Formula One Auto Racing

Main Menu    F1 Racing    F1 Pictures    F1 GP Drivers    F1 Links

    Formula One Racing is a single seat automobile racing category governed by Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).  The organization, located in Paris, France is the international governing body for much of the worldwide automobile racing.  The vehicles used in Formula One (F1) racing are considered the ultimate form of single-seat racing cars due to the sophistication of construction and ultimate speed.  The FIA sets rules with regards to the aerodynamics, engine, transmission and electrical components of the cars in an attempt to balance performance,  safety, manufacturing costs and sporting spirit.

    The 2001 - 2003 regulations allow for:

• Minimum weight of the car: 605 kg (including fluids *but not racing gasoline* and driver)

• Engine: 3L with up to 4 camshafts, 4 valves per cylinder, V10 , atmospheric engine

• Transmission: min 4 and max 7 forward gears + 1 reverse, fully automatic gearboxes

• Width of the car: 180 cm

• Most commonly used material: carbon fibre

• ALLOWED: Traction Control, Pit-Driver dual radio communication, Car-to-Pit ONLY telemetry data, Launch Control

• FORBIDDEN: ABS Anti-Lock Brakes (since 1994), Active Suspension (since 1994), Supercharging/Turbocharging (since 1989); Pit-to-Car telemetry (since 2003), ground skirts, exotic race fuels, nitrous systems, Four wheel drive, Four wheel Steering, et cetera

    Regulations governing the aerodynamics are very detailed and concern everything from ground clearance to surface area to shape and size.  Hundreds of hours of wind tunnel testing goes into each one of these cars before they are even built.  Additionally engine regulations demand that an engine lasts a certain amount of kilometres (equivalent duration of several Grand Prixs).

    Roughly these pure-bred racecars develop over 900 horses, engines rev at about 19,000 RPM.  They accelerate from 0 to 100 kph (0-60mph) in some 2 seconds and will run from 0 to 160 to 0 kmph (0 to 100 to 0 mph) in less than 6 seconds.  Their top speed is limited by the type of circuits they run on but they still manage 350 kph (220 mph) at places like Monza, Italy.  It is important to realize these cars are not driven on ovals but on circuits with many turns.  On airport runways it is estimated  they would do over 400 kph (250 mph).  These cars are so technologically advanced and so aerodynamically crafted that at speeds above 160 kph (100 mph) they would be able to drive upside down.  The downforce created by their wings/aerofoils (inverted airplane wings: instead of producing "lift", they produce a "downforce") literally sucks these mechanical monsters to the ground.

To put things into perspective:

Road & Track Magazine of March 2001 - Road test for  2000 Jaguar R1 Formula One car

• Horsepower 800 bhp @ 17,500

• 0-60 mph @ 2.7 sec (100 kph)

• 0-100 mph @ 4.2 sec (160 kph)

• 0-160 mph @ 6.2 sec (255 kph)

• 0-180 mph @ 9.4 sec (290 kph)

• Quarter mile run @ 9.4 sec @ 181 mph

• Stopping distance from 60 mph (100 kph) @ 72 ft (22 meters)

• Maximum lateral acceleration on skidpad 4.30g+

• The complete results are available HERE (pdf)

Compare this to your average hot hatch pumping out between 150-200 bhp from a regular 3 liter engine reving at 5,000 rpm (Toyota Camry, Ford Taurus).  The F1 car is almost 5 times more powerful and nearly 3 times lighter.   

Compared to other racing series such as CART or IRL...suffice to say that in 2002, Champ cars and F1 cars ran on the same track for the first time, allowing for direct comparison.   The Champ cars were about 3 seconds per lap slower than the European purebreds.  Well, how about NASCAR.  The Taxi car in Nascar such as the Chevrolet used by Jeff Gordon sports a 5.9 liter V8 making 750 horspower.  It is also 3 times heavier.  

    The rate of technological development in F1 is phenomenal.  The 1994 Ferrari 3.5 liter V-12 engine in the back of Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger was producing about 800 bhp at about 15,000 rpm.  The 2002 Ferrari 3.0 liter V-10 engine in the back of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello had an output of 900+ horses while the BMW engine of Ralf Schumacher and Juan Montoya was reving beyond 19,000 rpm.  The cars from 10 years ago would lap 3 to 5 seconds slower than the current batch.  Oh well...the turbo era in F1 (not discussed here) was even more extravagant: the Renault of Ayrton Senna in qualifying for the 1985 Monaco GP had almost 1,500 bhp from a 2 liter V-6 turbocharged engine.

   Formula One races are held at different venues thruout the world.  The races itself last about 2 hours or an equivalent distance of about 300 km.  Famous racetracks include:

• San Marino GP @ Imola

• British GP @ Silverstone

• European GP @ Nurburgring

• German GP @ Hockenheim

• Canadian GP @ Montreal

• Belgian GP @ Spa Franchorchamps

• Italian GP @ Monza

• United States GP @ Indianapolis

• Japanese GP @ Suzuka

   Formula One is considered to be the ultimate advertisement and proving grounds for automotive technology.  Automobile makers will try to make a name for themselves in this sport either as technological suppliers (engine manufacturers) or building the entire car.  Many other firms and companies see F1 as an ultimate advertisement venue; while cigarette advertisement is still dominant, it is about to be phased out by the year 2007.

Famous Automobile Companies involved in Formula One (present and past)

• Present: Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, Renault, Toyota, Ford, Honda

• Past: Lotus, Lamborghini, Peugeot, Yamaha, Porsche

Famous technological partners or sponsors involved in Formula One

• Marlboro, West, Benson & Hedges, Mild Seven, Camel, Panasonic, Rothmans, Hewlett Packard, Red Bull, Sony, Magnetti-Marelli, Bosch, Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear, Shell, Mobil, Castrol, FedEx, Vodafone, L'Oreal, Becks, etc.

Main Menu    F1 Racing    F1 Pictures    F1 GP Drivers    F1 Links