F1 Confusion

Dear Baxter,
I was listening to the Arsenal v. Middlesbrough football match today and at half time they cut to the Formula 1 coverage. Can you please explain F1? I don't understand it beyond the fact you get points for how you finish in a race. Is it true there are 2 races, one where you find out where you start? Are they the same track? If the whole point is to build the best possible car why are there illegal modifications? How does that work? Do people watch it just for the crashes? I personally cannot understand why people enjoy it but perhaps that is because I do not understand the rules. I do know that there is a lot of skill involved by the drivers.
Thanks!
Love,
An Admirer

Baxter says:
oh admyrer AH THINK YOO LIKE BAXTER DOANT YOO? ah dont no about car racin but ah herd about tort and hair race once. ah like hair, ah eet mah mummys hairs sumtimes NOM NOM NOM then poo them owt
lov BAX YOR FAYVERIT TORT XOXOXOXOX

Dandelion says:
Dear Baxter's admirer,
I didn't understand anything about F1, in fact, I didn't see what the big deal was. Then I thought, if you can't beat them, join them. A few races in, and I was hooked. The basic idea is to score points in order to win the drivers' championship, and for the teams, the constructors' title. On the day before the race, qualifying takes place (on the same track) to determine the starting order of the cars. The best way to learn about F1 is to watch it and pick things up. Just watch and enjoy the racing, you'll soon learn the rules (which, by the way, seem to change all the time!).
Happy viewing,
Dandelion