The new Formula 1 season is already underway, but how will you keep in touch with the sprawling racing calendar, an annual competition that runs for nine months of the year and takes place across five continents?
Considered the pinnacle of motor racing in terms of technology and engineering, with 19 races between March and November you’ll need to be completely dedicated to fully enjoy the season. Whether you plan on locking yourself up for half of the weekends between now and 2014 or if you’re happy to enjoy races in Hungary, Monaco, the USA and Canada in a more public setting, you can extend your interaction with this exciting and dramatic sport by visiting the best websites, grabbing the top apps and following the right people on Twitter.
If you don’t know where to look for any of these, don’t worry – we do!
Constructor Team Websites
Probably the best place to start with following Formula 1 online is to load up the websites of the main teams and take a look at the sort of information they have on offer.
Williams, McLaren Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull [Broken URL Removed] all have massive presences on the track and online, so you should definitely check these out to view the latest news, thoughts from the drivers and technical team and even listen to their podcasts.
In addition to constructor websites, don’t miss www.formula1.com, the sport’s official website. You should also be aware of the BBC’s Formula 1 online coverage at www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1, which combines news, statistics and standings, features, interviews and blogs, and Sky Sports’ own Formula 1 website which features a similar blend.
Top Formula 1 Fan Sites & Blogs
An immense independent Formula 1 fan site is www.f1fanatic.co.uk, where you will find news, information, photos and even an F1 discussion forum.
A more informed look at the sport and recent races can be found at www.formula1blog.com, meanwhile, and journalist Joe Saward’s blog joesaward.wordpress.com should be of particular interest to any fan of motor sport with an interest in behind-the-scenes politics.
Finally don’t miss the Formula 1 Fancast and www.planetf1.com which are both great resources, while FormulaOneCircuitSatelliteImages is also a website to bookmark
Formula 1 on Your Mobile
Various different types of app are available for your mobile. You might prefer to utilise Twitter to get Formula 1 news on your smartphone or tablet (see below) or utilise the mobile websites of any of the resources listed above. Better still, you might like to find dedicated F1 apps.
Android users have the benefit of a great app in the shape of Formula 1 News & Weather 2013, which combines the latest news with the all-important weather reports. For live lap-by-lap updates, meanwhile, Livesports24 F1 Racing will change the way you enjoy Formula 1 away from a TV.
On iOS, perhaps the best choice is F1 News, which provides you with the latest news, tweets, track conditions and the usual standings and statistics.
All of the above apps are available free from their respective marketplaces.
Follow The Right F1 People on Twitter
First and foremost for those of you who prefer to get your information from Twitter rather than blogs, you should be following the official Formula 1 website’s tweets @F1. While they’re sanitised and short on opinion, this is a good way to get a different insight into practice, qualification and the race itself.
Drivers such as Mark Webber (Red Bull), Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa (Ferrari), Jenson Button and Sergio Perez (McLaren), Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) can all be followed on Twitter, although for a more honest appraisal of raises and off-track events you should also keep an eye on David Coulthard and Martin Brundle, whose professional insights as drivers, test drivers and commentators are both worth listening to.
(A comprehensive list of constructors, drivers and engineering staff on Twitter can be found at www.f1fanatic.co.uk/f1-information/f1-twitter)
Also notable on Twitter is the legendary Suzi Perry, former host of The Gadget Show in the UK, keen biker and host of BBC One’s Formula 1 coverage. If you read MakeUseOf and like Formula 1, you should certainly be following her! You might also use these Twitter tricks to keep up with what the rest of Twitter is saying about Formula 1.
Anything We’ve Missed?
We reckon that our collection of Twitter accounts, blogs and official websites are all you will need to maximise your enjoyment of the Formula 1 competition in 2013, but if you have other ideas, let us know in the comments.
Do you know of a Twitter account we need to check out, or an accomplished independent Formula 1 blog everyone should be subscribed to? If so, start typing in the box below...
Image Credit: Red Bull Racing Car via Shutterstock