If you are a sports enthusiast or car aficionado, you must know about Formula 1 and might even be a fan of the sport. But how well do you know this racing sport?
Below we look through the veins of the sport throughout the years since it started. No doubt, you will be an expert after this read.
What is Formula 1?
Sure, there are many other racing sports, but none comes close to F1. It features the best racing teams, renowned racing champions, the latest racing technology, and the most exciting circuits around the world. F1 is the highest class of single-seat racing.
Formula 1, abbreviated as F1, is a single-seat car racing sport. It is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The Formula One Group owns Formula 1. The name ‘Formula’ represents the regulations and policies that the car must follow.
A typical F1 season has a series of races referred to as the Grand Prix. The name is French for Grand Prizes.
The Grand Prix races are global and take place on public roads and specially designed and built racing circuits. A point system is used to appraise the results of each race. These results determine two annual World Champions – drivers’ and constructors’.
All F1 drivers are required to have Super Licences also issued by the FIA. The races are held on tracks classified as grade 1. In the past, the tracks were graded as A. 1 is the highest grade-rating by FIA. The need for having purpose-built circuits means that most of the events take place in rural environments. Other rounds are still done in city street circuits.
F1 cars have undergone a lot of changes over the years. A significant transformation happened back in 2017, which resulted in F1 cars sporting wider fronts and tyres. This move improved the race cars' ability to achieve peak cornering forces approximately 6.5 lateral G and top speeds nearing 350 km/h.
Last year, FIA limited the peak performance of hybrid engines to 15,000 rpm. F1 cars have electronic support and use different systems for aerodynamics, tyres, and suspension. For the past 12 years, traction control and other driving aids were proscribed in F1 cars.
Although the sport’s history is firmly rooted in Europe, the championships are global. Out of the 21 races in last year’s season, 11 of them happened outside Europe. The sport has had a significant contribution economically due to the jobs it created for many people.
The teams in the competitions have attracted several deep-pocketed sponsors and investors throughout the years. In 2017, for a sum of $8 billion, Liberty Media acquired Delta Topco, which controlled F1. Delta Topco was formerly under CVC Capital Partners.
Development over the Years
Although the plans to start F1 were in motion as the '30s came to an end, they were only realised after WW II.
F1 has always been in pursuit of speed as well as safety since the first world championship in May 1950 at Silverstone. Note that the actual first F1 race had already happened in Pau, a few months before. These non-championship competitions continued until 1983 when they were crossed out mainly because they were unprofitable.
Initially, the engines were positioned in the front part of the car, but that changed. Today, the engine of F1 cars sits at the rear section.
While steel was used for the first cars, it was replaced by aluminium, which carbon fibre would later supersede.
It was no surprise that pre-war automakers, such as Alfa Romeo, Mercedes Benz, and Ferrari largely dominated the F1 races. The key individuals during the starting years were Giuseppe Farina who finished top at the inaugural championship and Juan Fangio who won the drivers’ championship the next year and four consecutive years from 1954. Fangio's success was lauded as he had won with five different automakers.
Of the automakers, only Ferrari has participated in each season. Many others had to drop from the F1 due to cost problems. The first decade witnessed significant losses as 13 drivers died.
With the '50s coming to an end, the British established their dominance in the race. First was Mike Hawthorn’s win in 1958, followed by nine drivers’ championship and ten constructors’ titles between 1962 and 1973. The British team was first to advertise on the body of their cars.
The Brits (Lotus, particularly) were at the forefront in the ground-effect aerodynamic invention as F1 cars became faster. Still, safety was among the major concerns. After the death of Francois Cevert who was preparing for the 1973 US Grand Prix, his teammate Stewart retired. That Grand Prix was supposed to be Stewart's final race.
Two years later, Fittipaldi declined to participate in the Spanish Grand Prix. The event was halted after lap 29 when a race car went off track and killed four spectators.
That year, Ferrari's Niki Lauda – who suffered severe burns a year later - won the first of three drivers’ championships. Before his accident, he had won six of his nine races. In his final race, he was bested by James Hunt.
Lotus made a victorious comeback in 1978 with Mario Andretti winning six out of 16 races. The same year witnessed another loss, the death of Ronnie Peterson, who was Mario's teammate. It was the start of the fall of Lotus.
Alan Jones and Williams teams took the lead in 1980. The ensuing year, Nelson Piquet took the lead by a point in the US Grand Prix. In 1982, there was yet another accident. This time, it involved Didier Pironi who was practising for the German Grand Prix. It marked the end of his F1 racing career.
Piquet won again in 1983. The powerful turbos, which were spotted first in 77, came into action. It was followed by McLaren's dominance, which was ushered by Lauda’s half-point win in '84. Alan Prost and the legendary Ayrton Senna led McLaren to win the drivers’ championship in all but one year for eight years.
In 1988, the team won 15 of 16 races; however, turbos were banned for the next seasons. In the 1990s, the McLaren and Williams teams continued their dominance. McLaren won nine constructors’ and seven drivers’ championships.
Prost retired in 1993, ending the bitter rivalry between him and Senna. A year later, Senna tragically died in a fatal crash at Imola. This would be the last F1 car death, although another F1 driver, Jules Bianchi would die in 2015 from injuries sustained in an F1 race, albeit not instantaneously.
The FIA set several regulations about safety. Between ‘84 and ‘88, few teams took turns at the World Championship lead including McLaren, Williams, Ferrari and Benetton (now Renault). The gap between the small and big teams widened during this period. Most teams would make an entry then disappear. Some people viewed the F1 as a race between technicians and designers rather than drivers.
Michael Schumacher became a household name during this period. He won five consecutive drivers’ and an additional six straight constructors’ championships from 1999 to 2004.
Between then and now, F1 has had some legal issues, questionable sportsmanship and off- and on-the-race-track scandals. Some have led to FIA officials being forced to resign while some drivers have chosen to quit and others going into retirement.
Over time, the F1 car tyres have become thicker. The cars have taken a streamlined body shape with wings for downforce. There has also been advancement in terms of the engine – first turbo which was banned and currently hybrid technology.
The F1 Calendar and Season
The F1 annual season comprises of 21 races held across the globe. Over the years, competitions have been held in Australia, the Middle East, Europe, North America, South East Asia, Far East and South America.
The season starts in March and runs up to November or first week of December lasting nine months.
Each team is given a provision of two cars into every race. Finishing ahead of your teammate is hailed as a preeminent success because out of all competitors, only your teammate has a vehicle able to produce the same performance. The event takes a total of 3 days.
F1 Championships
As mentioned before, there are two complementary championships - the drivers’ and constructors’. The two are distinct. The drivers’ championship is evaluated through a point system at the end of the season.
On the other hand, the constructors’ championship is the combined point tally for the team – both cars it registered.
The points are only awarded to the first ten race finishers.
The F1 Racecar
A typical F1 race car has three main elements. All the other components and systems are attached to these elements. The primary one is the survival cell, also referred to as the tub.
It is the housing for the driver designed to ensure his safety, even in brutal impacts. The engine is rear-positioned at the back of the chassis. The gearbox is connected to the engine. The body, suspension and hydraulics are connected to the central axis.
The engine of the F1 car is commonly known as the power unit because F1 is a hybrid racing season. The internal combustion engine is coupled with two hybrid motor-generators. The modern power unit used in F1 cars is the most powerful engine the sport has witnessed.
To get the feel of a gripping F1 race, you may check out each of the races we’ve featured in our Grand Prix section for 2019. See us again at Carpart.com.au in March for the first round of the 2020 F1 season - the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2020!
Author
Sam O.