10 Surprising Facts About Formula 1 Cars

You only have to glance at a Formula 1 car ripping around a track to know that they aren’t your average vehicle. Formula 1 cars are masterpieces of engineering; fine-tuned, precision built and super-charged to the highest degree, it’s not difficult to be astonished by these magnificent machines. Here 10 ten incredible facts about Formula 1 cars that will knock your socks off.

The Price of Power

Every single Formula 1 car costs over £1million to build. The steering wheel alone is worth around £40,000. That’s an astonishing amount of money for a vehicle that could be wrecked within minutes of taking to the track, but a small price to pay for ensuring the safety of the driver inside.

Formula Gone

You know the saying, ‘Here for a good time, not a long time’? It perfectly describes a Formula 1 car engine. The high-power performance of Formula engines means they seldom last for more than two or three races. Sometimes they’ll blow up after just one race, but as Formula 1 rules state that each car can only use eight engines during the course of a season (more can be used, but the driver will be subject to a grid penalty), it’s in the teams’ best interests to eke out as much life from them as possible. 

Airs and Graces

When a Formula 1 car is travelling at top speed, its engine ingests 0.40kg of air per second for fuel combustion. Put in layman’s terms, that’s enough to blow up 600 balloons in less than one minute.

Speed-ness and Light

Here’s a truly unbelievable Formula 1 car fact: each one typically weighs around 550kg. That makes them considerably lighter than a Smart Car. 

Up and Downforce

When travelling at 330km/h, a Formula 1 car will experience a maximum aerodynamic downforce that’s equivalent to 2.5 metric tonnes. Could you imagine driving your car around with a 4x4 attached to the roof? That’s exactly what it’s like. The massive downforce is what gives Formula 1 cars their incredible cornering ability.

Gone in Three Seconds

It’s not just the cars themselves that are well-oiled machines. A Formula 1 pit stop can take as little as three seconds, thanks to the pit teams who work together so quickly and efficiently that the car barely stops before getting back on the track. Watch the astonishing video below to see just how far pit stops have come since the 1950’s:

Total Tolerance

On a Formula 1 engine, the tolerances are so incredibly fine that the engine cannot be turned over if it’s cold. To allow the engine to rotate its pipes must first be pumped with warm oil and water. 

G-Force the Issue

When a Formula 1 car is braking, a driver will experience a loading of up to 5G on his head. That’s five times their bodyweight, which is why Formula 1 athletes simply have to be at the top of their fitness game. Even during hard acceleration they will experience 3G – which is like having a sack of potatoes thrown at their skull. Formula 1 racing really sounds fun, doesn’t it? 

Acceleration that Astounds

A Formula 1 car can accelerate from 0-140kph, and then decelerate back to 0, in just four seconds. Blink, and you could quite literally miss one. 

Countless Components 

Well actually, we can count the number of components that make up a Formula 1 car – it’s more than 80,000. So yes, you could count them, but we doubt you’d want to. Add to that more than a kilometre of wiring and you’ve got one mind-blowing car, and one massive headache for a mechanic.