Motor Racing and Formula One

dominic c asked:


just outa curiousity, watching a race no and was wondering if that had ever happened

Davon

carazoo.com asked:


Formula One is a popular car racing sports that is popular across the world. In this race all the participants and even the cars have to follow a specified set of rules. The cars that participate in this racing sports are completely based on improved and efficient suspension, tyres, electronics, and aerodynamics. Without these essentials Formula One cars cannot run successfully on tracks.

Here are some of the most interesting facts on Formula One that many of us may not be aware of:





The fastest circuit of Formula One race is the Monza with the highest speed record of 375 kph.



Formula One cars can accelerate 0 to 200 km/k and back to 0 in just seven seconds.

When the racer applies full brake the car takes about 55 metres and 1.9 seconds to come back to a standstill.

It is also known that the Formula One racers lose their weight due to dehydration as they drive the race in hot weather.

British racer Damon Hill is one and only one Formula One racer who have won the F1 championship without leading even in a single lap.

Juan Manuel Fangio is the oldest F1 racer who won the championship when he was 46 years old.

Nigel Mansell is the only F1 racer who lost the championship award despite of leading in every lap.

Emerson Fittipaldi of Brazilian is the youngest F1 driver.

About 80,000 car components are combined together with accuracy to manufacture a F1 car. Even is there is slight inaccuracy in the assembly of these components, the car wont run on the track.

The engines of these racing cars have a very short life. They almost break down after one race. These need to be replaced for every F1 season.

The brakes of these racing cars are derived from disc brakes that are made of carbon fibres.

Most of the F1 car tyres are composed of nitrogen rather than normal air as nitrogen has more consistent pressure. The tyres of these cars like the engine have a very short life. These tyres live up to 90 to 120 km.

About one kilometre of an electric cable is used to connect about 100 sensors and actuators in these racing cars. All these linked sensors and actuators are used to control and monitor the performance of the Formula One car.

Formula One cars can accelerate from start to 200 km/h and back to standstill in just seven seconds.

The use of automatic gearbox is prohibited for use in Formula One cars.



Greta

Irene S asked:


I know if it is in a vehicle, you an look up the sticker which tells you what liter the motor is like 5.0 (you multiply by about 60) and it is a 302, but this motor I am talking about was in a ‘71 Pickup and had an economic race-cam in it. It was not the original motor.
By a Chevy you can see the difference between a 305 and a 350 without taking the motor apart on the homalic balancer (on a 305 it is very thick compare to a 350 which is thin)

Trevon

JOKERS WILD asked:


Lewis hamilton has made a stunning start to his motor racing career. Will he make it to the top this season?

Angela

Nickolove Lovemore asked:


The Grand Prix Formula One race at Fuji Speedway, Japan, the first in 30 years, was a lesson in mastery and a thrilling race that will probably be talked about and analysed by fans for years to come. It was particularly sweet for Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) who, with his win, opened up a 12 point lead over his nearest rival and team mate Fernando Alonso.

Heavy rain that hardly abated throughout the duration of the race made the racing track so treacherous that the race started behind the safety car. The incessant downpour made the track a living thing whose surface was continually changing.

Mist obscured sections of the track so that even the commentators had difficulty in seeing the action clearly. The driver’s helmets were foggy. Their side mirrors were rendered useless and they could hardly see what was in front of them.

A Formula One driver has to use his senses of sight, hearing and touch when driving. Yet even bringing these senses to a heightened state of awareness was often to no avail. These exceptionally skilled and conditioned drivers were often just along for the ride as their cars even though equipped with Bridgestone’s extreme wet tyres still couldn’t shift enough water to enable their deep treads to get a grip on the slippery surface.

All of the drivers experienced moments when their car aquaplaned and they were rendered passengers trapped inside their technical masterpieces. Aquaplaning caused Alonso to crash out at Turn 6 leaving a trial of debris across the track. The collision brought out the safety car for a second time. And, for Alonso, any thoughts of breaking that elusive 100-point barrier were put on hold.

It was something that Hamilton said after the race which he admitted felt like the longest race of his life that made me reflect on the subject of mastery. He had never driven in wet conditions before and it was a tribute to his natural talent a racing driver how well he drove during that dramatic race. It was like watching a master-class although even he was not to escape unscathed. At Turn 14, Robert Kubica (BMW) side-whacked him and his car spun off the track. It was a tense moment and a relief to see him steer the car back onto the track again.

Fortunately, although Hamilton said he could hear an ominous vibration in his car which persisted throughout the remainder of the race, any damage that was caused was not serious enough to force him to make a premature departure from the race but the incident did result in him dropping temporarily to sixth place. So what was it he said?

“The last few laps the team were telling me to slow down as I was a second faster than anyone else but I was going as slow, really, as I felt comfortable doing.”

For a non-racing driver hurtling along at speeds in excess of 100 mph in such wet conditions where you often cannot even see the other drivers would seem suicidal. But for Hamilton it was a thrill. You could see it in his face afterwards, not simply because he won the event but because, in so doing, he had passed another test and demonstrated his prowess as a racing driver. Team Manager, Ron Dennis, said over the radio:

“So we can tick off racing in the wet, then?”

David Coulthard (Red Bull) sums up this particular Grand Prix experience beautifully and honestly:

“That was very, very difficult. It’s a crazy thing to be a racing driver. On the one hand you’re scared, but on the other you’re having the time of your life because every moment you’re right on the edge even on the straights.”

When you become a master at something it becomes easy. Hamilton has not only mastered Formula One racing but he has also conquered his mindset. It is this that enables him to give outstanding performances under the most demanding of conditions. There were some drivers who felt that the race should not have been held at all. That’s up for debate but a true champion likes to be tested.

