Some people just don't 'get' sport. They say it's pointless, facile, that it doesn't matter.
But they are wrong. They are wrong because sport, like so many things in life, is much more than the sum of its parts. Sport matters because it means something to people.
So it is with Formula 1, which outwardly seems simply a collection of rich blokes shipping expensive cars around the world to drive around in circles as fast as they can for a few hours every other weekend.
Ben Anderson is GP Racing's Editor, Autosport track tester and tame racing driver. He holds an undergraduate degree in journalism studies from the University of Sheffield and joined the title in March 2008, after eight months working in local newspaper journalism for award-winning weekly the Surrey Mirror. He worked on Autosport's national desk before moving up to F1 in '14. He has raced karts and cars since the age of 11 and has tested or raced more than 100 different examples during his career so far.
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In the latest part of our 'What is F1?' series, we investigate the argument over how fast Formula 1 cars should be, with the help of key paddock figures
Is too much technology bad for F1?
Formula 1's reputation for technical excellence is key to its appeal for many, but is also a factor in a lot of its problems. In the latest in our What is F1? series, we explore that juxtaposition with paddock figures on both sides of the argument
Why F1 has to put business first
The latest part of our 'What is F1?' series focuses on the costs of Formula 1 and whether its business model is irrevocably broken
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The rules anomaly that saved Hamilton from harsher punishment OPINION: Mercedes was aggrieved that Lewis Hamilton was demoted three places on the grid for the Austrian GP within an hour of the race start, but it could have been a lot worse had the rules been applied differently F1
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What you need to know about F1 2021 Formula 1 won't get its big new regulations this year, but there are still plenty of changes to keep track of on the technical, team/driver and calendar fronts. Here's our guide to all the important details F1
How Ogier achieved a fitting Monte Carlo farewell Against pandemic-shaped odds, the World Rally Championship season opener went ahead in Monte Carlo last weekend as a familiar face again took top spot. But for an emotional Sebastien Ogier, his record-breaking eighth win meant more than most WRC
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The point-less F1 teams of 1991 Six of the 18 teams that appeared in the 1991 Formula 1 season failed to score a point, whether through lack of funds to build and test new parts, under-par engines or management musical chairs. Here are their little-known stories F1
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Is F1 too boring for the modern world?
No excuse for F1 sleepwalking into the future
