Why do I love F1?

A lot of friends ask me that. In words of one, "whats so great about watching cars run around the same track 70 times wasting precious fuel"
Now how do i explain to her, that a modern Formula One car is a technical masterpiece and has almost as much in common with a jet fighter as it does with an ordinary road car....that what we see on the track is the latest in automotive technology...most of which will soon find its way into ordinary road cars.

Every year FIA modifies rules to try and cut down speed, and every year the cars keep getting faster (this year has been an exception because of the single tyre regulation). Its like a challenge between the engineers of various teams on who can come up with a more ingenious idea to get that few km/hr extra. I can only imagine the thrill these lucky few people get.

Imagine aerodynamics capable of developing 3.5 g lateral cornering force (three and a half times its own weight) . That means that, theoretically, at high speeds they could drive upside down!!(Race car wings operate on exactly the same principle as aircraft wings, only in reverse.)
Imagine brakes that can bring you to a halt from 200 km/hr within 55 metres, all within 1.9 seconds.
Tyres (cause of all the trouble in the US grand prix) with an underlying nylon and polyester structure in a complicated weave pattern are designed to withstand far larger forces than road car tyres - typically with a lifespan of about 200 kms. All racing tyres work best at relatively high temperatures, Formula One dry 'grooved' tyres are typically designed to function at between 90 degrees Celsius and 110 degrees Celsius. To ensure that the tyre pressure stays as constant as possible during these changes in temperature a special mixture of low density gases is used to inflate them rather than air.

The engine, at the heart of the formula 1 car is a marvel in itself. A 3000 cc engine that produces over 800 Bhp, most road cars prduce about 100 Bhp using a 2000 cc engine. Revving to over 18,000 RPM a modern Formula One engine will consume a phenomenal 650 litres of air every second (causes the slipstream effect) and go from a standing start to 200km/hr in about 5 seconds. 5 seconds!! There in lies the answer to the question...its the science behind the formula 1 race car that I enjoy so much and this is why I have been a fan for about 12 years now:) .

Thumbs Down @ FIA...

Fans await with bated breath as the cars line up at the starting grid. A promising race is ahead of them. The cars slowly gather pace as they do a warmup lap around the circuit cheered on by a crowd of 130,000.
As the parade lap is coming to a close, most of the cars start moving towards the pits. Only six of the twenty cars line up for the start of the race.

This is what happened in the ridiculous US grand prix last night. A farcical event in which 70% of the cars didn't even bother to compete.
The cause of all the drama was the tyre supplied by Michelin which was unable to take the stress of the banked curve (turn 13) and was the cause of a major accident during Friday's free practice.
Their statement acknowledged the flaw:
Given the combination of oval exit speed of the F1 cars and the subsequent down forces experienced by the tyres, Michelin is not able to guarantee that such incidents would not reoccur during race conditions, and therefore Michelin is not able to guarantee the total safety of the drivers.


The problems were not insurmountable and a little compromise and understanding would have saved the day for the race fans of America and fans like me around the world. But the arrogant governing body showed utter disregard for the spectators and ruined the weekend for 130,000 fans all of whom had payed atleast US$100 to come to the event.
All sport governing bodies are so preoccupied with their own selfish concerns that interest of the spectator and the sport itself is lost on them. What is a sport without the adoring fans? I wonder why the officials forget this? Is it because they themseleves are no longer fans of the sports but mere officials?

Whatever be the case, yesterday's race marked a new low in the history of Formula 1 and raises new questions w.r.t the level of commitment of the officials running different sports.