The Formula One Cars

The Formula one or F1 racing is one of the most famous and exciting sports event in the world. People all around the world love the thrill and excitement of this fascinating game. This racing sport originated in 1930s  in Europe, and the first World racing championship was organized in 1950. Formula 1 racing is controlled by International Automobile Federation. The word formula means a set of rules which need to be followed by the drivers as well as the car manufacturers participating in the event. This sports has led to many automobile inventions which have helped in improving the performance of the modern cars. The limitations put up by the rules provoke the engineers to come out with improved technologies and innovations . In this post we will look at the specifications of a F1 car.

Engine

V6 Engines

The most important part of any automobile is the engine.The International Automobile Federation  determines the parameters of the engines to be used in F1 cars. The manufacturers has to adhere strictly to those parameters while building the car. Based on latest rules, the F1 cars are powered by  massive 1600 cc, 6 cylinder (V6) engines. This is a turbocharged 4 stroke engine and may generate power up to 950 horsepower. These engines help the F1 cars to reach up to a speed of 300-400 km/hr . The fuel used in this engines is a blend of gasoline and some other additives which need to be approved by the International Automobile Federation. These engines has to operate at their peak and hence they generate huge amount of heat. The heat and the stress on the engines components damage them , and hence they need to be overhauled after every 500km.

Chassis

Carbon Fibres

The chassis is the backbone of an automobile. It is the supporting structure on which all the parts of the vehicle are mounted. The chassis of  F1 cars is made of carbon fiber based composites. The use of carbon fibres provide strength to the chassis and at the same time keeps the weight lower. The high strength and lower weight are the two much needed qualities for a F1 frame. The carbon fiber based composites prove to be the best alternative for this. The carbon fibres are extremely strong and their strength/weight ratio is way more higher than that of the steels. The weight of the cars can not exceed 702 kg. The prescribed limit for the width and height are 180 cm and 95 cm respectively , while there is not set rule for the length.

Braking

The F1 cars utilizes hydraulic disc brakes for the purpose of braking.  It has two master cylinders , one for the front and the other for the rear brakes. The front brakes work similar to the normal disc brakes. But the mechanism of rear brakes is totally different. The braking of rear wheels is a combined action of rear disc brakes and the MGU-K  unit. The MGU-K unit absorbs the kinetic energy of the wheels at the time of braking and converts it to electrical energy. The rest of the braking is done by the rear disc brakes. The energy generated by the MGU-K unit is used to charge the battery of the car. The amount of energy to be absorbed by MGU-K and amount of work to be done by the brakes is decided by ECU. The rear brake pedal is connected to the ECU. The ECU senses the amount of braking effort , the level of battery and decides accordingly, the amount of energy to be absorbed by the MGU-K unit. The rest of the deceleration is performed by the rear brakes. The disc of the brakes of F1 cars is made of carbon-carbon composites. These composites are wear resistant and can bear a lot of heat. In addition to this they have huge friction coefficient, needed for effective braking. Extremely huge amount of heat is generated during the brake applications. This heat can damage the disc and the brake pads. To prevent this  air duct are provided at the disc. The air ducts channel the atmospheric air toward the discs and prevent them from overheating. 

Tyres

Tyres are the main stress bearing components of a car. The choice of appropriate tyres is necessary to maintain proper traction and stability of the car. The F1 cars use a variety of tyres depending upon the needs and the limitations put up by the rules. The driver can choose from a variety of tyres from the soft to the hard ones. The hard tyres are durable and last longer. But they can not provide sufficient grip over the track. The soft tyres degrade easily, but they provide better grip over the track.  The wet tyres are used when the track is wet. These tyres have treads to channel the water from below the wheels. This prevents hydroplaning and helps the wheels maintain direct contact with the ground, by throwing out the water from beneath the wheels. 

Friends, that's all for today. We will discuss some more interesting facts about Formula cars in some other post. Please share your valuable feedback in comment section.