degradation.
Depending on the circuit, teams may choose a setup with more race pace, or a setup focused on qualifying performance.
The easiest example is Monaco, where overtaking is nearly impossible. Therefore, teams will sacrifice race pace in favor of a setup that favors qualifying speed, because starting position matters much more in Monaco than at a circuit where overtaking is possible.
Car Setup
Race weekends feature 3 free practice sessions (2 on Friday, 1 on Saturday morning), 1 qualifying session (Saturday), and the race itself (Sunday).
The free practice sessions starting on a Friday are typically used to run the different tire compounds and a variety of car setups to allow the teams to collect data. This data will then be combined with simulations and data from previous races to decide the optimal tire strategy and car setup for the race.
Gearboxes and Power Units
Certain parts must be used for a set number of races before being replaced, otherwise the team will be penalized. This penalty will be handed out whether the change required is down to a crash, a breakdown, or for performance.
Gearboxes must be used for at least six races before they can be changed. If a team needs to change one before that, they face a grid penalty.
The “power unit” is more complicated as it is split into different component parts. Each driver is only permitted a certain number of each element within the power unit during the season. Exceeding a power unit allocation results in grid place penalties, forcing the driver to start the race from further back.
What elements make up a Formula One Power Unit?
The FIA distinguishes between six elements in a modern F1 Power Unit (PU).
At the very heart of the PU sits the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). It’s a structural member of the car, connecting the chassis to the gearbox.
The second element is the turbocharger (TC), which increases the density of the air that is consumed by the engine, thus giving the engine more power.
A modern F1 engine is a hybrid engine, with two electric machines recovering and delivering energy.
There’s the Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K), which harnesses kinetic energy when the car is braking, and the Motor Generator Unit-Heat (MGU-H), which is connected to the turbocharger and harnesses excess energy from the exhaust.
Both motor generator units convert their respective energy sources into electrical energy which can then be used to propel the car. The electric energy is stored in the fifth element of the Power Unit – a big battery pack known as the Energy Store (ES).
This intricate system of different components is controlled by the sixth and final element, the Control Electronics (CE).
Each driver is allowed no more than three engines, three motor generator units-heat (MGU-H), three turbochargers, two energy stores, two control electronics, three motor generator units-kinetic (MGU-K) and eight sets of engine exhaust systems.
If the driver uses more than the assigned number of any one of the elements, they are handed a grid place penalty. This is 10 places for the first request of each part, 5 for the second, and a back of the grid start if more than 15 are amassed.
Fuel
F1 cars can use a maximum of 110 kilograms of fuel per race.
However, they don't always fill the car with that much fuel. This is because the more fuel a car starts with the heavier it is, and the more lap time it costs.
F1 fuel rules also state that “competitors must ensure that a 1.0 litre sample of fuel may be taken at any time during the event.”
Note: The Stewards are notoriously harsh when imposing F1's technical regulations. For example, Sebastian Vettel’s P2 was taken away after the conclusion of the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix following a breach of F1’s fuel rules. The FIA were unable to take the required fuel sample from Vettel’s car.
If necessary, drivers may have to adjust their driving if the telemetry indicates that the car will not have enough fuel to make it to the end of the race.
Fuel saving such as lifting off the throttle before the braking zone going into corners (“lift and coast”), as well as changing settings in the car to decrease fuel consumption are possible strategies, but these stop the drivers from being able to go flat-out.
High downforce vs. power circuits
Ideally, teams want to design cars that produce as much downforce as possible to boost speed through corners, but the challenge is to do this in such a way that doesn’t result in too much aerodynamic drag.
More drag will slow a car down in a straight line, and consequently more power is needed to overcome this resistance and achieve the best possible acceleration and top speed. This equation is why some cars perform better at certain types of track than others, and why it’s impossible to build a car that’s tailor made for every single grand prix.
What’s a high downforce track in F1?
A high downforce track is a circuit where most of a car’s performance over the course of a lap can be attributed to the aerodynamic downforce it produces rather than the power of its engine. High downforce tracks will have fewer and shorter straights than low downforce tracks, with more of an emphasis on corners.
