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Formula 1 Basic
Grand Prix cars and the cutting edge technology that constitute them produce an unprecedented combination of outright speed and quickness for the drivers. Every F1 car on the grid is capable of going from nought to 160km/h (100 mph) and back to nought in less than five seconds. During a demonstration at the Silverstone circuit in Britain, an F1 McLaren car driven by David Coulhard gave a pair of Mercedes-Benz street cars a head start of seventy seconds, and was able to beat the cars to the finish line from a standing start.
Despite F1 cars being fast in a straight line, they also have incredible cornering ability. Grand Prix can negotiate corners at much higher speeds than other types racing car because of the intense levels of grip and downforce. Cornering speed is so high that Formula One drivers have strength training routines just for the neck muscles. Juan Pablo Montoya claims to be able to perform 300 reps of 50 pounds with his neck.
The combination of light weight (440 kg dry), power (950 bhp with the 3.0 L V10, 750 bhp with the 2006 regulation 2.4 L V8), aerodynamics, and ultra-high performance tyres is what gives the F1 car its performance figures. The principle consideration for F1 designers is acceleration, and not simply top speed. Acceleration is not just linear forward acceleration, but three types of acceleration can be considered for an F1 car's, and all cars' in general, performance:
Despite F1 cars being fast in a straight line, they also have incredible cornering ability. Grand Prix can negotiate corners at much higher speeds than other types racing car because of the intense levels of grip and downforce. Cornering speed is so high that Formula One drivers have strength training routines just for the neck muscles. Juan Pablo Montoya claims to be able to perform 300 reps of 50 pounds with his neck.
The combination of light weight (440 kg dry), power (950 bhp with the 3.0 L V10, 750 bhp with the 2006 regulation 2.4 L V8), aerodynamics, and ultra-high performance tyres is what gives the F1 car its performance figures. The principle consideration for F1 designers is acceleration, and not simply top speed. Acceleration is not just linear forward acceleration, but three types of acceleration can be considered for an F1 car's, and all cars' in general, performance:
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Forward acceleration
The 2006 F1 cars have a power-to-weight ratio of 1250 hp/tonne (930 W/kg). Theoretically this would allow the car to reach 100 km/h in less than 1 second. However the massive power cannot be converted to motion at low speeds due to traction loss, and the usual figure is 2 seconds to reach 100 km/h. After about 130 km/h traction loss is minimal due to the combined effect of the car moving faster and the downforce, hence the car continues accelerating at a very high rate. The figures are (for the 2005 Renault
R25):
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Deceleration
The carbon brakes in combination with the aerodynamics produces truly remarkable braking forces. The deceleration force under braking is usually 4 g (40 m/s²), and can be as high as 5 g when braking from extreme speeds, for instance at the Gilles Villenueve circuit. Here the aerodynamic drag actually helps, and can contribute as much as 1.0 g of braking force, which is the equivalent of the brakes on most sports cars. In other words, if the throttle is let go, the F1 car will slow down under drag at the same rate as most sports cars do with braking, at least at speeds above 150 km/h. The drivers also utilise 'engine braking' by downshifting rapidly.
As a result of these high braking forces, an F1 car can come to a complete stop from 300 km/h in less than 4 seconds.
Turning acceleration
As mentioned above, the car can accelerate to 300 km/h very quickly, however the top speeds are not much higher than 330 km/h at most circuits, being highest at Monza (365 km/h in 2004), Indianapolis and Gilles-Villenueve (about 350 km/h at both). This is because the top speeds are sacrificed for the turning speeds. An F1 car is designed principally for high-speed cornering, thus the aerodynamic elements can produce as much as three times the car's weight in downforce, at the expense of drag. In fact, at a speed of just 130 km/h, the downforce equals the weight of the car. As the speed of the car rises, the downforce increases. The turning force at low speeds (below 70 to about 100 km/h) mostly comes from the so-called 'mechanical grip' of the tyres themselves. At such low speeds the car can turn at 2.0 g. At 200 km/h already the turning acceleration is 3.0 g, as evidenced by the famous Turn 8 at the Istanbul Park circuit. This contrasts with the 1.3 g of the Ferrari Enzo, one of the best racing sports cars.
