If you’re new to racing but are planning to watch or attend this year’s Formula 1 Sing Tel Singapore Grand Prix, you may be wondering what Formula 1 racing is all about. Here’s a brief primer so you can understand what’s going on.
Formula 1 refers to the most advanced and most competitive set of rules put forth by the FIA (Federation Internationale de L’Automobile). While there are other formulas, Formula 1 is the most well-known and the Formula 1 World Championship is the most coveted in the racing world. It is given to the driver of the single-seated car who has earned the most points on the F1 circuit. Another world championship is also awarded to the constructors of the winning car.
The F1 circuit is a series of races, scheduled around the globe, known as Grand Prix. These races take place on courses that use public streets. It’s exciting to watch these cars compete at spends up to 360 kmh (220 mph) on public roads, though of course, at those speeds, the crash risk is quite high.
A Grand Prix consists of several practice runs and qualifying races for the main race and thus, generally lasts several days. The qualifying round has three rounds. In each round, drivers make as many laps as they want to get their best time. The slowest drivers and cars are eliminated until 10 cars remain. These cars compete for the pole position in the last period. The pole position is on the inside edge of the course and is awarded to the driver with the best qualifying time, thus giving him a slight advantage at the start of the race.
While to the uninitiated, auto racing is seemingly watching a bunch of cars driving as fast as they can to get to the finish, there really is a lot of strategy involved. Drivers must of course go as fast as possible on the straightaway portions of the course but also maneuver around tight corners without crashing and without losing their position.
“Yeah, but the drivers are just sitting in a car,” you may think. “I do that every day going to work.” That may be true, but you don’t need the quick reflexes to react to ever-changing conditions or the physical strength to forcibly move your car out of harm’s way or into the lead. Formula 1 drivers condition their bodies every bit as much as they fine tune their cars. They also must know their cars and the course better than they know themselves – they can’t stop to think where their gear shifter is.
While the drivers understandably get all the glory for winning a race, there are many others working behind the scenes. Designers and builders must be sure every part of the car, from engine to suspension systems to tires to steering to brakes is in optimum condition for the course and the weather. The pit crew must make all repairs and maintenance operations as quickly as possible, within seconds.
Formula 1 racing is an entirely different kind of sporting event, especially in Singapore, which hosts the only nighttime Grand Prix. Take some time to learn about these fascinating cars and enjoy the excitement in Singapore.
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