What’s a power track?
A power track is more or less the opposite of a high downforce track. Most of a car’s performance is tied to the power, acceleration, and top speed made possible by the engine. Long straights and short, slow corners are typical features of power tracks.
your first season as an f1 driver doesn't start the best, and you quickly realise McLaren doesn't like women very much. On top of that, your race engineer is as smug as the rest of them, and you have to deal with him all the time.
pairing: race engineer! oscar piastri x f1driver! fem! reader
warnings: lots of misogyny, lando is an asshole in this, illusions to ed behaviour, reader is not in a good head space, all of mclaren is super sexist, mentions of crashes and injuries.
୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅
part one -> playing favourites
part two -> outbursts
part three -> whiplash
part four -> pale blue
part five -> nothing has to change
part six -> winners and losers
more to come...
୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅୨ৎ⋅
navigation for my blog :) (main masterlist)
taglist for this series: (just ask in the comments to be added :)
carlos sainz signs with porsche after getting ditched by ferrari only to find himself in a heated rivalry with his new teammate, the only female driver on the grid. oh, and did i mention she's also his ex-girlfriend?
pairing : carlos sainz x fem!porsche driver!reader
status : ongoing
note : all images used are taken from pinterest. i do not own nor claim to own any of these photos unless stated otherwise.
. . . time to stare at the crash!
ᯓ★ part one: the stare
ᯓ★ part two: the sky wars
ᯓ★ part three: the problem
ᯓ★ part four: the grandest masterplan yet
ᯓ★ part five
dear you,
hiiii !! no one asked but i decided to create a mini-series off my first work because 1) i am bored, and 2) this is my act of self-indulgence eheheheh 😁 if you decide to read it, a million thank you's and i hope u like it ^^
TRACK LIMITS: female!reader, covid-19 & quarantine mentions, age gap, language, mentions of sexual acts, internet meanies, fluff, angst, mentions of cheating, mentions of mental health, girlie speaks spanish so there are things in spanish (and a little portuguese), tba.
:: opinions, thoughts and feedback are greatly appreciated!
updated once a month!
< back to general masterlist
MASTERLIST
✦ part one ─── Serendipity
─── Enchanted to meet you ✦ bonus
─── My thoughts will echo your name ✦ bonus
✦ part two ─── Rohayhu
✦ part three ─── Redamancy
✦ part four ─── Szívem
✦ part five ─── Kalopsia
✦ part six ─── Saudade
─── Forever is the sweetest con ✦ bonus
─── An eternal love bullshit ✦ bonus
✦ part seven ─── Nepenthe
─── There's no remedy for memory ✦ bonus
✦ part eight ─── Revenant
─── Three points where two lines meet ✦ bonus
─── bonus (soon)
✦ part nine ─── (soon)
more to come...
—
🎉 One Year of Enchantment Prompt Fest! (ongoing)
MEET THE SQUAD!
── FIORELLA AMATO
── VITTORIA SOUSA
── DANNA SCHWARZ
EXTRAS!
📂 Queen + Scotty & Chloe's friendship headcanons!
📂 Queen + Lewis' friendship headcanons!
📂 Queen & Rúben's Halloween 2022 headcanons! (🌶️)
💬 THE QUEEN'S RADIO :: includes thoughts, opinions, etc about the series
🔍 SEARCH: Y/N L/N's social media profiles
🔍 SEARCH: Y/N L/N and Daniel Ricciardo's relationship timeline
-> F1 RPF - Max Verstappen/Daniel Ricciardo - Rated: E
« Wanna dance Maxy? » Daniel lets out in a breath. He’s panting, body overworked from dancing after a full day’s of racing, and the sound is sweet to Max’s brain. Makes him want to hear it again.
OR
Max trying to cope with the feelings he's been developing for Daniel since 2016.
please don’t ever become a stranger (whose laugh i could recognise anywhere) — max/daniel. getting together, non-linear narrative. (8.3k)
prequel to glitter on the floor. daniel invites max to his farm during pandemic. told partly through voicemails & texts.