These turning accelerative forces allow an F1 car to corner at amazing speeds, seeming to defy the laws of physics. As an example of the extreme cornering speeds, the Blanchimont and Eau Rouge corners at Spa-Francorchamps are taken flat-out at above 300 km/h, whereas the race-spec GT cars in the ETCC can only do so at 150–160 km/h.
Top Speeds
As of April 2006. the top speeds of Formula 1 cars are a little over 300 km/h at high-downforce tracks such as Albert Park, Australia and Sepang, Malaysia. These speeds are down by some 10 km/h from the 2005 speeds, and 15 km/h from the 2004 speeds, due to the recent performance restrictions (see below). On the low-downforce circuits such as Gilles-Villeneuve(Canada) and Indianapolis (USA), the speeds were 335~350 km/h in 2005, and at Monza (Italy) 365 km/h. However the true top speed in a straight line of a modern Formula 1 car in can be measured when its downforce is modified accordingly for straight-line running. With minimal downforce wing settings, BAR Honda managed to run their FIA race-spec F1 car at 413.205 km/h on 6 Nov, 2005 during a shakedown leading to their 'Bonneville 400' attempt.Recent FIA performance restrictions.
In an effort to reduce speeds and increase driver safety, the FIA has continuously introduced new rules for F1 constructors in the 1990s. These rules have included restrictions on engine computer technology, as well as the introduction of grooved tyres. Yet despite these changes, constructors continue to extract performance gains by increasing power and aerodynamic efficiency. As a result, the pole position speed at many circuits in comparable weather conditions dropped between 1.5 and 3 seconds in 2004 over the prior year's times. In 2006 the engine power was reduced from 950 bhp to 750 bhp (710 to 560 kW) by going from the 3.0 L V10's used for over a decade to 2.4 L V8's. This is carried over into 2006 the aerodynamic restrictions introduced in 2005 meant to reduce downforce by about 30%. However most teams were able to successfully reduce this to a mere 5 to 10% downforce loss.
Steering Wheel, Brakes, Driver’s Seat and Tyres
Formula 1 is a highly complex sport, where many elements of man and machine combine to strive for peak performance. But what is the story behind these details?
Even to the least technically-minded observer, the main role of the steering wheel is obvious – it is the outlet for a driver’s split-second reactions, a high-tech paint brush for a Formula 1 artist. But there is much more to the steering wheel’s function than simply changing direction.
Unlike a road car, which has a dashboard dotted with switches and levers, a Formula 1 car has only the steering wheel, so any option the driver needs to use while at the wheel must, literally, be at the touch of a button.
Dieter explains: “The steering wheel is a very important element of a car. Basically the steering wheel, apart from brake and throttle pedals, is everything the driver needs to control the car. Therefore on the front we have a lot of switches which the driver is using while he is driving, for example the pit speed limiter, or he can influence the traction control.
“But this is not everything because on the other side we have levers which the driver is operating to shift gears and as well the clutch because we don’t have a foot-operated clutch pedal in the car.”
With drivers using it to change gear up to 3,000 times a race, negotiate every turn of a 300km race, as well as change car settings, communicate with their team on the radio, and even operate their drinking system the steering wheel is a vital piece of equipment. Unlike a road car, which has a dashboard dotted with switches and levers, a Formula 1 car has only the steering wheel, so any option the driver needs to use while at the wheel must, literally, be at the touch of a button.
Dieter explains: “The steering wheel is a very important element of a car. Basically the steering wheel, apart from brake and throttle pedals, is everything the driver needs to control the car. Therefore on the front we have a lot of switches which the driver is using while he is driving, for example the pit speed limiter, or he can influence the traction control.
“But this is not everything because on the other side we have levers which the driver is operating to shift gears and as well the clutch because we don’t have a foot-operated clutch pedal in the car.”Cockpit
With all that high-speed action to deal with, a driver needs to be sitting comfortably, especially given the fearsome forces exerted on their bodies by the fastest racing cars in the world. For that reason, Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli have seats custom made to exactly fit the shape of their bodies, as Dieter explains: “The driver’s seat is made onto the driver so it is the perfect shape in order to give him the best stability while he is driving. He has to be able to cope with an enormous amount of force when he is accelerating, braking or cornering.”
Under such extremes, even the most minor discomfort is amplified and can become a real problem, affecting a driver’s concentration and, ultimately, his wellbeing, so Panasonic Toyota Racing leaves nothing to chance and ensures a perfect fit for its drivers.
