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By admin, February 17, 2010 4:01 am

Formula One racing is a weekend event with two practice sessions on Friday, a practice session and qualifying on Saturday, and the race on Sunday. The practice sessions are used for drivers to familiarize themselves with the track and for the crew to make any necessary adjustments to the car. The qualifying is used to determine the way the cars will start in the race.

Formula One qualifying works a little differently that some people would think. Qualifying is broken down into three segments with 7-minute breaks in between. In the first segment, all 22 cars run the qualifying lap. The slowest 6 cars are placed in the 17-22 staring positions. In the second segment, the remaining 16 cars run the qualifying lap. The slowest 6 cars are placed in the 11-16 starting positions. In the final segment, the final 10 cars are racing to be on the pole position, the position that puts the fastest car on the track in the number one starting position. In short, to be in the pole position for a Formula One race you first must be 16th or faster, then 10th of faster, and in the final session, you must be the fastest car on the track.

Thirty minutes prior to race time on Sunday afternoon, the drivers are able to make as many warm up laps that they choose during this thirty minute period. The general rule for the length of the races is set but the smallest number of complete laps over 305km, though there are a few exceptions. Once five sets of lights go green and the set of red lights go off the race begins. With the cars averaging 2 kilometers per liter of fuel, they make many pit stops curing a race. During these pit stops, they will also get fresh tires and the crew can make minor adjustments to the car as needed. The timing and placement of pit stops can be crucial to a Formula Once racecar driver. At the end of the race the First, Second, and Third place drivers are put on a podium and the National Anthem of the winner home country is played. A post race press conference follows.

The current points system that was put into place in 2003 allows points for the top 8 spots. The winner receives 10 points, second place 8 points, third place 6 points, fourth place 5 points, fifth place 4 points, six place 3 points, seventh place 2 points, and eighth place 1 point. The driver that earns the most points in a season earns the spot of the World Champion. The number of Formula One races in a season varies but generally falls somewhere around 18 a year. The season for Formula One racing is 8 months long and runs from the beginning of March to the middle or end of October depending on the number of races.

There is much more to learn about Formula Once racing. This was just a little bit of background of the race weekend, pit stops, points system, and the racing season.

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By admin, January 18, 2010 3:01 am

Professional racing is fast becoming one of the most popular sports in America and is gaining popularity throughout the world. Although there are many types of racing to choose from, among the most popular in America is Formula One racing or F1 racing for short. During these F1 races, sports cars, sponsored by advertisers, speed around either a closed-circuit track or a closed-off street track. On an annual basis, the top drivers compete in the World Drivers Championship or the World Constructors Championship.

The race car itself is probably one of the bigger draws for the fans. F1 racing has rules that stipulate how a car must be constructed and how it should perform, but teams manage to make their cars spectacular nonetheless. The standard F1 racing car has a single seat. The engine is housed behind the driver, instead of in front-which would reduce drag. Another aerodynamic feature of modern F1 racing cars are the wings, which are usually in front and in back of the car. In addition to the already exhilarating pace of the race, the open cockpit design adds a bit of danger to the race as well.

There are many technical components to F1 racing that make it the riveting sport that it is. Overtaking is one of the biggest thrills in Formula One racing. Overtaking is simply the act of one driver that is behind another driver gaining speed to gain position. A driver can decide at many times during a race to take the chance to overtake another driver, but the most advantageous points in the race would be at the start or in the first corner.

Without skill, gaining on a fellow driver couldn’t be accomplished. A lot of skill is required in all of the maneuvers used to gain position including cornering. Cornering simply requires knowing how to affectively handle a turn with the least amount of traction. In order to do that, the driver must know how properly brake, press the gas and make a controlled turn.

In F1 racing, cornering is an important skill to master, but there are also some techniques that a driver should avoid as well. One of those techniques is oversteering. When a driver oversteers, they’ve turned the wheel to the point where the tail end forces the whole car to lose grip. Another thing drivers must avoid is understeering. Understeering is the act of the driver reducing speed to gain traction. Obviously this method of driving isn’t the best when speed is a necessity.

The sport of F1 racing may seem like simply a fun pastime, however, F1 racing has become a serious business. It is a business that can require hundreds of millions of dollars to finance a single team. The money expended within the industry is most likely recouped from ticket sales and the sale of racing memorabilia. Fast, stylish cars, the hum of the engines and the excitement from crowds are enough reason to keep the fans coming back for more.

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By admin, January 17, 2010 1:49 am

The Formula One racing World Championship season is held annually from early spring through fall. Races are held at locations around the world but each race weekend follows the same pattern.