↳ fic | rambles
fool me once — max/daniel. relationship reveal. social media implemented through work skins. (1k)
daniel and max have some news to share. it just happens to be april 1st.
↳ fic
takes one to know one — max/daniel. getting together, relationship reveal, singer!daniel. social media. (21.9k)
daniel is a singer who goes semi-viral after a video of him reacting to his favourite driver's retirement blows up on social media.
(max is the favourite driver. he has no idea who daniel is. but he would love to find out.)
↳ fic | rambles | extended author’s note
i'll never leave (never mind) — max/daniel. established relationship, hurt/comfort. post singapore gp (1.9k)
it was a bad idea in the end. to come back.
↳ fic | rambles
old habits die screaming — max/daniel. getting together, relationship reveal. social media implemented work skins. (52.9k)
daniel comes back in 2028 as RB's team principal after retiring in 2023 due to his hand injury.
↳ fic | rambles | extended author’s note
hold onto the memories — max/daniel. glitter on the floor epilogue. social media.
an epilogue 20 years into the future to wrap up the universe.
below you’ll find information on each of the cowboys and cowgirls entered into our events for this evenin’s rodeo. place your bets, find a seat, and have a root’n toot’n time!
happy reading <3
Samantha Thompson (oc)
The Devil In Disguise
— After her dramatic exit from the Formula 1 Racing scene, Samantha Thompson finally makes her return. And this time? She’s taking no prisoners. But Daniel Ricciardo throws a wrench in all of her plans.
complete!
Playing With Fire
— Samatha Thompson is ready to get down and dirty during the 2022 season. The Hell Raiser is back for good and she’s willing to do anything to get what she wants: revenge, the love of her life (?), glory… whatever it takes. but she’s got to be careful. not everybody is so keen on handing her the keys to the kingdom.
sequel to the devil in disguise
last updated 12/3/2024
Daniel Ricciardo
The Devil in Disguise
— after her dramatic exit from the Formula 1 Racing scene, Samantha Thompson finally makes her return. And this time? She’s taking no prisoners. But Daniel Ricciardo throws a wrench in all of her plans.
complete!
The Ricciardo Rodeo
— stories of Daniel and Y/N Ricciardo as they navigate the new experiences parenthood has to offer. Because to the Ricciardo’s, life is one big rodeo, and they’re gonna make sure and enjoy the ride
you don’t go to parties
— Daniel Ricciardo finds his house in Perth full of everyone from his past, except for the one person he was hoping would show up
i miss you, i’m sorry
— she should hate him. but she can’t, and she’s tried. But the universe called and she answered.
part 2 of you don’t go to parties
Max Verstappen
smoke slow
— max can’t quit his habit. the funny thing is, he’s not sure he wants to
Charles Leclerc
half
— how do you tell the man who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, that it isn’t his to carry?
hi, i'm daisy and i'm irish. my main teams are redbull, mclaren, haas, and williams but tbh i like all of them and just enjoy the sport. I also watch f2 and a bit of f3 :)
for my stories i'll be going by the 2024 grid and obvi update it next year :)
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fic-tober masterlist! (2024)
who i write for:
charles leclerc
photograph a step into your life with charles
mistakes and miscalculations a fight and a mistake leads to something worse
persistent pestering Ferrari drivers are persistent. You’re not looking for love. Too bad he is.
max verstappen
congratulations max shows the whole world something new after his fourth world championship win.
temptations you and max are on break and things get out of hand. nothing like tmz to mess things up, right?
Happy accident! two words. Las Vegas.
oscar piastri
false starts and unthinkable mistakes Oscar comes to you at the end of a bad race
debuts and podiums how oscar celebrates after your first race, and first win.
mishaps online oscar accidentally posts a nude online the night before your big concert and launch. oops.
red flag you get in an accident on track
the disgraced pop princess oscar is your salvation after things so horribly wrong
-> his disgraced pop princess oscar is there for you through your first real GP weekend and everything else, of course
my girl fans made a youtube compilation of oscar and you being in love since your prema days.
slip-up oscar slips up about your wedding
pointe shoes and racecars you and oscar had grown up together, and grown apart. now you're teaching him ballet for a mclaren video. will you two reconnect?
family fights you and oscar were never meant to be together, lando made that clear. one night changes everything, then another changes it again.
accident prone oscar comes home one night hurt, how do you deal with it?
bad day you had an awful day, but at least you're coming home to him.
