NTFS - System files...

When I format a volume using NTFS various system files are created.....
(MFT, MFT2, Log......)

Am I correct in saying that the physical position, of these files, on the
disk is undefined?

Thus, if I format a disk with data on it, the only data 'actually'
destroyed[1] is that, that happens to be in the 'random' locations in which
the system files are written too?


Thanks,

Ben

[1]By destroyed, I mean destroyed to a laymen (myself included) - I
understand that they can still recover files in the lab that have been
overwritten.