By Fuyu Banno

Graphics Editor

Warning: This article is not intended to strike a nerve with the F1 fanatics. Please don’t attack me; I come in peace. 

My friends and peers have started to pick up an interest in cars recently. To be more specific, they’re interested in the people who drive these cars. After a little Wikipedia search with “car race with fans who have a cult-like obsession,” I figured out this form of entertainment was called Formula One or F1. It’s been a couple of months since this discovery, and I’ve started to pick up on certain things. The world of F1 is big, and I’ve quickly realized that the focus is not on the cars: it’s on the drivers. Now, in reality, I couldn’t care less about adults who drive cars for a living, but one day I stumbled across a video titled “F1 for dummies” and I watched it. Next thing you know, F1 shows up everywhere in my feed. Now I would consider myself a pretty seasoned expert on these F1 drivers after watching three videos. So for all those noobs who don’t understand the world of F1, I present to you: F1 Drivers, brought by a newly crowned professional. 

Starting off strong, we have Sid the Sloth….or Max Verstappen. The first picture I came upon of the Dutch F1 driver Max Verstappen was a picture of Sid the Sloth. By no means am I trying to offend him, but every time I see the name Verstappen, a picture of Sid the Sloth appears in my head. Yet from my completely reliable sources (Reddit), Verstappen could be considered one of the most seasoned F1 drivers, as an accomplished world champion as well as a real Sid.

Next, we have “certified Nepo Baby.” Although this may sound like slander, this was the very first description that came up when I found out about Canadian driver Lance Stroll. The only thing I know about him is that his father is so rich he owns the team that his son (LANCE) drives for. Talk about peak Nepo Baby behavior. And honestly, good for him. His parents made sure that their son wouldn’t be unemployed.

Taking a big 360 degrees change from Nepo Baby, let’s talk about Hamilton. Formula 1? More like his form is number one. Lewis Hamilton, this man dresses to impress – especially as something part of the Met Gala board. Overall, YouTube and Reddit are telling me he is a great and humble guy. 

Finally, in today’s lineup of F1 drivers, we have Yuki Tsunoda, who can be described in one word: short. I am allowed to say that as someone who is his exact height. All of a sudden, when you are below average height, being short becomes your personality to people.

My observations have become a prime example of why first impressions matter. Will I correct my misinformation and misinterpretation of these drivers? Probably not. Did I figure out that the world of F1 was 50 percent cars and 50 percent drama? Yes. Am I starting to gain an obsession? Yes. Unfortunately so.