Stoic much? oscar might be too good at the whole 'keeping a secret' thing. like, really good.
wallflowers like flowers too you never thought you'd find love, especially not with your best friend at his sister's wedding.
chancer Can he figure out who you are at the masquerade ball before you leave forever?
mark my words mark (webber) 'slips up' about your marriage.
nothing bad! the sprint pisses you off, ted's notebook catches you at a bad time, you say some things, oscar posts some things, and it ends up being one of the most popular ad campaigns in history. oops.
quick tweet, big problem you and oscar are together, but the world doesn't need to know you're engaged. lando decides they do.
lando norris
mistakes the aftermath of the Hungarian gp
family issues lando (and his mum) are there for you during a difficult time.
catch-up lando after monza
the break up of the century you and lando break up on horrible terms, could a new album and a special performance bring you tow back together?
making moves Lando and you don't exactly get along and now you're quitting, he'll surely take it well, right?
misguided mishaps One bed between you and your brother's best friend… what could go wrong? (18+)
was it casual? the seriousness of your relationship wasn't exactly clear... leading to unforseen circumstances... (18+)
3 minutes lando overshoots an overtake, and you go off the track. what then ensues is the most stressful and awful 3 hours of his life.
daniel riccardo
smile, even though it’s breaking daniel is your older brother's best friend who you can't stand. it's his last race, and your last chance to speak your mind
logan sargent
meetings from the past you and logan reconnect after years apart
accidental injury logan can't look where he's going, too bad he runs straight into you.
lovers in denial you and logan don't get along. or do you?
alex albon
love and lies you and Alex have been fake dating for the sake of the team, then one night changes it all.
george russell
Opposites attract, right? you have a pretty bad track record when it comes to being forgetful...
lewis hamilton
married man Married? Maybe. But why does everyone else need to know?
kimi antonelli
taking care kimi takes care of you, in his own special way
breaking up (not making up) you've had it with kimi always putting you second.
ollie bearman
Creepy guy who isn't all that creepy Why does your cappuccino taste like shit? And why are you being followed by a random 6 foot man?
Alright Ollie isn’t exactly ecstatic after Brazil… you change that.
paul aron
Thoughtless love it's just easy being with him.
arthur leclerc
all grown up! you're back in monaco a a dog-sitter. the doorbell rings. oops.
jack doohan
brother’s teammate your brothers new teammate is really hot
franco colapinto
mi senora you and franco barely know each other, yet he's obsessed with you. could this turn into a budding romance?
lance stroll
losing battle it's a marriage of convenience that's becoming pretty inconvenient when you start falling for your best friend.
liam lawson
a story for a dinner party (18+) stuck in an elevator with your boyfriend, whatever will you do? (fuck.)
zhou guanyu
listening ears on How come when you try to set Zhou up, it ends badly?
carlos sainz
admin looking for love! Why did Alex Albon feel the need to post you on his story as a ‘lonely woman looking for love’? And why did Carlos Sainz dm you after it?
(but you can request others!)
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the grid: (aka blurbs) 'the grid' = piastri, leclerc, riccardo, verstappen, russell, norris, albon, hamilton (but tell me if there's others you want on it :)
getting caught making out
complimenting you
you find out you're a bet
meet-cutes!
wedding shenanigans!
time for a hot lap!
confesses!
late for a date!
no nut november! (the grid + sargeant, colapinto, lawson, aron, and arthur leclerc)
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our favourite presenter, y/n y/l/n! f1 grid x reader x oscar piastri
Presenting… y/n y/l/n Tweets about our favourite F1 commentator!
Judgy McJudgy Pants or Osc? You decide! you and oscar are getting closer, or are you?
dangerous media things go downhill fast as you fall, and he has to catch you. what makes it worse is what he says after…
discoholicmusic
baratheonpilled
ellievsbear
izzy806
2087
areudirty
