By Mike Selvon
Every Formula 1 car race is run with cars that are very high performance and have certain standards set down for them by the FIA, or the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. The FIA sets many rules for every Formula 1 car racing team. There are several reasons for these rules.
First and foremost is the need for safety measures. Also, while some margin of flexibility is given to the team constructors to optimize the automobile for performance, there is also a need for some uniformity in the performance and design of every automobile, from every team.
The Formula 1 cars have a single seat and an open cockpit. The sports auto chassis is made largely from a carbon fiber composite, which allows for strength and stiffness, while still remaining light. The regulations and car guides set down by the FIA state that the combination of automobile and driver cannot exceed 600 kg. This includes the engine and any fluids added to it, such as fuel and water.
All of the vehicles in a Formula 1 car race have one design quality that is the same. Each of them is as nearly aerodynamically perfect as it can get. This is accomplished by adding "wings" or spoilers in strategic places on the body, most commonly on the front and rear.
However, the car racing teams have recently begun adding additional, smaller spoilers to different areas in hopes of improving the overall performance of the vehicle. These cars are very light and could easily flip if a draft were to get under them at the speeds they travel. Because of this, each one of the cars has a body that is designed specifically to sit almost right on the ground.
Each Formula 1 car race has specific tires that the car racing teams are required to use. They are designed for a specific purpose. Prior to 1998, all of the teams were required to use what is called a slick tire. These were tires with no tread at all.
In 1998, the FIA mandated the use of a grooved tire. These tires had four grooves in them and were designed to limit the speed at which the cars could turn. Slick tires are making a comeback though and will be allowed on the F1 car race track again in the 2009 car racing sports season.
Every Formula 1 car race is run with cars that are very high performance and have certain standards set down for them by the FIA, or the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. The FIA sets many rules for every Formula 1 car racing team. There are several reasons for these rules.
First and foremost is the need for safety measures. Also, while some margin of flexibility is given to the team constructors to optimize the automobile for performance, there is also a need for some uniformity in the performance and design of every automobile, from every team.
The Formula 1 cars have a single seat and an open cockpit. The sports auto chassis is made largely from a carbon fiber composite, which allows for strength and stiffness, while still remaining light. The regulations and car guides set down by the FIA state that the combination of automobile and driver cannot exceed 600 kg. This includes the engine and any fluids added to it, such as fuel and water.
All of the vehicles in a Formula 1 car race have one design quality that is the same. Each of them is as nearly aerodynamically perfect as it can get. This is accomplished by adding "wings" or spoilers in strategic places on the body, most commonly on the front and rear.
However, the car racing teams have recently begun adding additional, smaller spoilers to different areas in hopes of improving the overall performance of the vehicle. These cars are very light and could easily flip if a draft were to get under them at the speeds they travel. Because of this, each one of the cars has a body that is designed specifically to sit almost right on the ground.
Each Formula 1 car race has specific tires that the car racing teams are required to use. They are designed for a specific purpose. Prior to 1998, all of the teams were required to use what is called a slick tire. These were tires with no tread at all.
In 1998, the FIA mandated the use of a grooved tire. These tires had four grooves in them and were designed to limit the speed at which the cars could turn. Slick tires are making a comeback though and will be allowed on the F1 car race track again in the 2009 car racing sports season.
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