“Formula 1 is the world’s biggest science fair.” – some random guy on Reddit. Formula 1, or F 1 for short, is often regarded as the pinnacle of motorsport. In recent years, the popularity of Formula 1 has exploded and has seen rapid growth primarily in the United States. 10 teams, 20 drivers, multi million dollar cars, all trying to go around the race track as fast as they can. What’s fascinating about F 1 is each team has to build their own car under set regulations instead of each team just having the same car. Although they all look very similar at a first glance (except for the colors of course), there are many intricate details in suspension, capsule design, rear wing, front wing, etc. that all help the car go faster. Each team not only competes to drive the fastest but also competes to build the best car, hence the analogy of the science fair. But what I find most analogous with F 1 is a metaphor for life.

Now, you might be thinking one of two things. “What?! How does this compare to real life??” or “Well that’s awfully broad, isn’t it?” You see, Formula 1 has a decent amount of “luck” involved. What do I mean by this? As I mentioned before, every team gets to build their own car. Although the regulations are super strict which evens the playing field a decent amount, they can only do so much. As a result, from time to time you can see very dominant teams for long periods in F 1, the most famous being Mercedes’ reign during the hybrid era (2014-2021) with Louis Hamilton or Red Bull’s current dominance with Max Verstappen. Although these drivers are some of the best in recent decades, their machinery definitely played a significant role in their performance.

But what if everyone were in the same car? Perhaps we could see a sport more interesting. Think about it: we already have the best drivers in the world, placed on the biggest stage for motorsport; wouldn’t giving everyone the same car make competition more interesting? Wouldn’t it also potentially grant a bigger spotlight to good drivers on bad teams who haven’t had the chance to showcase their skills? This begs the further question: Is the driver that wins even the best driver?

I hope you can see where I’m going with this. Formula 1 reveals this ever-present inequity amongst its players similar to the inequity and inequality that governs the very nature of life. There are those less privileged, but perhaps academically or physically talented, that lack the resources necessary to bloom to their fullest potential. Then there are those already at the top: provided with a secure foundation, ambition suffers but success is more or less ensured. In consequence, they get ahead and more ahead and more ahead. Similar to F 1, we see the same case arise: Are the people at the top the smartest? Are they the best morally, ethically, economically, or politically? Are they the ones who were the most driven?

Let’s return to the question of whether or not greater competition would arise if everyone drove the same car. For starters, we get rid of the performance gap better machinery grants and we limit the outcome of the race almost strictly to the talent and skill of each driver. This hypothetical seems pretty appealing right? Sounds like more competition, sounds like genuine equality; but it also sounds like a lack of innovation. It sounds like socialism (albeit, a very extreme version of socialism).

Think about it. Socialism, on paper, is the ideology that advocates for the abolition of class and for all property is publicly owned , ensuring that wealth and resources are distributed equally amongst each member of society. But separate from the pre-existing negative connotations of Socialism, this is bad. Why? Innovation. With everyone given equal opportunity, sure competition could rise, but we lose the drive to innovate. Does this mean that current day F 1 is a representation of capitalism or perhaps a reflection of the American Dream, imbued with a relentless desire to improve, innovate, and succeed? To some extent, yes. But these analogies are taken to an extreme anyways so it’s too hard to qualify anymore (code for “I got confused and I gave up lol”).

Overall, F 1 is regarded as the pinnacle of motorsport. With this title comes not just flashy races, celebrity cameos, and exotic cars but also the birthplace of modern day automobile innovation. From side view mirrors to active suspension, F 1’s effects are seen in every day life. I give Formula 1 3 Michelin tire star thingys.