Questions tagged [formula-1]
For questions relating to the class of open-wheeled auto racing known as Formula 1.
99
questions
3
votes
1answer
65 views
In F1 (or other motorsports), how is a lap time counted?
How is a lap time counted in Formula 1 (or other motorsports)?
Does timing begin when the front, or middle, or back of the car touches the start/finish line?
15
votes
1answer
3k views
What's the (official) motivation for requiring cars to have at least one liter of fuel post-race?
I've read in the news about the rule regarding fuel left
Vettel was disqualified from second place after his car was found to have less than the mandatory one litre of fuel required for post-race ...
2
votes
1answer
85 views
Race Start Procedure when everyone pits on Formation Lap
During the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, after the initial start was red-flagged due to a turn one incident, the field started their second formation lap, with all cars on intermediate-wet tyres.
It ...
0
votes
2answers
537 views
In F1 why does the checkered flag appear when the driver has not finished and is further down in position?
Why does a driver in (say) 13 place have a checkered flag but positions 4-12 have no flag yet?
3
votes
1answer
181 views
What happens after a car finishes an F1 race
After crossing the finishing line in F1, how much further ahead do drivers go? Obviously they can't stop right at the finishing line. Are there any regulations here? How do they exit the track? is ...
-3
votes
1answer
73 views
Which F1 driver was overtaken after swerving towards his team at the pit wall?
Which F1 driver swerved towards his team at the pit wall, causing him to be overtaken? Other things I remember:
He lost the race and his job because of this.
It may have been in a Renault.
It may ...
0
votes
1answer
80 views
Highest rank in last season without retiring?
With Perez almost not having a drive next year after finishing 4th in the Drivers championship, I wonder:
Who are the top 5 of drivers that had the highest rank of the Worlds Driver Championship in ...
1
vote
0answers
49 views
What parts of an F1 car are mandatory per rules?
I really wonder, so if I would be to try to make the simplest, most stripped down but still legal F1 car, what parts are absolutely needed?
I'm gonna guess the halo, safety cell and 4 tires are ...
3
votes
1answer
52 views
Under what circumstances were F1 teams allowed to re-use old chassis built by other teams?
It used to be the case that new F1 teams could re-use outdated chassis designs built by other teams, however I'm confused about the circumstances under which they could do so.
In 1992, Andrea Moda ...
3
votes
2answers
700 views
Is it just me or when driving down the pits, the pit wall will always be on the left?
I think at every track, when you are driving down the pit lane, the pit wall will always be on the left, and the stands on the right.
Am I right on this? If I am, is there a logical reason why it ...
0
votes
0answers
66 views
Is car racing faster our slower at night in general?
Nowadays, many car races happen at night, for instance Bahrain F1 GP tomorrow, the 29th November. There are several factors that differ in such case, like temperature, light outs for drivers.
In ...
2
votes
0answers
67 views
Assymetrical setup in modern F1
Back in the day (60's, 70's and 80's) F1 cars could have assymetrical suspension setups — packers, dumpers, springs, camber, anti-roll bars etc... — which makes sense: in Imola you are mostly turning ...
1
vote
1answer
309 views
How does an F1 driver become slower with age?
I have never understood clearly how an F1 driver loses pace as they grow old, I understand it has to do with instincts & reflexes getting slower but these drivers do have telemetry data, So Seb ...
-1
votes
1answer
73 views
Naive questions about the Engine of a Formula1 Car
I'm not very familiar with engines and how they work. I know what "cc", "hp", "V6", "turbo" and the like mean, but I ignore how their correlation can improve (...
6
votes
1answer
4k views
What decides where you are in the pitlane, and is there an advantage that could be got depending on where you are in the pit lane?
In F1, the teams currently seem to be stacked where Mercedes/ferrari are early in the pitlane, and Williams is at the end.
How is the order of teams decided for the pitlane, and is a position ...
2
votes
0answers
62 views
When was an open face helmet used for the last time in open-wheel car racing?
As for Formula 1, the last time an open face helmet was used was during the 1974 Swedish GP by Leo Kinnunen, and the last time it's been used during an official F1 weekend was at the 1975 Monaco GP by ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the coldest Formula One race ever held?
