I have been following Formula 1 racing for about 30 years now, where I have not missed a single race on TV. The”formula”, otherwise know as the rules and regulations, are continually tweaked, year after year. Sometimes, the changes are relatively minor, whereas other times, they can be quite extensive.

The biggest change to have taken place in recent years is the switch to hybrid turbo technology. It combines a turbocharged gas motor with a kinetic energy recovery system. It isn’t the 1st time that turbos were part of the formula, but it is the 1st time hybrid technology has been incorporated. I am not quite sure how I feel about the current formula. Hybrid technology is certainly available to the general public in our road cars, but have enough been sold to warrant the technology in Formula 1? For me, the answer is no.

The 1st complaints to arise was the sound. Fans were missing the glorious bellow of a normally aspirated motor, particularly glorious if said motor housed 12 cylinders, which sadly have not been around for a while.

The cars are also down on power. Back in the day, when turbos were part of the formula, they were utilizing motors that were 1.6-liters in displacement, but producing well in excess of 1,000bhp in qualifying trim. Nowadays, the manufacturers are claiming to be getting equal power to what they used to get when normally aspirated V10s were the formula, but are in no way approaching what the old turbos did. I would have loved to see what the engineers could come up with if they were given the same 1.6-liter displacement requirement, but impose current turbo technology with no restrictions. I bet they would get close to the 2,000bhp mark!

The amazing thing is that the cars keep getting faster and faster. The advancements being made in aerodynamics, braking, and handling are a big part of the reason why.

Currently, the most dominant team in Formula 1 is Mercedes. They have won the Championship the last 2 seasons, and are well on pace to win their 3rd in a row. The drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, seem to go back and forth with respects to winning races. Personally, I think when all is equal, Lewis is the faster driver. Lewis has won the Championships for Mercedes these last 2 years, Nico hasn’t won any. My money is on Lewis to win it again this year.

Other teams appear to be making some progress in catching the Mercedes at the front, most notably the Red Bull team. Ferrari were looking very good at the beginning of the season, but seem to have dropped off in performance. In a situation where such a dominant team wins the vast majority of races, you look at the rest of the teams in the field to hopefully provide some excitement. If the 2 Mercedes drivers are closely fighting it out, that can be exciting as well.

Lots of on-track passing, and wheels-to-wheels racing is why I watch F1. With the current formula, I have seen quite a few races that I found to be very exciting, other races – not so much.

There is one driver, Max Verstappen, who is the son of a former Formula 1 driver, who is making things very interesting. He is the youngest race winner ever, and looks like he will go on to win many Championships in his future. He is scrappy, fearless, and one heck of a driver. He started on Red Bull’s junior team, Torro Rosso, but was driving well enough for him to swap seats with one of the Red Bull drivers. He has done nothing but impress since making the switch. An amusing tidbit on Max is that when he started his F1 career, he was too young to possess a driver’s license for road cars, yet here he was driving the fastest machines on the planet!

I love Formula 1, and I still watch every single race. Perhaps we will see the day where they are using all-electric motors. This will be the day I stop watching Formula 1. I hope it never happens!

I know many car enthusiasts who do not follow any form of racing at all. In the mid to late ’80s, I started to follow Formula 1 racing, which I believe is the highest level of car racing on the planet today. I have not missed a Formula 1 race to this day. I have attended about 10 races live. I believe anyone who calls themselves a car enthusiast should see at least 1 race in their lifetime.

But why should an enthusiast care about such a form of racing, when the cars look nothing like the cars we are able to buy?

Even though Formula 1 cars do not look anything like road cars, they are rolling laboratories for a manufacturer. They are given a set of rules to follow, and then proceed to design the absolute fastest race car they possibly can. The technology utilized does eventually trickle down to the cars we drive on the road. Also, winning a Formula 1 World Championship is like winning a gold medal in the Olympics – it is certainly a badge of honor for a manufacturer to be able to say they are the Formula 1 World Champs, and unlike the Olympics, they have the opportunity every year.

There are some historical brands competing in the series right now, Ferrari being the most storied. Mercedes also has a team (and are the current World Champions), as does Lotus and McLaren. Other teams exist that showcase a manufacturer’s engine, such as Red Bull, Williams, etc. Teams do come and go, going mainly because of cost and/or lack of success. The sport is incredibly competitive, so when a team dominates it to such a degree where they have won a Championship 2 or more years in a row, it is truly something special. Ferrari has been in the game from the beginning, which, I believe, is a massive contributor to the legendary status their road-going cars enjoy today.

Formula 1 also attracts the very best drivers in the world. Their salaries reflect this. Many start at very young ages, in karts, and they work their way up through different series, hoping to someday get to Formula 1. It’s a very elite club, as currently, there are only 21 drivers competing. Think about that – 21 drivers from all over the world.

I suppose what attracts me to Formula 1 is getting to see the most advanced race cars in the world, with the very best drivers driving them. They drive on tracks all over the world, and only road courses – no ovals. To me, Formula 1 is the NFL of football, or the NHL of hockey.

Of course, in the USA, NASCAR racing is incredibly popular. People can relate to these race cars more simply because they are meant to resemble road going cars.Their level of technology, though, is rather basic. Manufacturers will involve themselves in NASCAR more to advertise their brand rather than utilize any technology for their road cars. NASCAR truly echoes the well-known saying of “win on Sunday, sell on Monday”. Personally, I do not follow NASCAR, but more power to anyone that does.

If you have never seen a race, put it on your Bucket List!