F-1 Driver's License
Just like driving on the road, F-1 requires a driver's license. It's a special license issued by the FIA: the "FIA super licence", which is only issued to drivers who have excelled in the F-3000, F-3 or CART series. It usually takes a driver 8 years to progress from karting to F-1, but very few people have the ability and opportunity to reach the top of the racing pyramid. "
F-1 Race Schedule
The F-1 race schedule is divided into three days, including: Friday 11-12am and 1-2pm free practice (no results); Saturday 9:00-9:45am and 10:15-11:00am free practice (no results); Saturday 1:00-2:00pm qualifying; and Saturday 1:00-2:00pm time trial (Qualifying). Qualifying on Saturday from 1:00-2:00 p.m.; Warm Up on Sunday from 9:30-10:00 a.m.; and The Grand Prix at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. To get a place on the starting line on the day of the Grand Prix, you must go through a time trial qualifying session, in which each driver is allowed to run a maximum of 12 laps on a maximum of 7 sets of tires in a one-hour time trial, and the fastest lap will be compared to determine the order of the starting grid for the Grand Prix. The driver with the fastest lap time will be given the top position, called P.P. (Pole Position), which is also known as "pole position". On tracks where the road surface is narrow and overtaking is difficult, the grid order will have a direct impact on the outcome of the race. If a driver's fastest lap time in a time trial is slower than 107% of the lap time of the fastest driver in the same race, he will not be able to take part in the final, so as not to jeopardize the safety of the other drivers in the race. There is a warm-up lap before the final, and then a 30-second countdown before the start, controlled by a set of 5 lights, with the race starting when all 5 red lights go out at the same time. The duration of the race is limited to 300 kilometers (Monte Carlo is an exception) or 2 hours, and the race is over if the race is completed first. The longest and shortest courses were 310.352 kilometers in Japan and 262.626 kilometers in Monaco.
Pit Stop
During a final race, depending on tire wear and fuel consumption, you must enter the Pit Lane for a tire change and refueling, known as a Pit Stop. 21 people are needed to complete a Pit Stop, which usually takes between 6 and 12 seconds to refuel the car and change the tire. At today's F-1 team level, a team can change a tire and fill up a 60-liter tank in less than seven seconds.
F-1 Championships
There are two types of championships in F-1, the Drivers' Championship and the Teams' Championship. In the eyes of many F1 experts, the team championship is worth more than the driver championship. The scoring is based on a points system, and both drivers and teams accumulate points, with the top six finishers and their teams receiving 10,6,4,3,2,1 points in that order. If the race is stopped before 75% of the race has been completed, the points must be multiplied by 1/2.
The amazing performance of the F-1 cars
In addition to the driver's considerations, the most realistic condition for winning in Formula 1 is to have a good car. Currently, the FIA stipulates that the engine used in F-1 cars must not exceed 3 liters (3,000 cc), the number of cylinders must not exceed 10 cylinders, and the maximum number of valves per cylinder is 5 valves. Previously, the FIA limit was 12 cylinders, but all 11 teams were using V10 engines, and in order to keep up with this trend, the race committee has specially redone this new rule. the benefits of V10 engines are light weight and stable power output, and of course, lower fuel consumption than V12 is also an important key. A race engine consists of about 6,000 parts, costs more than $130,000, and must be replaced after every race. The current F-1 race engine produces more than 800 horsepower and has a safe speed of 16,000 rpm. The fuel used is also based on unleaded gasoline, and at full throttle, an F-1 engine consumes 60-70 liters of gasoline per hour. The transmission must not be a fully automatic system, the number of files is limited to between four and seven, and there must be a reverse gear. Currently, the semi-automatic seven-file transmission system, which is currently the choice of the major teams, is operated by the driver using a lever on the steering wheel when shifting gears; there is no limit on other things such as horsepower, torque number of RPM domains, and so on.
The F-1 car weight regulations, including people with the car and the total weight of the fuel should not be less than 600 kilograms, to output about 800 horsepower, horsepower to weight ratio of about 1:0.75, 800 horsepower only need to carry the weight of 600 kilograms, a horsepower only need to burden 0.75 kilograms, running up quite terrible. Typically, the F-1 accelerates from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 2.3 seconds, and accelerates from 0 to 200 mph and decelerates to 0 in just 12 seconds. Speeds above 300 kilometers per hour are a breeze for the F-1, and F-1 cars can reach a top speed of 350 kilometers per hour at some high-speed tracks like Hockenheim and Monza. With such a lightweight car running at such high speeds, one can only imagine how demanding the aerodynamics of the bodywork are. The large rear wing and front nose provide the necessary downforce to increase cornering speed and stability at high speeds. The brake discs are made of carbon fiber, and the ultra-high-performance braking system allows the F-1 to brake to a stop from 240 km/h in 2.5 seconds, a distance of only 80 meters.
