Questions tagged [formula-1]
For questions relating to the class of open-wheeled auto racing known as Formula 1.
89
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14 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
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1answer
118 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
54 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
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1answer
400 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
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0answers
48 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 ...
7
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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
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2answers
189 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
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1answer
120 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 ...
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1answer
69 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.
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0answers
46 views
List of Safety Cars in Formula One Grand Prix
I couldn't find if there is a website or a place where there is a record of all numbers of safety cars/Virtual SC per formula one grand prix? Maybe also with the laps it was out?
3
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0answers
66 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
137 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
109 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 ...
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0answers
115 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
212 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
866 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 ...
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1answer
154 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
586 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 ...
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0answers
76 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
990 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
138 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
988 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
213 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
2k 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
164 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
186 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
120 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
313 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
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2answers
111 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
309 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
256 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
153 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
327 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
3k 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
186 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
150 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
97 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 ...
7
votes
1answer
209 views
How are numbers defined in F1?
In F1, Drivers have an assigned number. But how are these numbers decided?
Is it
Drivers Choice?
Constructors Choice?
Randomly assigned?
Also, if the number is chosen, who has first pick?
3
votes
1answer
493 views
What is calculated when they show the pit stops times in F1?
In F1 they often show Pit Stop times like these
What is actually calculated? When does the timer start, and when does the timer stop?
5
votes
1answer
208 views
What is the record for winning a Formula 1 race by leading least number of laps?
What is the record for winning a Formula 1 race by a driver who has lead the least number of laps in that race?
For example: if one driver has been in position 1 for the entire race but on the last ...
3
votes
1answer
932 views
Formula 1 season with highest number of DNF's?
I'm interested in knowing, which Formula 1 season had the most number of DNF's (Did Not Finish)?
4
votes
1answer
165 views
Will the Halo protection system improve safety in F1?
The FIA announced in July 2017 that the Halo device will become mandatory for the 2018 season.
My question is will this help safety or hinder it? The concern being that it could affect the driver's ...
2
votes
2answers
559 views
What is the allowed tolerance for a jump start or is it a hidden rule?
FIA said that Valtteri Bottas' start movement in 2017 Austrian Grand Prix was within the tolerances allowed, however we were not enlightened on the tolerances.
I saw the following sentence in an ...
4
votes
2answers
5k views
Why are cars allowed to unlap themselves during safety car period?
As FIA indicates in Article 39.12 (sporting regulations 2017), lapped cars may unlap themselves once cars were lined up behind the safety car.
39.12 If the clerk of the course considers it safe to ...
8
votes
2answers
273 views
When has a driver ever been penalised for deliberately driving into another?
In the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix on 25th June, Sebastien Vettel appeared to deliberately drive into Lewis Hamilton while they were behind the safety car.
Vettel was subsequently given a 10 second ...
5
votes
1answer
2k views
Why do F1 drivers move the wheel so much?
When driving other types of car, drivers usually turn the steering wheel smoothly. Sudden jerking movements are generally only needed to recover from mistakes.
In F1 the drivers constantly turn the ...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
F1: Mandatory tyre compounds
My question is pretty straightforward. FIA tyres and wheels regulation states:
Pirelli nominate two mandatory sets for each car for the race (which can be of different compounds) and one further ...