When you achieve mastery, creating outstanding performances time and time again and achieving outstanding results will become the norm. It will seem effortless. You will find that to perform at anything less than this level will actually be more demanding. You too will not want to slow down.



Justin

Richard Cunningham asked:


Even if you are not a fan of F1, maybe you will have second thoughts after logging into online formula racing and online racing TV. Every time you watch formula races, you cannot stop but imagine yourself to be a part of the actual thrilling race. In addition, it is not only the prestigious formula races that are shown in these sites. Other related races like the MotoGP are also being offered for member’s viewing.

If you already have a computer and an internet connection, then you are eligible to watch online formula racing wherever you are situated. This online version of racing has lots of advantages to offer. It is relatively easy, fast and accessible for a “reasonable” price. Even young kids can install the program they are offering, not to mention the quick installation process it takes. Especially if you are using a laptop computer, accessibility can surely have a broader definition attached to it. Although most users will be astonished by the huge payment for this service, it is very important to note that what they are offering is actually very affordable. You are billed only once, hence you can enjoy this service for your entire lifetime as soon as your payment has been received. Moreover, compared to satellite television, their payment is usually a lot cheaper. Watching online formula racing has never been this easy and convenient. You can just simply turn on your computer, open the internet, log-in to the site then in an instant, you can already start watching your favorite sport. You also do not need to purchase any other hardware or software for your computer because the site already gives you the software. Rest assured there are no suspicious adware or malware that is going to be installed in the process. To top it all, there is absolutely no monthly subscription.

Exhilarating chases, thrilling rides, mind-blowing determination and even the “smell” of asphalt can all be witnessed in online racing TV. All or most of the known types of racings are viewable like car racing, horse racing, and even dog or hound racing. Other domains offer quick free access by a simple click on the racing sport of choice while some prefer a more radical approach. Although it may seem cumbersome, the approach made by other domains may be the only one available in the internet universe that shows more comprehensive and updated racing events.

In this method, one will get the option of either opening or saving a file link to save the racing shows from online racing TV. This is not a discouragement because some of these are new racing events that are continually being updated daily. There is also another option of choosing either the video file or the audio file. As the name implies, the audio file has pure audio-only while the video file contains both the audio and video. The good thing with audio only files is that you can continue browsing other sites while paying close attention to a certain racing event by just plainly listening to it. Thus, you will surely get the same exhilaration that any other racing fan gets. In addition, if you want to hear rare interviews from the racers themselves then this is exactly the place you should go to. You will no longer lose track of your favorite popular race drivers.



Kaylee

Thomas Pretty asked:


Clothing within the world of Formula 1 is often overlooked when considering the vast array of other high tech safety equipment. A Formula 1 helmet has a clearly defined purpose; to protect the drivers head in case of high velocity impact. The Formula one safety clothing also has a primary purpose; to protect the driver in case of serious fire.

Fire has become less of a problem for Formula 1 in recent years but this has not led to a disregarding of safety clothing. During the GPs of the 1970s fire was a regular occurrence where drivers were injured and killed in horrific blazes; mainly due to the unplanned ignition of fuel after accidents.

The clothing that is used in Formula 1 today is made from fire-proof materials that are so efficient they can protect a driver as his car burns around him. The items of clothing include overalls, gloves, boots and balaclavas in an attempt to shield every part of the driver’s body in the event of a fire.

Modern overalls are constructed from a form of Aramid plastic fabric that undergoes stringent tests using a variety of white hot propane flames. In a sport where weight is paramount the material must also be light. The length of races, usually in sweltering conditions also means the overalls must be breathable to allow for the kilograms of sweat produced by drivers to escape. The many patches that adorn the Formula 1 clothing are also made of this special material so as not to act as a catalyst of fire - the thread used to sew the patches also adheres to this fire retardant principle.

One other feature of Formula 1 safety clothing; and more precisely the overalls are the two ‘handles’ situated above the drivers shoulders. These have the simple purpose of allowing stewards to pull the driver away from a car safely whilst causing the least possible injury. As well as clothing design, the seats in Formula 1 cars are fastened by just two bolts resulting in the quick release of the driver in the event of accidents. The shoulder straps are engineered to take the weight of both driver and seat to ensure speed of rescue is rapid.

Gloves may seem a minor element to Formula 1 safety clothing but are arguably the most important of all. They must be made as thin as possible to ensure the driver can maintain his connection to the car whilst also remaining fire-proof enough to protect. The same can be said for Formula 1 boots as the soles of these are made extremely thin so the driver has the closest contact with the pedals of the car.

The exterior clothing is only part of the Formula 1 safety equation; all the drivers wear a full set of ‘racing underwear.’ Made up of long johns, vests, gloves and a balaclava this is also made out of fire resistant material and acts as a further level of protection if a fire ever does break out.

It is not just the driver that has to wear the levels of safety clothing. Pit crews must wear equal amounts of safety gear as the pit lane is the most dangerous place on a Formula racing track. The chance of fire as refuelling is undertaken is still a risk although modern valve systems have minimised the chances of fire. Testament to the success of the safety clothing was seen during the 1994 season when the Benetton pit crew and driver Jos Verstappen survived a terrific blaze that resulted from a fuel leak.

There is no doubt that the safety clothing has made Formula 1 far safer, looking back to the fifties when drivers wore cloth overalls, goggles and leather driving caps the advance in technology is almost unbelievable. In one of the most dangerous sports in the world it is reassuring to know that so many designers are producing items of clothing with the driver’s safety as their primary concern.



Katelyn

Kevin S asked:


I am wanting to the Kobalt 500 in April. Is the speedway really congested on raceday? I.E. if I go, should I be there hours ahead to sit in traffic? Thanks in advance.

Savanna