About F-1 Tires
After Good Year withdrew from the F-1 in 1998, all F-1 cars now use Bridgestone tires, but Michelin will be joining the ranks of F-1 tire suppliers in 2001. in 1998, the FIA mandated that grooved tires be used in place of bald tires to reduce average race speeds, and in 1999, the FIA mandated that grooved tires be used in place of bald tires. In 1998, the FIA replaced bald tires with grooved tires to reduce average race speeds, and in 1999, the number of grooves on the front wheels was increased from three to four. Although the drivers constantly complained about the loss of grip and the increased danger, the teams continued to develop solutions.
Driver's physical
With the aerodynamics and tires, the F-1 car's cornering ability is as high as 4 Gs. Therefore, the driver of the F-1 has to be the strongest athlete in the world, and usually the driver has to change gears 2500 times in a race, or once every 2 seconds on average, and the driver's attention has to be highly concentrated on the 4 Gs during the corners. The body may still be secured by a seatbelt, but the head needs strong neck muscles to support it. In a race, the driver will be dehydrated by 3.5 to 4 kilograms, and if he were an ordinary person, he would have already gone into shock; all these are great challenges to the driver's physical ability. It takes as much energy to race an F-1 as it does to play a World Cup soccer match or an NBA basketball game.
The importance of teamwork
Unlike other sports, the glory of the racing arena is never encompassed by the driver alone, but is the result of teamwork between the driver and the team as a whole, but it's not to say that the quality of the driver won't have a bearing on the result. In addition to their talent and experience in racing, their success is due to their continuous hard work.
Michael Schumacher, the current F-1 champion, once said, "Everyone says I'm a genius driver, but if I have three percent talent, the other 97 percent is where my confidence comes from."
The first car races were held on city streets or inter-city highways, and were not well organized in terms of rules, which both limited the speed of the cars and threatened the safety of spectators and pedestrians. To improve the conditions for car racing, permanent circuits gradually appeared. Nowadays, F--1 competitions are held at dedicated racing circuits according to certain rules.
I. Principle Rules
Considering the need for fair competition and safety, the FIA has formulated the following three principle rules:
○1 As far as possible to enable participants to race in the same conditions, the same level of potential and athleticism, in order to maximize the possibility of the level of competition and sports. Based on this principle, the cylinder displacement, fuel type, tire size, racing weight, and racing dimensions of the cars are specified in detail. The installation of an aerodynamic device is also specified, as this device has downforce on the tires and can increase the speed of the car.
○2 Ensure that the maximum possible safety measures are provided to prevent accidents. This principle includes the limitation of the basic structure of the car; the limitation of devices such as military aviation tires, safety-type rubber fuel tanks, fuel retardants, safety helmets, etc.; the limitation of the location of the fuel depot and the location of the fuel placed in the pits and the adoption of special protective measures; the access to and from the cockpit of the driver, as well as the size of the cockpit, must also be limited.
○3 Limitations on expenses and a ban on increasing the number of races in order to prevent a heavy financial burden on individuals and teams. According to this principle, the engine is limited to no more than 12 cylinders and should be round in appearance, and must also be four-stroke interchangeable and naturally aspirated; limited to four wheels, two of which can be driven. Limit the number of races to 16 per year.
Second, F-1 race track
F-1 car race must be carried out in the dedicated race track, the length and width of the dedicated race track, road conditions, safety measures and so on have extremely strict requirements. Generally speaking, the special circuit is a ring, each lap is 3-7 kilometers long, the total length of the track can not be too long, 305-320 kilometers. For safety reasons, both sides of the track are generally paved with wide grass or sand, in order to separate the spectators from the track. Nowadays, among the official race tracks, the Morocco track is the shortest (3.328 kilometers), and the Spa track in Belgium is the longest (6.94 kilometers). The FIA stipulates that the track is not allowed to have too many excessively long straights in order to limit high speeds and avoid danger. In general, the following equipment is essential for a standard F-1 circuit:
Track - 7 to 11 meters wide and 3.0 to 7.0 kilometers long. Numerous corners are necessary to avoid excessive speeds.
Start and Finish Straight - 12 meters wide and 250 meters long. It is possible to place two cars side by side without overcrowding.
Grandstands - need to be separated from the track by a wire fence and 1.2 meter high rails.
Camera and TV tower - for the TV broadcast.
Large screen TV - to be placed opposite the grandstands, so that spectators in the grandstands can easily understand all the races.
