By Edward Smith

Whilst it is certainly true that anyone you can physically fit into the car can drive one, the reality is that Formula One drivers are a special breed. Although they vary in physical size and shape, they all have the following important qualities that allow them to compete at the top level.

Physical Strength and Dexterity

Formula One cars are demanding to drive at the limit. The massive G-forces experienced during cornering and under braking, as well as the incredible heat inside the cockpits, mean that drivers have to be very strong, particularly their neck muscles.

Concentration

Racing drivers are well aware that at 200 mph they cannot hesitate for a split second if they are to avoid crashing. Formula One stars have to maintain complete concentration for almost two hours, which pushes their minds to the limit. They have to look out for changing track conditions, they have to feel the changing characteristics of their cars and they have to look out for warning flags, pit signals and their rivals.

Quick Reaction Times

When you learn to drive a road car one of the first lessons any driving instructor teaches you is to keep a safe distance from the car in front. This distance allows you enough reaction time to get out of trouble if an accident occurs or somebody brakes heavily. Formula One drivers have to throw that rule straight out of the window every time they climb into their cars. In the fight for victory they have to drive right behind their rivals' cars at huge speed, and if it's raining with next to no visibility. If a problem occurs ahead of them -- like a spinning car or a piece of debris on the track -- they have to rely on their super-quick reaction times to get them out of trouble.

Endurance

Being a good Formula One driver is not just about performing at the top of your game over one lap like in qualifying; it's about performing at the top of your game for every single lap of a Grand Prix distance. Most races last about an hour and a half or more and during that time there's no let up -- except perhaps a few seconds to catch your breath during a pit stop or on the pit straight.

Drivers have to cope with the pressure of racing, avoid accidents, keep up to date with team strategy, and be able to endure the bumps, bangs, and the heat over this entire distance. This pressure is so intense that most drivers lose about 3kg of bodyweight through sweat in a normal Grand Prix.

Consistency

Being able to perform consistently at the top of their game without making costly mistakes. If you make a mistake pulling out of a junction in your road car at best you stall the car or, worse, cause an accident. Racing drivers can't afford to make such mistakes and they have to get every single aspect of their job right when they're driving at the limit.

Although modern grand prix cars have semi-automatic gearboxes and computer controls to make stalling a car more difficult, drivers still have to ensure that every time they turn the wheel or step on a pedal, they do so at exactly the right moment. They can't afford to brake 10 metres too late or hit the accelerator pedal when they were meant to hit the brakes. The result may not just be a harmless spin; it could be a crash that puts them out of the race or even costs them the World Championship. Just as the driver expects the team to never get it wrong when they prepare his car, the team has the same expectations of the driver. If the driver makes a mistake that puts him out of the race he can expect a tough time when he gets back to the pits.

Bravery

Formula One racing is not a sport for the shy or the timid. To race wheel-to-wheel with somebody at almost 200 mph takes incredible bravery -- especially when you understand that one mistake could result in a crash that could injure or even kill them.

By Dirk Gibson

Stock cars versus open wheel racing - racing fans have been divided between these two types of motorsports for years. With the demise of open wheel racing in America, the current debate is primarily between NASCAR and Formula One. So, could any current NASCAR drivers make it in Formula One?

The first thing to understand is driving a stock car and open wheel race car are two completely different things. That isn't to say one is better than the other. They are just two very distinct styles. A Formula One car handles much better and is quicker and faster. A stock car, however, allows you to give other cars a love tap and to draft. A F1 car will break into a million pieces of you tried doing that! Given these differences, it should be apparent that a great stock car driver is not necessarily a great Formula One driver and so on. So, who could pull it off?

Mark Martin - The great grey one may sound like a surprising pick, but he would be an epic F1 driver. He is incredibly smooth and has a great feel for the car. This is absolutely vital in Formula One where you don't lift at all going into turns at 180 mph in the middle of a rain storm. The truly great champions of F1 [Senna, Schumacher] have had great feel for the car and Martin would certainly fall into this category.

Jeff Gordon - At one point in time, Gordon was tempted to switch to F1. He has even driven the cars in exhibitions. That time has come and gone, but he still has the skills to pull it off if he wanted to have a go at a year in open wheel racing. He has great feel for his car and also an innate ability to pass. There is less passing in F1, but the narrow nature of the tracks makes every pass more dramatic and difficult. The great drivers pass with a flair and Gordon has that ability. He would probably be similar to a Kimi Raikkonen, a driver currently with Ferrari.

