What skills could an F1 racer possibly need?

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(disclaimer: I barely watch F1 race)

I’m always puzzled when I hear people refer to a racer as very skilled or very talented, what skills could they possibly need? Isn’t the aim of the race to reach the finish line first? Shouldn’t you just get a really fast car and let it do most of the work, while you try not to crash?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Try to get really good at a competitive racing video game. The competition is brutal, and it’s very clear just how inept you are compared to the elite.

Planning a turn, and then executing it according to plan in such a way that it is perfectly matched to your vehicle’s dynamics, and **also** adjusting for things that constantly change such as the condition of the vehicle and tires etc and positions of opponents…

All vehicles are **very** closely matched, there’s practically never a case where anyone’s won just because they had the best car. Having the best car provides an edge, but driver skill is 90%.

*And*, in addition to that, especially in F1, the physical strain is insane. I’ve heard of people getting a “ride-along” for a couple of laps and being absolutely exhausted and sore all over like they just ran a marathon and weight lifted all day. And they’re not even the driver…

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