As well as comfort, safety is of critical importance and the driver’s seat is enclosed in a carbon fibre monocoque – an extremely strong safety cell which protects the driver in case of an accident by absorbing an impact. Dieter adds: “It is very important to highlight to use of carbon fibre because this has increased the level of safety for the driver over the last 20 years so it is now very high.”
Brakes
With impressive acceleration and the ability to hit 160kmph in under six seconds, a Formula 1 car needs some serious stopping power, delivered by high-performance carbon brakes which, from that speed, can bring the car back to a stop in six seconds.
This is possible only by using carbon brakes, which have an operating temperature, on average, of 650°C and can get as hot as 900°C.
“The brakes are one of the elements which offer the biggest difference between a Formula 1 car and road car,” Dieter says. “It starts with the material. We are using exclusively carbon brakes which offer very, very good performance in braking but carbon is a very sensitive material.
“The carbon brakes only work in the right temperature window - if you are below 300°C there is almost no braking at all so it is important to heat up the brakes. On the other hand it is important not to have the temperature too high. This is why we have big cooling ducts on all four brakes. In this way the temperature is controlled and we have the optimum brake temperature for the optimum braking performance.”This is possible only by using carbon brakes, which have an operating temperature, on average, of 650°C and can get as hot as 900°C.
“The brakes are one of the elements which offer the biggest difference between a Formula 1 car and road car,” Dieter says. “It starts with the material. We are using exclusively carbon brakes which offer very, very good performance in braking but carbon is a very sensitive material.
Tyres
Brakes are a crucial factor but, as with everything on a Formula 1 car, performance has to be transferred to the race track, and this is where tyres come in. As well as the two compounds of dry-weather tyres at each weekend, the softer of which is marked by a white line in one of the grooves, all teams also have wet and extreme wet tyres in case of rain.All the energy produced by a Formula 1 car is transmitted to the track through a small contact patch on each of the four tyres, making grip levels and tyre wear rates critical to overall performance.
In 2007, Panasonic Toyota Racing is using Bridgestone Potenza tyres for the second successive season, but the overall situation changed from 2006, as Dieter explains: “This season is the first year since 2000 that everyone is using Bridgestone tyres exclusively and we have a total of four different compounds available over the season, two for every race weekend.
“The different compounds give different grip levels but what is similar is the working temperature. All the tyres work best on average at around 80°C, this is when they offer their best grip to the car. What we need to determine is what compound to use in which conditions, therefore we have four compounds available.
“If you have a surface with a very abrasive surface, for example Barcelona, it is difficult for the tyres so you would use a hard compound. On other circuits which are not so demanding, for example Monaco, you would use the softer compound.”As with everything In Formula 1, it is these details which combine to produce the ultimate performance.
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Exploded view of a F1 car
- 1.Tyre rim
- 2.Wheel nut
- 3.Brake pads
- 4.Brake disc
- 5.Brake caliper
- 6.Upright
- 7.Brake duct
- 8.Front lower wishbone
- 9.Front upper wishbone
- 10.Front pushrod
- 11.Front track rod
- 12.Side damper
- 13.Fairing
- 14.Front wing end plate
- 15.Front wing main plane
- 16.Front wing flap
- 17.Nose cone
- 18.Steering housing
- 19.Front 3rd element
- 20.Headrest
- 21.Steering wheel
- 22.Bullwinkle
- 23.Main turning vane
- 24.Forward turning vane
- 25.Seat
- 26.Pedals
- 27.Airhorn
- 28.Cooler
- 29.Cooler duct
- 30.Engine heat shield
- 31.Engine
- 32.Wheel nut
- 33.Brake pads
- 34.Brake disc
- 35.Brake duct
- 36.Brake caliper
- 37.Drive shaft/upright
- 38.Rear lower wishbone
- 39.Rear upper wishbone
- 40.Rear pushrod
- 41.Rear toe link
- 42.Gearbox
- 43.Rear crasher
- 44.Rain light
- 45.Rear lower main plane
- 46.Rear upper wing
- 47.Rear wing end plate
- 48.Sidepod
- 49.Mirror
- 50.Monocoque
- 51.Engine cover
- 52.Batman
- 53.Earwing
- 54.Top exit
- 55.Floor
- 56.Diffusor
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