Tony Stewart - This one should be obvious since Stewart raced in open wheel racing. He would have to shed a few pounds, but who doesn't need to? He has great touch and skill with the cars, often evidenced on the road courses in NASCAR.

One driver that might seem like a good choice would be Kyle Busch. Love him or hate him, Busch is a brilliant stock car driver. He can take an incredibly loose car and charge through the pack to the front. Watching him manhandle a car through the corners is amazing. Alas, F1 cars don't really have these issues. They go from stable to so loose they can't be driven, but not really anywhere in between the extremes. This means Busch's greatest strength would be minimized and so would his results.

On a side note, there is one other person who could end up making a bundle in Formula One some day. It is not a driver, but a crew chief. Winning a formula one race has a lot to do with strategy. Is there any better strategist in NASCAR than Chad Knaus? Now what would happen if you gave him a budget of say $300 million for a year and put him in charge of the Honda team in F1? It probably wouldn't be too long till you had the Japanese equivalent of Jimmie Johnson winning championships.

At the end of the day, talent is talent. Given the right resources and sufficient time, it will be successful whether it is racing Ferraris, Chevrolets or tricycles!

By Mike Selvon

F1 car racing is another name for the Formula 1 car racing circuit. Some people mistake it for Indy one because of the similarity in the looks of the cars. However, this is a different class of sport and the regulations and rules are quite different. The highest class available in open-wheel racing is Formula 1.

This designation was made by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, or FIA. The FIA is the governing body over all types of car racing sports internationally. The term "formula" relates to the qualifications that the FIA has for a driver and an automobile to be allowed to participate in this circuit. There are many rules and regulations.

The Formula One circuit is made up of street car racing, which is referred to as the Grand Prix. One thing that is distinctly different about the Formula 1 racing circuit is that there are two championships at the end of the circuit: one for the automobile constructors and one for the drivers.

A race of this type is generally held on a specially built car race track or on a roadway. The road races are perhaps the most popular of the Formula 1 races; the most widely known being the Monaco Grand Prix.

Formula 1 racing involves vehicles that are modified for optimal performance. The speed that can be obtained in one of these cars can reach 360 mph. On corners, at high speeds, g-force is experienced. The constructors of the cars are members of the car racing team and they must follow a certain set of rules when putting the cars together; however, they are allowed some leeway to modify the aerodynamics, electronics, tires, and suspension to improve performance on the track.

Each of the Formula 1 car racing vehicles is considered to be a single seater. This means that there is no room provided for more than one seat, unlike the stock cars. There are a total of ten teams and twenty drivers each year who compete in the circuit.

The designated engine suppliers for the 2008 season are Toyota, Honda, Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes and Renault. Bridgestone has the contract on the tires for the 2008 racing season. More information about this particular type of sports auto racing can be found at "Formula1".

By Gregg Hall

Formula Drifting is a form of car racing in which the cars are allowed to skid as they are moving. The sport originated in Japan but has become quite popular in other countries, especially in the last few years. For example, since 2004, when the first event was held in the U.S., the race has developed a very large following. In fact, Formula D racing has as many fans as NASCAR racing does.

Subsequently, many tire manufacturers are taking notice and getting more involved in sponsoring Formula D drivers and cars. As a reward for their sponsorship, they get to market their special tires. This article will discuss some of the most popular manufacturers to distribute drifting tires for regular vehicles.

Nitto Tire

Nitto Tire is one of the most popular tire manufacturers to create Formula Drifting tires. They create tires for all kinds of vehicles and driving situations. This includes creating Formula D tires for racing vehicles as well as tires for traditional vehicles., (including cars, trucks and SUVs). Their most popular model is the NT 555 RII.

BF Goodrich Tire

BF Goodrich Tire is a very popular tire manufacturer in the United States. Just like Nitto Tires, BF Goodrich Tires creates tires for all types of vehicles. For racing vehicles the company's drifting tires offer the best support of other brands.

Maxxis Tires

Maxxis Tires is not a tire manufacturer that is as well-known for the average person. This is because the company focuses on making tires just for car racing, whether it's traditional racing or Formula Drifting racing. So, don't look into Maxxis Tires if you need a set of tires for your regular vehicle.

