Everything You Need To Know About Formula One Racing
One of the most popular sports nowadays with one of the biggest fans and the largest sponsored event is the Formula One Racing. Its champions are considered to be taken as such remarkable individuals that they are at par with the greatest Olympic medalists in terms of given respect. Formula one racing has indeed climbed a long way up in the ladder of sports. Today, it is now deemed as a fancy sport that not all can participate because of its extremeness. Why is formula one seen as such? This type of sport does not only excite us and the riders with the intense adrenaline we all feel during a racing tournament, but it also gives us that sense of admiration when it comes to pushing and testing the technology’s capacity in creating a high-performance vehicle. In this article, you will be introduced with everything you need to know about formula one racing to be able to fully grasp this sport. Here are some of the things that you need to know:
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What is Formula One Racing?
When you say Formula racing, this talks about a type of motor sport in which a driver sits himself in a single seat and rides in an open-wheeled manner. Open-wheeled vehicles are not like the normal cars. Their tires differ greatly because it is located outside the vehicle’s body and not under the fenders. When questioning about its name, this sport got its title because it is considered to be the zenith of all formula racing. It gathers and shows off all the best drivers with their powerful and advanced racing cars. However, becoming the best formula one racer does not happen in an instant. A lot of seasoned racers are not even given the title yet. One does not simply join a formula one race without having less experience in the field. A racer must at least must drive several miles of tracks and perform tremendous training and exercise to be able to qualify in a formula one tournament. In fact, a lot of formula racers and enthusiasts settle for other types of formula racing. This is actually helpful because other types of formula races have a common ground with the real deal. These other categories do well in acting as a great ground for practice. Thus, racers become more experienced when it comes to improving their skills.
Formula racing as a sport is extremely regulated. It contains a lot of detailed rules that must be followed like how a vehicle must be configured and how it must be handled on the tracks. In terms of rules, formula racing is divided into two distinct groups. These groups are called sporting regulation which covers the start of the race, how it is seen in between of the race, and how it is concluded after the race and the technical regulations which focuses on the vehicle’s major parts and systems; this includes that engine of the car, its transmission, and its suspension.
Formula One Race Factors
Cornering
Cornering is a move in which the tires of the vehicle is being tested. This is a way to practice a racer’s skill in braking and controlling the engine of his car. If he runs too fast, his car will end up in a whirl. If he runs too slowly, his car will waste the precious time he has on the field. This move must be practiced until a racer masters it for a great performance.
Straightaway
This is when a racer practices and tests his engine’s power by performing a straightaway. The power of the engine is crucial because this is where a racer can successfully achieve this move or not. However, today, since almost all formula cars are equally competing in terms power engine, a straightaway is rarely achieved.
Pit Stops
Performing pit stops is a must to ensure the success rate of a race. Every racer must have a pit stop in the middle of the race to deal with the necessary changes he needs. However, a racer’s team must perform incredibly fast and strategically to win against the other teams. A racer’s team must be equally skilled like him. Keep in mind that in just a few seconds, a racer’s crew must be able to perform all of these:
- Changing of tires
- Refueling the vehicle
- Adjusting the car’s wings
- Clearing of debris attained by the car
- Getting the vehicle safely back on tracks
- Replacing the damages acquired on the bodywork
The Formula One Car and Its Parts
Just like any other vehicles, Formula One cars have something in common with what is frequently used on the roads. True, formula cars have engines, transmissions, suspensions, a couple of wheels, and a reliable brake to save you from hitting a wall, but their similarity ends here. Even if these amazing cars have something in common with the normal ones, they are tweaked and changed to become something out of the ordinary. A formula car is designed to promote speed; this sets them out among the rest. For more details, here is a simple explanation of its parts:
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Chassis
An important part of this car is the Chassis. This part is considered to be the heart of every formula car because every other part is being attached to it. Without this piece, it’ll be like a tree branch without its trunk. In choosing the material, formula car makers use a strong composite that includes carbon fibers in resin or layered on an aluminum mesh. The outcomes would create a lightweight vehicle that endures strong forces.
Engine
Formula cars are following a specific rule and that is to use 2.4-liter V8 engines. However, because of high speeds, a formula car must rebuild its engines after a 500 mile ride to prevent further damage and accidents. This is a must because the accumulated heat will create an enormous stress on the vehicle.
Fuel
In picking the right fuel to use, one must not randomly pick whatever type of gasoline they fancy. Formula racing is not a typical sport, so don’t use a typical fuel. To pick the right fuel to use, ask the FIA (sport’s governing body) for approval or suggestions. There are a lot of fuel blends that you can use, but stay away from the banned ones. A racer must ask the experts to know the exact fuel to use, for this depends on the formula car a racer is having.
Tires
Considered to be the only part touching the tracks, the tires are definitely an essential part that may or may not lead a rider to victory. This means that the tires carry out all the work from all the other important parts of the car (brakes, steering wheel, engine, suspension). Just by having the wrong tire, it will lead a racer into downfall. Tires must be made of soft and rubbery compounds, for this is a usual feature in making a gripping power on the tracks.
Brakes
A special break is used in a formula car. We all know that these cars are almost always dealing with high speed, which is why their breaks are made especially from carbon fiber pads and discs. This helps lessen the wear and tear of the vehicle and promotes a better performance when in the tracks.
