photo credit: Carter Shilling
Engines roar, champagne is sprayed over excitement as millions of fans from every continent tune in to watch one of the most fast-paced sports in the world: Formula 1. F1 is so much more than just a race; it brings influence to countries all over the world.
Going into 2026, there is much excitement for the Formula 1 season, especially after Lando Norris secured his first F1 world title in a three-way close race at the end of the 2025 season.
Over the past decade, Formula 1 has transformed by mainly being a European sport to influencing fashion, film and social media culture, making it an international cultural phenomenon. As of 2026, the United States will host three major Grand Prix: Austin, Miami and Las Vegas.
I believe that a wider audience has been opened up to this world through the movie “F1” starring Brad Pitt, which came out on June 27, 2025. The movie showcased aspects of the sport that many people were not aware of.
According to Variety, the F1 movie was Apple’s highest grossing film making $293 million in the first 10 days of release at the global box office. This film has kept Apple in the movie-making business after accumulating a few recent flops.
This phenomenal success has led to the movie being nominated for four Oscars after making $630 million worldwide according to F1.
The film’s accomplishments have proven one thing: people are captivated by the idea of Formula 1 racing. The only question is are people truly interested in the reality of the sport or a fictional story based on it.
Many people may think that F1 is a fairly easy sport compared to others because it is basically just someone driving a car around a track, but it is so much more than that. However, F1 is one of the most difficult sports because not only does it have immense physical strain on the body, it also requires high-speed mental pressure as well.
F1 is also widely compared to the similar sport: NASCAR. NASCAR and F1 have many differences including NASCAR being a North American-based series with heavy, stock-style cars primarily on ova tracks. F1, however, uses very light, open-wheel cars on twisty circuits. F1 also focuses on engineering and speed whereas NASCAR places an emphasis on close-quartered racing.
With the season starting, there is a buzz of excitement to see if Lando Norris can defend his title with McLaren. It will definitely be a challenge for Norris with talented competitors like George Russel with Mercedes and new rookies like 18-year-old Arvid Lindblad, the youngest winner in both F2 and F3 according to ESPN.
There are many exciting changes that I am looking forward to along with many others that are coming with the 2026 season. For starters, the cars are going to be 30kg lighter, which will make it easier to take sharp turns on the tracks. Also, along with the exciting Barcelona race in Spain, F1 has announced that they are bringing the Spanish Grand Prix to Madrid.
F1 keeps evolving every year with new technology and more rigorous competition that keeps everyone on their toes year to year. This increase in competition leads to more pressure being put on these drivers which ultimately leads to every decision on the track being very important.
I can’t wait to see how this new season plays out and what drivers soar to the top and take the championship win in the end. With all the international races, there will definitely be twists and turns that no one is expecting.
Formula 1 continues to engage new audiences as it redefines the sport that so many people love. So, this 2026 season, tune in to Apple TV which is the exclusive broadcaster for the Formula 1 season and experience all the excitement and work that goes into the races.
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