Learn Formula One: Part 1

Formula One is a complex spectator sport and it can be bewildering for someone to try to get into it and enjoy it immediately. This article is an attempt to try and just ease you into the wonderful and colourful world of Grand Prix racing. In subsequent articles other more complex aspects will be explained. The intention is that you would read this, take on what's here and then hopefully get more out of watching racing when next you do.

Qualifying

All drivers must qualify for the race on Sunday and this session is held on the Saturday before the race. Qualifying in Formula One is split into 3 parts. The first part is ran for 20 minutes and at the end of the session all but the cars from 16th place backward get to continue into the second session. Those drivers in 16th position and worse, know their grid slot already. Those positions don't change. In the second qualifying session the order from 15th position forwards are nulled and the competition begins anew. 15 minutes later, the cars in 11th to 15th position are settled and withdrawn from the track and a final  session, which is only 10 minutes long begins. In the third and final session 10 drivers competing must decide fuel strategy for the race. The qualifying sessions are complete with this final session's end. It's a complicated system at first but bear in mind that the Formula One fans of old have also had to adapt to it, it's not too difficult to follow. Watching these sessions will assure you that the system is simpler to watch than explain. It is not unusual to see drivers in 11th position  possessing a faster overall time than a top 10 placed car. This time was not set with race fuel strategy onboard and must have been beaten by the cars in the top 10 shoot out anyway.

Race

Formula One races are known as Grands Prix and are ran depending on the circuit between 58 and 78 laps which take roughly around 1 hour and 40 minutes each. The rules of Formula One currently stipulate that a race distance must be reached within 2 hours. Usually this is met easily unless a particularly long period has been spent behind the Safety Car or exceptionally bad weather has intervened. The race runs usually at 12pm local time with fly-away races being run marginally earlier or later depending on the time difference in Europe. The cars are setup on the Grid and prepared. Drivers and engineers are all present. At 3 minutes before the race start, the engineers must be making the final preparations and the drivers in the car. Cars will do a single parade lap at low speed to check out the car and track conditions and to warm tyres and brakes which will simply not work on a Formula One car unless they are operating at top temperature which on some components is toward 400C. The cars drive around the circuit in grid order with the Pole Position man being the fastest leading the field around. They line back up on their staggered grid slots back at the start finish straight and wait usually for around 30 seconds. All cars must be stationary before the automatic five red light sequence begins. When all the lights go out the race has begun.

Cars

Formula One cars may appear very similar, this is because they are constructed to tight restrictions and rules and regulations. However, the cars are not the same. Take a closer look at the cars and they are all infinitely different from each other within their confined rules set up. Identical Formula One cars are banned. They are constructed to operate at very high speed therefore their construction is much like a fighter plane but the wings are geared to force the cars down to the ground not into the air. Two main wings are attached, at the front on the nose and toward the rear. These are the most distinctive aspects of the cars along with their triangular radiator and air intake set up with one situated atop the car sloping backward and two either side the cockpit and engine cover. From 2008 Formula One cars do not make use of driver aids and electronic gizmos such as Traction and Stability control to prevent wheel spin and ABS braking systems. They all now possess 7 speed gear boxes and run on Bridgestone tyres where there are 3 types and 2 compounds of each available. More tyre information is available later. All Formula One cars must gain FIA approval for crash safety and various other regulations. They are constructed from Carbon Fibre honeycomb compound which is a very strong substance but also very lightweight. Grand Prix cars weight around 600KG with the driver included.

Engines

Formula One engines, and also their gearboxes are required to last the full weekend of four Grands Prix and development of the engines is frozen currently by the FIA meaning no increase in performance is allowed. Currently Formula One engines are limited to 2.4 litre V8 normally aspirated engines with no performance enhancing attachments allowed. Revs are limited to 19,000 RPM and these engines  generate around 600 BHP. The engines are positioned in the middle of the cars where the cars appear to slope backwards in a profile viewpoint. All engines have twin exhausts. A Formula One V8 can accelerate a Grand Prix car to speeds in excess of 200MPH.

Tyres

Currently, Formula One operates only Bridgestone tyres. Formula One tyres since 1998 have four grooves cut into the tyre to reduce contact of the rubber with the tarmac. This does not make any difference to the performance of a car in a straight line but reduces grip in corners. Of the 2 compounds available one is deemed soft and one is deemed hard. Soft tyres are recognisable on TV by a white strip on the tyre groove. These soft tyres in general give up better temperature more quickly and better grip to the harder compound but sacrifice durability. Wear rates are higher on the softer tyres. Hard tyres take longer to come up to temperature but will last much longer. This is a very generalised view of tyres, even drivers and tyre manufacturers do not know the correct formula for tyre choice. At different tracks different compounds work better. The better tyre is referred to as prime with the other compound known as the option tyre. As well as these dry grooved tyres, Bridgestone offer an intermediate tyre which is used usually in light rain or moist conditions and an extreme wet tyre for monsoon conditions. Tyres can be changed in pit stops which can be made by drivers at any point during qualifying and racing provided the pit lane is open.

Overtaking

Overtaking in Formula One is a difficult task yet not impossible as some will have you believe. Because of the construction of some circuits and some corners following and getting close to another car is difficult. The ideal sequence for a successful overtaking maneuver in Formula One is to have a long fast straight or sweeping corner sequence followed by a tight slow corner and a heavy braking zone. Corners where drivers must shave off more than 100mph are excellent areas for a potential overtaking maneuver. Corners in Formula One such as the Adelaide hairpin at Magny-Cours and turn 1 at the Hungaroring are ideal corners. Many of the other corners at the Hungaroring are unsuitable for overtaking in theory. A determined driver can make a pass wherever they want to provided they are adamant they are going to make the pass. Aerodynamic effects are also part of the overtaking equation. The 1 second barrier will be mentioned during races. This is the distance where the air disturbed by travelling over a car in front begins to now be used by the chasing car. This air is dirty and hot and does not work as well on the car behind as it has done with the car ahead. The chasing car loses grip. However, there is a sweet zone behind the car ahead where the air resistance drops thanks to the aerodynamics and a vacuum is created. If a driver positions his car in here a slipstream effect takes over and the driver behind will be catapulted forwards, gaining speed and allowing him to have a go at passing the car in front. Monza is a good example of a place where slipstreaming is abundantly possible. To prevent overtaking, a driver defending his position coming into straights or corners must not weave or jink about the circuit to block off the attacking driver. A single movement to choose a defensive racing line into corners is allowed and then they must fight in this position without swerving.

I hope that this information is a great help to people who do not yet understand Formula One completely. With this information in mind go and try a Grand Prix.