Virtually everyone loves a good Formula 1 underdog story. Psychology researchers claim that this is so due to a phenomenon called schadenfreude, which means experiencing pleasure on account of the misfortune of others. Favourites get perceived as privileged parties, so most people enjoy watching them fail. In essence, people aren’t rooting for the underdog but for the most dominant contestant to not succeed. The same logic applies in gaming floors when a person gets lucky at slots or the blackjack table. Big upsets and Formula 1 often do not go together Onlookers cheer because they believe that if one person overcame the house’s advantage and profited, that means that they can do the...
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