With the announcement of three new F1 races in Europe during October and early November, there's been a lot of discussion about the potential for those races to be unusually cold - especially the ...
4
votes
2answers
463 views
When 'Lapped cars can overtake' can you unlap yourself more than once?
With Latifi being 5 laps down at the end of the race, I wonder... if a Safety Car came in, and at somepoint 'Lapped cars may overtake' could Latifi have came back his 5 laps or would he unlap himself ...
3
votes
1answer
582 views
Why is the start/finish line halfway down the grid?
In F1, it would be simple enough to have the Start/Finish line (the line where the lap is counted) be the line in front of pole position, but for a weird reason the line is down the grid, somewhere ...
-2
votes
1answer
84 views
F1 Styrian GP 2020 first lap incident
In the Formula 1 Styrian Grand Prix 2020, Leclerc collided with Vettel during the first lap. Why was Leclerc blamed for this collision in the press? It did not seem like it was intentional.
3
votes
0answers
77 views
What are the exact dimensions of Silverstone?
I'm trying to create a model of Silverstone and need the exact dimensions of the track. I need the lengths of everything and the angles and sizes of every corner. Does anybody know where this can be ...
5
votes
2answers
388 views
Official rule book of Formula 1
Is there any official rule book for racing in Formula 1 to determine who's at fault in a racing incident, who has the apex/exit etc? I'm aware there's one describing other things like pit stops, ...
3
votes
2answers
175 views
What's the best refuelling strategy in Formula 1?
I'm interested in how race strategy changed during the refueling eras. Say we have a 60 lap race, you could pit on lap 20 and 40, or you could pit on lap 21 and 42. I wanted to see which strategy ...
1
vote
0answers
119 views
How much does a Formula 1 car really cost?
I have come across several websites claiming that the Formula one car components prices are known and the total price for a car is in the $12-15 million. The websites I'm referring to are like this ...
7
votes
1answer
377 views
Can the official fastest lap of a race be set in the first lap in F1?
Actually there are many reasons that make the cars slower in the first lap of a race.
Cars accelerate from 0 kph
Traffic is at maximum
Tyres are not at ideal temperature (still soft tyres can perform ...
8
votes
1answer
3k views
Which Formula One races did Scuderia Ferrari not take part in?
Scuderia Ferrari are the only team to have competed in every season of the Formula One World Championship since its inception in 1950. However, during the 2019 Chinese Grand Prix, the 1000th F1 race, ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
Why do F1 drivers move towards the pit wall at the end of the race?
On the last lap, at the start-finish straight, just as they are ending the race, F1 drivers (especially those at the front) move their car off the racing line towards the wall.
I'm guessing that they ...
-1
votes
1answer
188 views
Best Chassis in F1 cars [closed]
I have read that recently last year that Red Bull racing cars have the best chassis.
How do we analyse the chassis of an F1 Car?
what is the science behind the best chassis and the worst?
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Five red lights in F1 - When were they introduced and do they bring any advantage?
I'm wondering. The 5 red lights, that light up 1 by 1 for the start of the race, and then the race starts when they all shut down. When were they introduced? And are there any advantages to the five ...
1
vote
0answers
90 views
What would happen in Formula 1 if a stateless person wins a Grand Prix? [closed]
There are about 12 million stateless people on Earth. What would happen if one of them wins a Formula 1 Grand Prix? What anthem gets played?
6
votes
2answers
2k views
In F1 classification, what is ON?
I saw that on reddit. On thye official clasisfication for the Grand Prix, the second to last column is 'ON'. Seems to be something relating to laps, but I can't figure out what.
So what is ON in ...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
What are scrubbed tyres?
I'm reading Mark Webber's book and in it he says that during the the 2005 Belgian grand prix he was amazed that his team put him on new intermediate tyres instead of scrubbed tyres on a drying track.
...
4
votes
1answer
161 views
How does a Formula 1 team determine the first car/driver?
The following regulation talks about the first car of a team. Since the cars carry driver names and numbers, I didn't think that the teams have to officially determine their first cars.
