The Importance of Strategy in Formula One Race Outcomes and the Impact of Regulatory Changes in the Competitive Balance of the Sport

Abstract

Formula one is the highest and most competitive class of international motorsport racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile. Its complexity and uncertainty is what brings athletes and spectators in its orbit. The championship’s outcome of each team is heavily impacted by the driver-car abilities and the strategies adopted during qualifying and races. Hence, the purpose of this thesis is that of analysing the race-weekend sessions and their implication in the final race result. Firstly, an analysis of qualifying session in terms of prediction and strategies formulations are proposed. Secondly, a race simulation was performed to formulate optimal strategies regarding the timing of pit-stops and the choice of tyre compound, comparing the results with the real-race outcome. Thirdly, an analysis on the competitive balance of the last 12 years is performed in order to understand the impact of the latest financial restriction regulation in the latest seasons (2021 and 2022).