Safety Personnel Observatory - located in a relatively dangerous area for safety personnel to keep the track clear, deal with accidents, signal drivers of potential danger, etc.
The Safety Personnel Observatory - located in a relatively dangerous area for safety personnel to keep the track clear, deal with accidents, signal drivers of potential danger, etc.
Helicopters - ready to provide emergency care to injured riders.
Medical Station - a protected location next to the Pit Stop with an operating room and first aid room.
Pit stops - one per team - are permanent facilities.
Sponsor Reception Grandstand - located on a raised platform overlooking the repair station at the rear of the repair station.
Paddock - for parking of transportation and camping vehicles.
Race Control Tower - Located on the second level of the overall control tower overlooking the entrance to the repair station, where the marshals control the race by communicating with the safety personnel via radio devices.
Most of the F-1 race courses are located in Europe. Between 1950 and 1995, 580 F-1 races*** were conducted, of which the number of times they were held in the five continents were as follows: 407 times in Europe (accounting for 70%); 125 times in the Americas (accounting for 22%); 24 times in Africa (accounting for 4%); 13 times in Asia (accounting for 2%); and 11 times in the Oceanic States (accounting for 2%). In Europe, the circuits that hosted the most F-1 races were Monza, Italy, 45 times; Monaco, 42 times; Zandvoort, Netherlands, 30 times; Spa, Belgium, 30 times; Silverstone, England, 29 times; and Nuremberg, Germany, 24 times.
Three Qualifying and Final
The official race is divided into two stages: timed qualifying and the final.
Only 26 cars can take part in the final of each race. If there are more than 26 entries, a pre-final will be held for the drivers with poor results in the past, and the top 4 will be taken out and grouped together with the 26 cars from the previous race for the time trial qualifying, and the final 26 cars will be determined to take part in the final. Timed qualifying is arranged two days before the final, through the 60-minute sports car, respectively, counted the time used by each car to run the fastest lap, the car with the smallest time in the final will be placed in the front of the track (if the first corner of the track is a right turn, the first car will be placed on the right; otherwise, it will be located on the left), and others in order and so on. If two or more cars have the same fastest lap time, the first driver to finish the time trial will take precedence. The position of the cars on the track is very important, and the driver at the front of the grid will have the advantage of taking the first turn (with priority to the inside). On the final day, drivers will have 23 laps of free practice (9:30~10:15am and 10:30~11:15am) to check the working condition of all parts of the car. Half an hour before the race, all cars must be in the grid position (two cars in a row, each row 25 feet - 7.6 meters apart), the countdown begins five minutes before the start, and when the last minute is left, the engine starts. As soon as the green flag appears, the cars start for the final warm-up lap, but no overtaking or changing of cars is allowed in the middle of the lap (they can be changed during practice sessions). After one lap, the cars remain in the same order, waiting for the showdown to begin. A few seconds later, the signal is given and the final race begins, with the cars charging forward like wild horses. Tires can be changed during the race, and the car can be repaired in the pit if it breaks down, but it takes up the race time. Therefore, when a driver realizes that his car has broken down, he has to notify the pit stops in advance with his communication device to get ready for the race. If a car stops at the track due to a breakdown, it will be pushed away by the track crew (not the team pit crew) and will be disqualified from the race as a result. Generally, F-1 races are run even on rainy days. If it rains really hard, the race organizers may also suspend or cancel the race for safety reasons. The greatest danger of racing in the rain does not come from the driver's ability to control the car, but rather from the fact that the spray thrown up by the wide tires reduces the visibility of the field considerably. For this reason, a red signal light must be mounted on the rear of the car and remain on throughout the race. The rules on whether refueling is permitted during a race have varied from time to time, with no rules at first, and then in 1986, to prevent drivers from adding mass to a car that may be too light to increase tire adhesion to the ground near the end of a race, refueling during a race was not permitted. However, this rule was unanimously opposed by the participating teams, coupled with the fact that sometimes due to rain and other reasons and have to reduce the speed of the car, etc., often before the end of the race, the fuel tank in the fuel consumption, so that the organizers often need to be forced to suspend the race in the middle of the race, adding a lot of trouble. 1994, January 1, approved by the FIA, the revised new rules to allow the car refueling in the middle of the race.
Four Pit Stops
In order to keep the race running smoothly and to win, every F-1 team must have a race car pit crew made up of highly qualified personnel. Because the cars are allowed to change tires and refuel midway through the race, this means that the pit crews must work flawlessly together, not just to minimize the loss of time, but more importantly to minimize the deadly danger associated with it - just one drop of gasoline on a hot exhaust pipe and the car is in great danger of suffering a misfire.