Bridgestone

Bridgestone is the most popular manufacturer for Formula Drifting period. However, it should be noted that the company creates tires for both drift racing as well as other types of motor sports including supercross racing or monster truck racing. Bridgestone also creates tires for personal vehicles.

Other Lesser-Known Manufacturers

Several other lesser-known tire manufacturers also distribute Formula Drifting tires.
Examples of these manufacturers include Dunlop Tires, Cooper Tires, Toyo Tires and Falken Tires. You can find more Formula D tire manufacturers by searching for them on Google or investigating what is said in automobile racing magazines.

In conclusion, the trend of drifting will allow many to have these types of tires on their own cars as well. However, individuals should know that they should not use them to race their cars illegally. Only a professional car racer knows how to race in the safest manner. And even then there are accidents, especially since Formula Drifting requires skidding the car, a practice that is much more dangerous than traditional racing. For the average person, drifting tires will help improve the traction ability of their car, which can help them in making a quick turn that could avoid a potential accident. But this should be the only purpose for Formula Drifting tires designed for personal use.

By Dave Foord

For most people the dream of driving a Formula One car is exactly that, a dream. Well now you can live that dream by driving a real F1 car that raced in the Formula 1 World Championship, with a Formula One Driving Experience.

Tutored by first-rate instructors your day will begin when you arrive at the circuit where you will be served coffee and breakfast. After that it's onto the track where your instructor will drive you for five laps in a Sports Car Familiarisation Session, showing you the racing lines and giving you tips on how to make the most of your driving experience. Following the Familiarisation Session you will then receive a detailed briefing on safety and high-speed driving techniques.

With the safety briefing over it's time to get back on the track with you driving a sports saloon, a professional racing driver by your side, who will analyse your driving technique over ten laps of the circuit. With everything you have learnt it's time to increase the power, so the next car you will get behind the wheel of will be the fantastic Porsche 911 Turbo, once again, with your instructor by your side you will take the Porsche round the circuit for a six mile session. Having driven the Porsche for six miles it's time notch it up a little further with a six mile session in the unbelievable Ferrari 360 Modena. With 400 brake horsepower under your right foot, the Ferrari gives you a glimpse of what you can expect later on in the day.

Using everything you have learnt it's time to go it alone, so the next driving session is behind the wheel of an 1800 cc Zetec Single Seater Racing Car, during this session you will drive ten laps behind a pace car, this allows you to experience the speeds you can achieve and also gives you an insight into the racing lines a professional driver will take, valuable information that you can use when you move to the next session when you will drive in the same car but without a pace car in front of you. So it really is down to you from now on.

After the two Single Seater Sessions it's time for a well earned break where you will be served lunch and you can reflect on the day so far.

With lunch over you will now move up to a Ralt RT30/RT32 Formula 3 car. With 165 brake horsepower and a 0 - 60 mph time of 3.8 seconds, the Formula Three session really gives you a taste of what it's like to drive a real racing car. With no pace car you will take the 150 mph F3 car out for a ten lap session before you move on to the ultimate final driving experience.

Having driven the sports saloon, the Porsche 911 Turbo, the Ferrari 360 Modena, the single seater and the Formula Three racing car, the time has now come to climb into the cockpit of a real Formula 1 car. The next ten miles you drive will be a the wheel of either a 1996 Italian Forte Corsa that was driven by Luca Badoer, the current official Ferrari test driver, or a 1994 Arrows that was driven by Aguri Suzuki. With 600 brake horsepower at your mercy and no pace car in front of you, you can finally realise your dream, driving a REAL Formula One car.

With your driving now over, you will be served afternoon tea and the certificate presentation will take place, but this is by no means the end of your experience as overnight accommodation (including dinner & breakfast) is provided for yourself plus 1 guest, giving you a chance to reflect on the day that you drove a Formula One car.

To take part in a Formula 1 Driving Experience you must have held a full driving licence for a minimum of 36 months.

