10 Things To Know About Formula 1 Before Heading To The Singapore Grand Prix

Did you know besides F1, there are also other single-seat racing car categories? Held in different parts of the world on public and circuit roads, the drivers and cars are evaluated using a point-based system that determines the best constructors and drivers during the course of the season.

For some, you might think that driving an F1 car involves just steering the wheel and stepping on the accelerator. But that’s far from the truth. In fact, most drivers, have up to 25 buttons on their steering wheel which helps them to have control of every aspect of the car.

While many assume that the team is only made up of two drivers, there are, however, about 600 members on each team. Yes, you read that right. Aside from the two main drivers, each team consists of the people like the engineers, the crew pit, the chief, PR people, managers, and reserve drivers.

Evidently, the heavy-duty automobiles in Formula One are a lot more advanced than your usual cars. And with a complicated piece of machinery, it’s clear that you’ll need to have the backing of a multi-billion dollar company to participate. Depending on how much the teams are willing to spend on its development, each F1 car can cost up to $12.2 million without the basic components. However, in the 2022 season, an F1 team may spend $145.6 million but all of the team’s expenses (minus driver salaries and a few other exceptions) must be met from that.

We know, it surely is a hefty sum of money, so you can already imagine how much it would cost if a racecar is involved in a crash. Yikes!

Here’s a solution to lose those annoying few kilos: be an F1 driver.

Just like any other sport that involves intense physical exertion and the incredibly high G-forces the drivers experience while racing, F1 drivers tend to lose about 2-3kg per race and can rise to 4kg in hotter conditions, such as in races in Singapore. It also doesn’t help that these racers have to wear thick, heavy, fireproof race suits and helmets, making the drivers sweat a lot.

F1 drivers aren’t the only ones losing weight; each car tyre loses about 0.5kg per race due to high friction.

Pit stops play a major role in every race and each pit crew is trained to change these tyres in no more than 3 seconds. In fact, the fastest tyre change recorded this season was done by the Redbull Racing team on Sergio Perez’s car. The team got the fastest pit stop of this season at the Hungarian Grand Prix and it took a mere 2.19 seconds on Sergio Perez’s car, which is an incredibly short time considering the new rules that were brought in on pit stops last year.

An F1 race car might look simple on the outside, but it takes a lot of work and resources to come up with one. In fact, according to Sky Sports, the average F1 race car comprises more than 80,000 components, of which everything is meticulously pieced together to perform to the highest standards.

Unlike normal cars, the engine of the F1 car can’t last more than seven races. Considering the level of precision that goes into building the engines means they’re more subject to wear and tear and they are engineered to get the best out of them, even if it means functioning just for a few hours.

According to Telegraph, the average F1 driver is equipped with 1.5 litres of water in the car, which is hooked to the helmet so that the driver can stay hydrated throughout the race. So it comes as no surprise that the race in Singapore is a tough one for most of these drivers because of the temperature and humidity.


Text: Shazrina Shamsudin/HerWorld