In the rising years, the motorsport Formula 1 has gained more traction leading to more of PV High’s students to become interested within the motorsport and its complexities.
Seniors Stephanie Prado and Zayan Adame-Geffner founded the Formula 1 Club this year to create an engaging space for students interested in Formula 1 and those looking to learn more about it.
On the surface, Formula 1 (F1) may resemble the auto racing company, NASCAR, but unlike Formula 1, “NASCAR just races in a circle most of the time, while F1[drives] on mostly street circuits, so they’re driving on city streets. Nascar has started to do that, but F1 has done it since forever. F1 cars are faster, they have more down force, they’re shaped differently, smaller [and] lighter,” said senior Austin Roach.
Throughout the season, which runs roughly eight to nine months, drivers and their teams compete in a multitude of different circuits which challenge the driver and the car’s ability to efficiently and swiftly maneuver the track as they compete against the clock and the surrounding grid drivers, but there is more to the sport than what appears on the surface.
“[Formula 1] is really unique because it’s a personal game and it’s a team game… At the end of Formula 1, there are two awards given out. There’s one for the drivers championship which is for the individual driver and how well they did the entire season, and the constructor championship for how the entire team did. [This] makes the entire dynamic [of Formula 1] strategy really interesting,” Prado said.
At a typical Formula 1 Club meeting, members can expect to “talk about [the past race], express [their] thoughts about what happened, talk about the drivers, the teams and the conversation will usually spiral from that,” said Adame-Geffner.
As the new season approaches, starting Mar. 2 in Bahrain, the Formula 1 Club aims to meet more frequently and provide “a safe space for all those who are interested in Formula 1 and want to get to know more about Formula 1,” said Adame-Geffner.
The Formula 1 Club meets in Mr. Peterman’s room 511 during lunch.