By Michael Walker

Formula One Racing is, quite simply, the paramount of karting. It is the professional form of the sport in its entirety. Formula One is an international phenomenon, a media conglomerate that rakes in millions and millions of dollars a year from advertising, sponsorship, and broadcast revenues. Professional drivers with millionaire bank accounts race these majestic kart marvels that are unprecedented, flush with technological luxuries - everything from hard to produce lightweight frames that glide the machine to tires with unsurpassed grooving style that exemplify powerful movement on the circuit.

There is no sport that bests epitomizes the term "global sport" like Formula One racing. Many countries serve as active participants in shaping the professional karting scene - for example, Malaysia is a hot spot for racing (Fernando Alonso, a Spanish-born driver under Team Renault recently won a race there) and Italy plays a vital role in designing and manufacturing first class, top-of-the-line karts. Drivers and racing personalities hail from all parts of the word - you have the charismatic and popular Italian Renault boss Flavio Briatore, the handsome young 23 year old racing prodigy in Fernando Alonso who stars in a Renault Megane commercial with his pet pig, and one of the highest earning sports figures in world history in Michael Schumacher. Rivalries are common in Formula One - adding the edge of excitement with every zip of the curve and nitrous boost of the machine.

In order to better become acquainted with Formula One racing, we must understand its organization. Karting goes way beyond pitting 3 2-cycle engine machines against each other on an oval circuit. Formula One is divided into drivers & their respective teams. Under such trademark car companies like Renault, Ferrari, and Toyota - each driver has an assembling cast of staffers consisting of mechanics, engineers, and designers all working towards one goal: to make that speedster faster using all the resources at their disposal. Headed by team bosses that are adept at creating sponsorship opportunities and assembling the best cast for each team, Formula One employs the finest specialists in the business with backgrounds in computer and automobile - even specialists with aerospace experience! High end, (rare technology reserved for space projects) in some instances, create the fastest and most efficient car possible. According to FI rules, racing teams must design, construct, and built their own karts from scratch. The staff is the pride of each individual team - capable and able to win every 57 lap enduro race from Malaysia to Great Britain.

Formula One cars can be summed up in two words: technological marvels. These sleek, low riding gems ripping through laps at speeds topping 200 mph. consist of more than just a chassis, an engine, and four wheels. For starters, the engine is located behind the cockpit as opposed to standard automobiles. They consist of 10 cylinder engines that produce heat which propel the kart forward. Team engineers are always looking into ways to make their engines more powerful. Currently, 1000 bhp (a scale for horsepower) has not been topped - it is up to the teams to produce an engine which would fare well supporting speed as well as support the chassis. And as we know, there is a snug open cockpit for Jarno Trulli to maneuver his machine in.

Construction of Formula One race cars is unprecedented. The first rule of thumb in designing a bonafide piece of framework is to make it weigh as least as possible. Less kart weight correlates to faster speeds. For this reason, team brains use lightweight material that is hard to construct. The minimum weight of a kart must be 600 kg including the driver. This ensures a level playing field, although teams are allowed to keep their money making construction methods a secret from other teams. Team staff is very highly regarded in the Formula One business. Their technological and dynamical know-how of the machines they build is a valuable asset to any team. And like free agents, they are lured and signed by the likes of companies creating a recruiting war for their services. Of course, there are restrictions for creating karts. You cannot add nitro boosts to your machine or use technology that resembles life in the year 3000. Teams are always looking to bend the rules slightly and coming up ways to beat the competition legally.

Professional kart tires have to have optimum characteristics to ensure smooth driving. For one, tires have to have grooving technology built into them. For the novices, grooves are indented lines in tires that allow for it to slow down considerably on turns and to adapt to the track surface. No matter what the technology, kart tires are simply not adept at withstanding the rigors of asphalt, concrete, and dirt. For this reason, Formula One racers are allotted two pit stops during the course of a 57 lap race to change tires. If you've ever watched a Formula One race, team staffers with lightning quick hands have an extremely limited time for which to remove and replace tires in the pit stop - often times not exceeding over 7 seconds! Regulations are placed on tire grooves (a minimum of four) to allow for an even playing field for all racers. Remember enthusiasts, grooves serve more to slow down the kart than to speed it up.

