Formula One Racing: A Combination of Speed and Technology
These cars go fast!
The beginning of formula one racing dates back to 1890s in Europe and since then, the sport has gained popularity the world over with all major countries like Japan, Australia and Canada participating in the event.
The name 'Formula' is derived from the set of rules that the participants are bound to follow. This also includes the rules for the kinds of cars to be driven. The racing championship is determined based on a series of races known as Grand Prix racing.
The racing circuits are built conforming to international standards, yet there are even races that take place in street circuits like the Monaco Grand Prix held in Monte Carlo. The Grand Prix racing results are combined to determine two Formula One Racing champions. There is a championship award for the best racer and even for the best car constructor. Since the game began way back in the 1890s, the sport has undergone various changes to improve the standards with increased safety of the drivers. The cars taking part in the event move at a stunning average speed of 360km/h.
The F1 race has its main objective to produce maximum speed with the best technology with the smallest engines. The Formula rules define a specific size limitation for the engine. This has changed the misconception of gaining better speed with bigger engines. The first car brand to be involved with formula one race was Ford Motor Company. They developed Formula Ford in 1966 which was a single seater. This was an open formula for chassis suppliers. The suppliers are mainly Van Diemen, Mygale and Ray. The current model has a 1.6 litre 'Duratec' engine.
This trend was followed by Renault in 1971 and they devised national Formula Renault Championship in France. They now conduct championships in UK, Italy, Germany and many other countries. They even created a series for the larger V6 powered engine cars. The World Series by Nissan was also developed into World Series by Renault. Formula BMW was developed in 2002. BMW began by developing engines for Formula ADAC championship. They now conduct championships in Germany, UK, US and East Asia.
In a Formula One racing event, every team must run two cars in the racing session with a maximum of four drivers in a season. The drivers must possess a FIA Super License to take part in the Grand Prix event. Since the beginning, 32 drivers have gained the world championship with Michael Schumacher having gained the record for being the champion for the most times. Juan Manuel Fangio comes second in this list with five championships. Jochen Rindt has been another prominent name in GP even after a fatal accident during 1970 Grand Prix event.
The car construction is a major aspect in Formula One race event with the basic model consisting of an open cockpit, single seater, open wheel, mid-engine model. The basic idea is to make the car as light as possible to give the maximum speed. The regulations have set the minimum weight limitation as 640 kg. The rules and regulations that govern formula racing has changed over time with more circuits, races and kart races being added to the event due to its increasing popularity.
