Inside a F1 Car: Formula One cars are among the most highly engineered, technologically advanced machinery on the planet, capable of speeds topping 240 mph.


Let's take a closer look into all of the components (including the driver) that make a F1 car tick.


1. Aerodynamics
2. Brakes

3. Cockpit
4. Driver's Suit

5. Engine
6. Fuel

7. HANS Safety Device

Follow up:

1. Formula 1 Aerodynamics
Formula 1 racing is in many ways as much a battle of technology as it is of driver skill. As the available technology and design of cars continues to evolve, aerodynamics has become a key area of focus, with teams spend millions of dollars each year on research and development.


F1 engineers have two driving concerns, which are creating and maximizing downforce (which presses the car down against the track, improving cornering and speed) and minimizing the car’s turbulence and resulting drag.

One of the notable, most recognizable features of F1 cars are the wings, which were originally developed in 1960s. Race car wings operate on the same exact principle as aircraft wings, except in reverse. Instead of creating lift, as in aircraft wings, F1 engineers use wings to create downforce, pinning cars down to the track.


Early experiments with wings, however, led to some horrific accidents. For the 1970 season regulations were introduced to limit the size and location of wings, regulations which are still largely in place today.


In the mid 1970s “ground effect” downforce was discovered. Engineers discovered that the entire car could be made to act like a wing by the installing a giant wing on its undercarriage. While this could create enormous amounts of downforce, it also rendered cars dangerously unstable in certain conditions, leading to rule changes designed to limit the benefits of ground effects.


The main wings mounted front and rear are fitted with different profiles depending on the downforce requirements of a particular track. Tight, slow circuits like Monaco require much different wing configurations than faster tracks such as Monza.


Any exposed surface of a F1 car (and driver) can potentially create turbulence and drag, slowing the car down. Every single piece of the car is exhaustedly tested, designed, and engineered so that it works in harmony with every other part, always working to maximize speed and handling.


2. Formula 1 Brakes
Many people are surprised to learn that their typical family sedan can have more sophisticated braking systems than Formula One cars.


With the ban of ABS (anti-lock braking systems) in all Formula One racing, cars must employ traditional disc braking systems. Formula One previously allowed anti-lock braking systems but these were banned in the 1990s in an attempt to reintroduce driver skill into the braking equation.


Technical regulations require every car to have a twin-circuit hydraulic braking system, with two separate reservoirs for the front and rear wheels. This is to ensure that in the event of failure of one system, the driver always has a backup means of stopping the car. The amount of braking power going to the front and rear can be controlled by the driver, enabling them to adjust handling and compensate for fuel burning off and lightening the car.


While anti-lock braking systems may be banned, Formula One brake systems are highly engineered and evolved in other areas. They use carbon fiber composite brake discs which are both lighter and able to operate at much higher temperatures than steel discs. The brake discs are also gripped by specially designed brake pads that are capable of operating at temperatures as high as 750 degrees Celsius.


3. Formula 1 Cockpit:

The Formula One cockpit (also called “the tub”) is both the figurative and literal heart of a car. It’s not only the command center (and safety capsule for the driver) but it structurally forms the core component of the chassis, with the engine and front suspension mounted directly to it. All these factors require the cockpit to be as tough and indestructible as humanly possible.


Like the rest of the car, the majority of the cockpit is constructed from carbon fiber material, consisting of both high-density woven laminate exterior panels as well as more carbon fiber material inside.


One of the key principles is that the driver should be able to get out in the least possible time (five seconds, according to the regulations) without having to remove anything other than the steering wheel. Crash protection areas are built into the front and rear of the cockpit, as well as rollover protection behind the driver’s seat.


4. Formula 1 Driver's Suit:
While the driver’s helmet is designed to withstand great impacts, the primary function of the driver suit is to protect against fire. Driver overalls, gloves, and boots are made from fireproof materials designed to ensure that a driver is protected even if trapped inside of a burning care for quite some time.


While fire protection is the chief concern, overalls must also be made as light as possible and also designed so that they breathe, allowing the sweat produced by drivers to easily evaporate. They also feature handles on shoulders, which enable rescue crews to potentially remove drivers while still strapped into their seats (which are bolted down with just two bolts for quick disengagement).


Gloves are also fireproof, first and foremost, but are manufactured to be as thin as possible, so that drivers can still maintain a good feel for the car on the steering wheel. Ditto for the soles of the boots, which are made as thin as possible so that drivers can maintain a good feel for the pedals. Drivers also wear an additional layer of fireproof underwear beneath their overalls and helmet.


5. Formula 1 Engine

Formula One racing engines must tolerate some of the most brutal working conditions on the planet, and are one of the most highly engineered and developed parts of a Formula One car. Revving to over 18,000 RPM, a modern Formula One engine produces accelerative force on the pistons of nearly 9,000 times that of gravity. If something catastrophically breaks on a Formula One car, more often than not it’s the engine.


Other than cylinders, pistons and valves, Formula One engines bear little resemblance to their distant cousins found in standard cars. The Formula One engine is bolted to the cockpit, with the transmission and rear suspension bolted to it in turn, resulting in engines that must structurally be very strong.


The gearboxes are automated, with drivers changing gears via paddles fitted behind the steering wheel. Sequential gearboxes are used, allowing gear changes to be made far faster. Transmissions bolt directly to the back of the engine and incorporate a differential that works with the electronic traction control systems to ensure the maximum amount of power is applied.


Starting in 2005, each car is limited to one engine per 2 Grand Prix weekends, a move designed to level the playing field by reducing engine cost to teams by extending the average engine life.


6. Formula 1 Fuel:
While F1 cars may be very advanced, the fuel used in racing today is surprisingly ordinary, and essentially the same as you'd find at a gas station.


Early Grand Prix cars ran on a powerful mixture of chemicals and additives, including benzene and aircraft fuel. Over the years, however, regulations were introduced to ensure that the fuel used in F1 racing was both standardized and safe.


Modern fuel is only allowed trace amounts of non-hydrocarbon compounds, which eliminates the chance to use any additives. Each team's fuel blend must be submitted to the FIA for prior approval, with the sample compared to actual fuel used in races to ensure it matches.


Teams constantly tinker with different fuel blends, tuning them for the demands of different circuits and race conditions. Formula One fuel suppliers also engage in extensive testing, seeking to optimize the fuel in exactly the same way that all other car components are tested, anaylyzed, and optimized.


Formula 1 HANS Safety Device:

HANS Safety Device: All F1 drivers are required to wear the HANS device, which stands for Head and Neck Support system. Its purpose is to reduce and distribute the force transferred to the head and neck of a driver in the event of a rapid deacceleration caused by an accident. The HANS is meant to prevent skull and neck fractures, which are the most common cause of death in racing accidents.


The HANS system is made up of a collar worn around the neck and fitted under the shoulder belts of the safety harness. The helmet is loosely connected to the collar by three tethers, which are loose enough to allow normal head movement during a race. In an accident, the amount of helmet deflection will be controlled by the tethers, with the collar locked in place by the safety harness. The energy absorbed by the driver's neck and skull is reduced, with the momentum and force transferred from the base of the skull to the forehead, which is better suited structurally for absorbing the force of impact.


The HANS system became mandatory for all F1 drivers to wear in the 2003 racing season.


Source: Seth Shaffer, About.com