Each Formula One racing event is a three-day event held on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The exception to this is at the Monaco Grand Prix. In Monte Carlo Friday practices are moved to Thursday. Each driver is allowed two practices on Friday and one on Saturday. A team may use three drivers on Friday but only two cars.

Friday and Saturday mornings are designated as practice times in Formula One racing. The Practice sessions are held prior to the start of qualifying sessions. Following the practice session a qualifying session is held. The Formula One racing qualifying sessions are used to determine starting positions for the race. Multiple sessions are run using a knockout system. Each round eliminates the slowest six drivers. The first six eliminated are the final six in the starting line-up. The six eliminated in the next round are the second to final six and so on.

On race day the cars enter the track for a warm-up formation lap. Drivers use this lap to place their car in the correct starting line-up position. If a driver is delayed because of equipment issues he may start the race from the pit re-entry lane but only after all the other cars have passed.

In Formula One racing the race is started using a light grid installed about the starting line. The race itself is just over 190 miles long. The number of laps required for a race varies by venue based on the length of the track. A race may last for a maximum of two hours in Formula One racing. The average race is usually only about ninety minutes long.

During the race drivers will return to the pit area for tire changes, re-fueling and equipment maintenance as needed. Spectators are not allowed in the pit areas. Work is fast and furious while cars are in the pits and safety is a top priority.

Spectators at Formula One racing events will notice the race marshals communicating with drivers using flags. Drivers know the meaning of each flag. Some are used to indicate a safety issue on the track, others warn a driver of unacceptable behavior. Most well known is the checkered flag that is waved when a race is completed.

At the conclusion of a race the top eight drivers and their teams receive points. In Formula One racing the number of points received ranges from 10 to 1. The top driver and his team each receive 10 points, the number two driver and his team each receive 8 points. Because each Formula One racing team is able to enter two cars in a race, a team may earn points from two winning drivers. The top point earning driver and the top point earning team are recognized at World Champions at the end of the Formula One racing season. The points won at each Formula One racing weekend are important to the overall season results.

Formula One racing weekends are a fun-filled and exciting time for teams and spectators alike.

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By admin, December 19, 2009 2:01 am

The changes and history of Formula One racing are apparent when you look at the records that have been recorded since the sport’s inception.

For example, Mike Thackwell, 19, holds the record as the youngest Formula One racing driver. The 1980 Dutch Grand Prix was his first Formula One race. At the other end of the age record spectrum is Louis Chiron who entered the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix at 58 years old. A study of the oldest and youngest Formula One racing competitors shows that all of the oldest record holders entered races during the 1950s. Today the sport is so physically challenging that drivers begin Formula One racing at a younger age and retire by their mid-30s.

Another change in Formula One racing is apparent in the statistics surrounding the most wins in a season. The record holder for the most wins in a Formula One racing season is Michael Schumacher with 13 wins in the 2004 season. Schumacher also holds the most wins record for 2002, 2001, 2000, 1995 and 1994. His 1994 record was for winning eight of the 16 races he entered which gives him a winning percentage of 50%

In contrast, Alberto Ascari holds the Formula One racing record for the highest percentage of wins in a season. In the 1952 season Ascari won only six races. Those six wins, however, earn him a winning percentage of 75% for the Formula One racing events that he entered. Of the top ten record holders for highest percentage of wins in a Formula One racing season, seven of those drivers won six or less races in a season. All seven of those are for pre-1970 Formula One racing seasons.

The comparison of these statistics indicates a change in Formula One racing seasons. Early Formula One racing drivers entered fewer races than drivers today because fewer Grand Prix were part of the racing season.

Formula One racing has always relied on a point system for determining the title of World Champion at the end of a season. The point system has gone through changes over the years and that becomes most apparent in the statistics for the most championship points earned during a season. In the early years of Formula One racing points were awarded only to the top five finishers and the maximum point value was eight (with one bonus point awards for the fastest lap). By contrast, today’s point system allows for a maximum of ten points and points are awarded to the top eight teams.

The changes to the point systems, especially when combined with the increased number of Grand Prix per season are reflected in the statistics for the drivers with the most points accumulated during a season. In tenth place for this record is Nigel Mansell with 108 points earned during the 1992 season. The remaining top ten record holders have all been from Formula One racing seasons since 2000. Michael Schumacher currently holds first place in this category with 148 points earned during the 2004 season. The current point systems makes it impossible for early Formula One racing drivers to win a top spot in this category.

Changes are necessary in most sports as they evolve but Formula One racing has had many changes through the years. These changes are necessary to keep the sport competitive and the impact of the changes are shown in the records of Formula One racing.