Chassis construction with its illustrious carbon fiber material, tires with indented grooves, team specialists with a knack for speed, and engines which burn heat like calories is the epitome of a Formula One race car. All of these attributes contribute to the performance of the vehicle in racing lap after lap. As a result of all this technology, Formula One cars leave people breathless reaching consistent speeds of 200 mph. on the race track. More impressive is the time needed to go from 0 mph to 100 mph - 5 seconds! Formula One is only moving forward with the advent of new features - like improved horsepower engines, more lightweight materials, new ballasts to add weight to the car, and more. Behind that stylish, mind blowing chassis that pique our interest is that top-class technology that makes Formula One racing so great.

By Kevin M Allen

Are you a racing fan who is looking for something to satisfy your need for speed? Would a big variety of great cars in spectacular condition interest you? Tired of looking at race cars that look like they were spit out of the same mold?

Vintage sports car racing offers you all of that and more. They offer a huge variety, great racing and fantastic scenery. Tracks like Sebring, Laguna Seca and Roebling Road all offer you the opportunity to see these great machines in their environments.

HSR, SVRA and BRIC are just a few of the organizations whom you could follow to a track near you for a glimpse into our automotive racing past. There you will find beautiful cars and driver's who a would be more than happy to chat with you about their love of these cars and racing. You can learn about the history of their car and who may have driven it to glory in the past. No hidden areas where fans aren't allowed, no press passes for access, you get to walk righ up and look as long as you want. A car-lover's paradise to be sure.

From all the formula cars you can think of, Formula Cooper to Formula One, GT cars like Trans-Am Boss Mustangs and Camaros to the awesome GTP and Group C cars that would suck off manhole covers as they passed over them. Cars you can see nowhere else are right there for you to enjoy.

Even if, or especially if, you didn't get to see these cars race when they were new, you really should take the time to explore the vintage sports car racing scene in your area.

By Gavin Birchall

Steeped in history, this world wide recognised brand of watchmaking all began way back in 1860. Still going strong today, with the rather tasteful and quality Tag Formula 1 Watches range, designed for both men and women who are looking for something sporty, has a beautiful look and quality all round features, but is incredibly strong also.

So 150 years ago, a young man went to work on a creation, we now know and love as the infamous Tag Heuer Watch. Worn by very famous and respected professional sports people as-well as sporting events too. Did the founder of Tag Heuer, Mr Edouard Heuer ever think his creation of watches would ever grow to be this huge?

My guess is probably not so, especially for this name to last as major competitor for over 150 years. For me and other Tag Heuer Watch lover`s, this makes owning your very own Tag Watch feel that little bit more special.

I can still remember the feeling that overcame me when receiving my first Tag Formula 1 for the very first time. It was a birthday present and after dropping many hints to family members, that I would love to own a good looking watch, never did I ever dream it would be of such quality and class of a Tag Formula 1.

Since then, my love affair with these watches has never faded. So for me to be able to share my passion with you is a great thing for me, as it also gives you, the reader a chance to find out more about Tag formula 1 Watches and how you can afford to own your own piece of history.

The first overseas venture happened in London, England in 1876 which as we now know today, was a sign of things to come. Since then there have been many great and classic Tag Heuer Watches and this leads us to more recent designs like the Formula 1 watch range.

1949 was the year where motor racing and Tag Heuer began a long lasting relationship, which we now know today is still going strong as you see the famous logo marked on Formula cars and drivers racing suits. Finally the Tag Formula 1 Watches range was born in 1986 and saw a first in combining 2 different materials for maximum strength and durability.

Many famous racing drivers have all worn these and still do today, but even though the designs may have changed over the years, the makers of these watches have never let the standards and quality of the Formula 1 ranges slip. Today the designs are so beautiful and have attention to detail. You feel on some of the watches that you are actually looking into a Formula 1 racing car cockpit.

This is just the sheer brilliance Tag Heuer have, of making you feel this sense of imagination that you own a part of something exciting, like you are a small child again on Christmas day.

Many of the Tag Formula 1 Watches, have a rotating black outer dial, a link stainless steel wrist band, scratch proof watch face and mainly come with stainless steel throughout, which makes these watches extremely tough but lightweight at the same time, for comfortable use.

They are made this way because of the sports orientated design, look and feel. So people are able to wear them all the time, even during all sporting and contact activities. You can feel free to go scuba diving whilst still wearing your Tag formula 1 as they have a great water resistance depth, some of them go up to 600 metres, which is pretty impressive for a watch, as I am sure you will agree.