To help ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
Lowest championship finishing position for a defending champion
Which F1 World Drivers Champion has the lowest finishing position in the season following a championship winning year?
Examples:
1981, 1983 and 1987 WDC Nelson Piquet finished 11th in 1982, 5th in ...
9
votes
1answer
237 views
Driver with the longest time between F1 race starts
Robert Kubica, who last drove for Renault in the 2010 season, is now confirmed to be back on the grid for Williams next year, over 8 years since his last Grand Prix start.
Assuming he goes on to ...
7
votes
2answers
4k views
Were the super-hard tyres ever actually used?
For the 2018 F1 season, Pirelli introduced two new tyre compounds - the hypersoft, and the super-hard. For 2019, the compound system will be simplified so that at each race they'll simply be known as "...
7
votes
1answer
235 views
Has anyone ever taken pole position without setting any fastest sector times?
During qualifying for the 2018 Mexican Grand Prix, Max Verstappen very nearly took pole position despite not setting the fastest time in any of the three sectors. (Other drivers had gone faster than ...
2
votes
1answer
273 views
Why are artificial chicanes placed at the run off for long straights?
Why do tracks like Monza, Le Mans and Daytona Road Course feature run off areas that have several foam barriers that drivers need to drive around?
I understand that these were placed so that drivers ...
2
votes
1answer
144 views
How does the FIA keep track of the teams' power unit allocations?
In 2018, F1 teams are allowed only 3 units of the Internal Combustion Engine, MGU-K and MGU-H, and 2 units of Energy Store, Turbocharger and Control Electronics. Gearboxes must also be used for 6 ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Why did/do F1 racing teams wear face masks?
I've seen this clip on Youtube here, were the box crew of Ferrari are shown all wearing protective face masks. The clip is from 1998 and I don't know if this is still the case.
I'm wondering why they ...
7
votes
1answer
345 views
Why did Force India get docked all constructors points?
Prior to the Hungarian Grand Prix, Sahara Force India entered administration and was bought out by the consortium Racing Point UK, renaming themselves Racing Point Force India in the Belgian Grand ...
1
vote
2answers
125 views
Highest Formula One WDC ranking without a podium finish?
Last year, with only drivers from Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull finishing on the podium, Force India drivers Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon finished 7th and 8th in the championship with no podium ...
6
votes
1answer
625 views
Why are the practice sessions called "free" in Formula 1?
Free practice is a widely used term in motorsports, but I specifically wonder what "free" means in Formula 1. I've some choices without any reference.
Is it related to drivers, car parts, number of ...
3
votes
1answer
286 views
Parc Ferme Rules
Parc ferme rules in Formula One dictate that no major changes can no longer be performed on the car until the end of the race after it has gone out of the pits during qualifying (except for major ...
4
votes
1answer
252 views
Can a car that retired join back the race?
Just saw this on the F1 facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/Formula1/videos/1075139512643030/
It talks about an old austrian grand prix, where it took 3 starts to get under way. The 3rd one being ...
4
votes
1answer
561 views
Why isn't a Formula One track dusted off before a Grand Prix?
A Formula One track has a racing line, the most optimal part of the track, which is clean & has the best grip due to tyre rubber being laid as a result of Practice & Qualifying sessions. The ...
5
votes
2answers
10k views
With the blue flag rules, how are you meant to unlap yourself?
In F1 (and probably other motorsports) there is the blue flag rule. When a car is about to be lapped, they are shown a blue flag, and must give the lapping car an occasion to pass them at the earliest ...
8
votes
2answers
235 views
When was the last 'clean' race?
When was the last 'clean' Formula 1 race?
A 'clean' race is one in which all cars that made a time in qualifications ended the full race (they did not retire or receive a DNF or DNS).
4
votes
1answer
261 views
What is the use of the panels in F1?
You still always see those panels in F1 that some guy is holding out close to the finish line.
Since they have constant radio communication around the track, I really wonder... what is their use?
...
4
votes
1answer
102 views
F1 teams to win their first grand prix
I saw a social media post which claimed
Brawn GP is one of just four teams to have won their very first race.
I presume one of the other three teams is Alfa Romeo, who won the first ever official ...