Formula 1 cars, explained for rookies (with Max Verstappen)
2,322,104
Published 2024-03-22
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I love Formula 1. This isn’t just a car race, it’s a massive group science competition. Ten teams are all fighting to be first, and on every team there are hundreds of people, spending millions of dollars, all working together to push technology to its limit.
In this video, we’re gonna show you what it takes to build and drive some of the fastest and most expensive cars in the world. We’ll give you rare access into a factory in England where they build these cars and into a garage in Bahrain where they race them. This is Formula 1 cars, explained!
One note because it’s important to me you never be confused about what is paid for and what isn’t: Oracle comped my flights, but didn’t have any say in the editorial and didn’t see the episode before it went live. The Red Bull F1 Team did not pay me, had no say in the editorial, and didn’t see the episode before publish either. Everything I say here is entirely my own.
Chapters:
0:00 What is a Formula 1 car?
1:13 What do F1 cars look like?
3:08 What’re the rules for F1 cars?
4:12 Where do they keep old F1 cars?
4:53 What’s the goal of F1?
5:30 How does an F1 car go so fast?
7:26 … Can I sit in an F1 car??
9:06 How is an F1 car built?
11:55 How is an F1 car painted?
12:42 How does an F1 engine work?
15:45 Sneak peak: Red Bull’s new engine sound
16:34 How do you race an F1 car?
17:40 What does it feel like to drive an F1 car?
18:30 OH NO
18:51 What does an F1 steering wheel look like?
19:22 What is a pit stop?
20:02 What are F1 tires like?
20:28 How do you WIN an F1 race?
22:08 Why care about Formula 1?
23:18 Thank you :)
Corrections:
4:59 Track direction should go the other way!
5:38 Track direction goes the other way. Sorry about that.
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Bio:
Cleo Abram is an Emmy-nominated independent video journalist. On her show, Huge If True, Cleo explores complex technology topics with rigor and optimism, helping her audience understand the world around them and see positive futures they can help build. Before going independent, Cleo was a video producer for Vox. She wrote and directed the Coding and Diamonds episodes of Vox’s Netflix show, Explained. She produced videos for Vox’s popular YouTube channel, was the host and senior producer of Vox’s first ever daily show, Answered, and was co-host and producer of Vox’s YouTube Originals show, Glad You Asked.
Additional reading and watching:
- “Formula 1, explained for rookies” - our previous Huge If True episode on the sport itself • Formula 1, explained for rookies
- “How Red Bull is Breaking F1,” by Search Party • How Red Bull is breaking Formula 1
- My favorite newsletter on F1, Engine Failure by Lily Herman: bit.ly/EngineFailureF1
- “F1 Aerodynamics: The Basics” by Chain Bear • F1 Aerodynamics - 1: The Basics
- “F1 Drivers Explain F1,” from F1 • F1 Drivers Explain F1
- “Formula 1: Explained” by MKBHD • Formula One: Explained!
- How Oracle Race Strategy Works: www.oracle.com/customers/red-bull-racing/
- “How a Formula 1 Race Car Works” by Animagraffs • How a Formula 1 Race Car Works
- “The Insane Logistics of F1,” by Wendover Productions • The Insane Logistics of Formula 1
- “Why F1 Banned Their Best Car,” by Donut Media • Why F1 Banned Their Best Car
- Latest Updates from Red Bull: www.redbullracing.com/int-en
- “How to Make F1 Sounds,” by Matt Chambers :) • How to make F1 Sounds
Vox: www.vox.com/authors/cleo-abram
IMDb: www.imdb.com/name/nm10108242/
Gear I use:
Camera: Sony A7SIII
Lens: Sony 16–35 mm F2.8 GM
Audio: Sennheiser SK AVX and Zoom H4N Pro
Music: Musicbed
Follow along for more episodes of Huge If True: youtube.com/cleoabram?sub_confirmation=1
—
Welcome to the joke down low:
What do you get when dinosaurs crash their cars?
Tyrannosaurus wrecks
Find a way to use “tyrannosaurus” in a comment to let me know you’re a real one who made it to the end of the description :)
All Comments (21)
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I have no idea how many US viewers know how "huge" it is that Cleo got this. There are international sports journalist veterans that could only DREAM of this sort of access. Props to you, Cleo!
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I follow Formula 1 for almost 20 years. This is one of the most complete, easy to understand and in depth video I've ever seen. A truly amazing video, Cleo, thank you!
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The access you were given is a testament to how well you’re respected. The video you’ve produced justifies that respect.
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Im 116 years old and have been watching f1 since I was twice and I have to say, without a doubt, this is the best video thats ever been made since the invention of space and time.
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I don't understand how you have managed to keep a die hard formula one fan engaged for an entire video covering the basics. But you sure did. Incredible
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This is what I would have liked Netflix's drive to survive series to have been about.
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Dyed in the wool F1 fans may cringe at the thought of a non-F1 person trying to explain what is happening. Cleo on the other hand impressed me no end. Clear and to the point. Well done.
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Cleo, I have absolutely no idea how you managed to score this inside look into F1...my inner child could barely contain my excitement for the full 24 minutes. I hope to see more of this F1 content in future!
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I'm a long time F1 fan (30+ years) and this is probably one of the best summaries and quick documentaries about what's fascinating about the sport ever. Really, really well done.
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started enjoying F1 after understanding that it is not a racing sport but an engineering sport
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Nearly 40 years watching F1 and this is by far the best, most informative video I've ever seen
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Your mistake on the direction of the Bahrain race track has been forgiven by your shear joy to be in, around and involved in Formula One. You truly enjoyed every second of making this video. I love it.
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CLEO AND MAX TOGETHER?!? my worlds are colliding 😭
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I'm 42 years old and I'm a F1 fan since I was 9. I can tell that this is one of the best videos I've ever seen.
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This is really probably one of the best F1 videos ever made. Or at least maybe the best I've found. The amount of access you got is insane, countless automotive journalists would kill for this. I think it'd be cool if one of the teams released something like this after a major regulation change covering the previous regulations, showing how they built the engine, some of the aerodynamic intricacies of that generation, etc. Very unlikely that'd ever happen as I'd imagine even that could give out secrets, but this is about as close as anyone's gonna get otherwise. What a great video.
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This may be the most in depth video I've ever seen about an f1 car and every sinlge piece and part that goes into it lol. Insanely incredible work and this is true passion with content. Great job!!
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Not an F1 Rookie but this is one of the best F1 films Ive ever seen. Your excitement not just at learning lots of new stuff but also being given an opportunity not a lot of people get, shone through. Judging by the work you and your team did here packing so much in and in such a way, it was well deserved.
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Nice score! Max doesn't do too many of these videos.
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30+ years an F1 fan. I still learnt and experienced new unique little nuggets. This is hands down the most comprehensive and easily understood, yet also in-depth intros to F1. What I love the most. Cleo, your absolute wonder and joy experiencing and appreciating the value of your experience and access caught in this video. Your excited skip and dance heading to engine testing, the subtle absolute attention (your eyes and expression) listening to the engineer explaining the engine testing, the childlike glee stealing your attention back to the changes in the engine sound. Those little details take this from the realm of just another die hard factory visit, to sharing the intense privilege and uniqueness of the experience. Huge respect. Thank you 🙃
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Well done👏👏👏👏!!! And, after 45 year of being big fan of F1, and 32 years as motoring journalist, I can only congratulate you and your team on this video!
