FORMULA 1

Good morning, everyone, today I’m here to talk about Formula One a sport that I
believe most of you have heard about, but I’m sure you all think is just about some cars
driving around but let me tell you it is way more than that.
It’s the most prestigious racing series in the entire world. It’s the pinnacle of speed
and power where the most advanced cars on the planet built by the world's top
manufacturers are driven by the most skilled racers.
It is a brutal sport and a real challenge for the drivers that are risking their lives by
driving faster than 200 km/ hour for 2 hours straight. Just so that you know how hard it is
physically each driver loses up to 3 kilograms after a race, plus we can’t even imagine
how stressful it must be to be in their position.
And this reality is really well shown in Netflix’s series – “Formula 1 – Drive to
Survive” which I strongly recommend. It shows every side of this ultra-competitive sport
and captivates us to the point that we get fascinated just by looking at some cars driving
around glamorous circuits.
Now, I’d like to show you the Trailer for the Season 4 that follows last
championship - 2021:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eokeG5lVAWY&t=25s
Now to give you a quick explanation of how this sport started:
Racing cars around European cities became popular among the richest communities
in the early nineties, but only in 1950 did FIA or “Federation internacionale de
l’automobile” create Formula A at the time, today known as Formula 1.
Since then, the sky has been the limit.
Nowadays, there are 10 teams or constructors competing as you can see here and 20
pilots, two for each team. Some of the drivers that have been standing out are Max
Verstappen for Red Bull, the current world champion, winner of the 2021 season, and
Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes – world champion for 7 years and one of the best record
breakers of this sport.
According to the rules, each constructor must develop and build their chassis, which
is basically the structure of the cars. They can still buy engines from other teams, but they
have to be the ones to develop and put together the car itself.
Although some teams have the same engine as their manufacturer, it doesn’t mean
they’ll have the same output. Red Bull, for instance, is known for a strong chassis,
therefore, despite them being powered by honda, they are still leading in 2022. The
opposite happens with Hass with a Ferrari engine, but that is not even close to them when
it is put to the test.
That’s why the best manufacturers in the world dedicate so much time trying to
build the best car and, of course, to make it the safest possible.

1
 FORMULA 1

And talking about safety, one of F1 most iconic drivers that I couldn’t disregard
today is Niki Lauda, who some of you may already know about.
He bought his way into Formula 1 racing and very nearly paid for it with his life.
His career was going great, he was a promising Ferrari driver with a whole future ahead
of him until the 1976 German Grand Prix – where he inexplicably crashed and burst into
flames as you can see in this representation.
In the hospital, with first to third-degree burns on his head and wrists, several broken
bones, and lungs scorched from inhaling toxic fumes, Niki Lauda was given up for dead.
However, he still managed to recover by what the doctors called sheer force of will.
And six weeks later, with blood leaking from the bandages on his head, he finished
fourth in the Italian Grand Prix. His shockingly quick return was the most courageous
comeback in sporting history. What’s even more honorable is that this incident didn’t
stop him from becoming world champion the next year.
Lauda died in 2019 but remains a sporting legend after defying both the odds and
convention and becoming a battle-scarred champion with an unmatched will.
To finish, I want to leave you with one of his most well-known quotes:
“From success, you learn absolutely nothing. From failure and setbacks, conclusions
can be drawn. That goes for your private life as well as your career.”