Autosport Plus

The crescendo climax F1 rarely enjoys

OPINION: The unexpected thrills of live sport are what makes competition so enjoyable to many. But there are different ways of considering what creates the best sensation. In motorsport, one particular phenomenon is rare in Formula 1

Alex Kalinauckas Feb 3, 2021, 12:44 PM

People love motorsport for plenty of reasons. The speed, the technology and its blend with human endeavour, the action - the bravery, the characters, the 'glamour'. For many, motorsport's ability to deliver the unexpected is what keeps them coming back. It's the cliche of all sport: unscripted drama.

The end of the 2021 Daytona 24 Hours had this on full display and at the same time nearly provided a useful example of 'peak-end theory', where an experience is judged mainly based on what it felt like at its peak. The long race, with the typical highs and lows of all motorsport, ended with Renger van der Zande's Cadillac closely pursuing the Acura of Filipe Albuquerque entering the final minutes.

Share Or Save This Story

Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.