In the pits, the engine technician has three computer screens at his disposal; the first displays the engine's performance data; the second shows the race in its entirety; and the third shows where the car is on each lap and how long it has taken.
Any team pit stop needs at least 17 mechanics: three to remove and replace each wheel (one to remove and tighten the nuts, one to remove the old tires, and one to replace them with new ones); two to operate the front and rear quick jacks; two to refuel the tanks; and a chief mechanic with a command sign. To these 17 mechanics are sometimes added a refueling assistant, an engine technician, and 2 mechanics who are responsible for wiping down the driver's visor and removing paper or debris from the side compartment air intakes, respectively, in order to keep the radiators working at their best.
When a car breaks down during a race, the driver first uses his radio to contact the chief mechanic in the pits to request a pit stop. After receiving the chief mechanic's message that the pit is ready, the driver drives to the pit and stops right in front of the quick jacks. The moment the car comes to a stop, the Chief Mechanic holds a long handled circular sign in front of the driver, telling him to keep the brake pedal pressed (Brakes on). The two men manning the front and rear jacks move together to lift the car off the ground. Once the car is jacked up, the 12 men split into three groups and run to the four wheels, using efficient pneumatic tools to quickly remove the old tires and replace them with new ones. The two mechanics in charge of refueling injected the pressurized gasoline into the fuel tank at a speed of 9 liters per second. Due to the high level of training and skill, a successful tire change can take as little as 6 to 8 seconds (5.11 seconds for Senna at McLaren during the 1993 British Grand Prix; 8.02 seconds for Prost at Williams). Generally speaking, the length of time a car spends in the pits depends on the refueling time, as the refueling speed has been compressed almost to the limit. Once the refueling was complete, the chief mechanic flipped the long-handled circular sign he had been holding to the GO side, the driver released the brake pedal, and the car re-entered the hotly-contested track like an arrow out of a string.
As almost every part of a high-speed race car (especially the engine exhaust, wheels, tires, calipers, etc.) is at a very high temperature, the mechanic will be burned if he is not careful in the maintenance process. In order to avoid this phenomenon, in addition to the requirement that the mechanic should be very careful when repairing, tire changing mechanics must also wear plush gloves. In addition, to prevent accidental fires, mechanics wear fireproof jumpers and helmets.
Five Race Flags
In order to effectively direct the drivers and prevent accidents as much as possible, the F-1 race uses the waving of various colored flags as a command signal. The waving flags not only enable the drivers to see from a distance and draw attention in advance, but also enable the audience to understand everything that happens during the race. Command flags are rectangular in shape and are held by the judges at each part of the track. The specific meanings of the various flags are as follows:
Green Flag: Presented at the start of the race, it indicates the start of the warm-up lap race;
Yellow Flag is presented to indicate that the danger has been eliminated, and everything is back to normal on the track, and the race can be carried out as normal.
Yellow and red stripes stationary flag: indicates that there is water or oil on the road, the car is easy to skid, you should be careful driving.
Yellow and red waving flags: warning drivers that the road is slippery and they should be extra careful.
White flag: indicates that there is a race-appointed vehicle or a slow-moving car on the track, reminding drivers to avoid such vehicles to avoid danger.
Yellow Stationary Flag: Indicates danger ahead and drivers should slow down.
Yellow waving flag: indicates that there is danger ahead and the driver should slow down, and overtaking at this time is regarded as a foul; if the driver sees the referee waving the yellow flag again in the same place, he should slow down and be ready to stop.
Blue stationary flag: indicates that there are other cars following the car, the driver should be alert, but do not have to avoid.
Blue waving flag: indicates that the following car is ready to overtake at high speed, drivers should pay attention to safety, but can still follow the original route and speed, no need to avoid.
Black and white diagonal flags: Indicates the first warning of a driver's lack of sportsmanship; if the driver ignores the warning, the black and white flags will be used to disqualify him from the race.
Black flag used in combination with a white numbered flag: the number of the white flag indicates that the car with that numbered number has been disqualified from the race and the driver must enter the pits on the next lap and report to the Organizing Committee of the Competition.
Red Flag: Normally not waved. Once this flag is waved, it means that the race is suspended or ended early. The reason for the suspension may be manifold, but it is not stopped by a successful completion of the race as originally required.
Black and white checkered flags: indicate a successful conclusion of the race. During the race, drivers may protest to the Organizing Committee against the referee's decision, or they may memorize the car number of the offending car and reflect it to the Referee Committee. Within the stipulated time after the race, if anyone protests, the referee committee will investigate according to the relevant regulations to set the record straight; if no one protests, the race results will be officially recognized.