Down a rabbit hole: Formula 1
HEY THERE!
It's been a while (ok so a lot more than a while). But it's good to be back. And boy do I have a lot to share. I recently was slapped with the realization that I've been sleeping on a brilliant sport and I'm here to talk about it! Now it is a deviation from the usual astrophysics targeted contest but staying true to the goal of sharing my interests and passions, I will be redirecting focus for a bit and I hope you guys enjoy it!
So during my time away and between chaotic school life, I found myself hooked to Netflix’s ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’, a documentary series — or at least that's what Netflix calls it (that's a whole other rant). The series has 3 seasons, each set in a different Formula 1 season, starting 2018. I have never been one for sports — like seriously — never. So when I found myself itching to find out if Max Verstappen finally beat Lewis Hamilton, I immediately started to reflect on what exactly makes this sport so different.
Now the series itself focuses more on the lives and personal aspects of individuals in the sport and (at least in my opinion) tends to dramatize it a whole lot. But it also works as a catalyst, it invokes interest of the sport in the eyes of the newer generation which is something Formula 1 desperately needed. From an outsiders perspective, it's a stereotypical — cars going in circles controlled by rich egotistical drivers — kinda thing. BUT THAT'S FAR FROM THE TRUTH. Digging deeper into the sport you see the teamwork, training, passion, pressure, skill and science behind it all. The immense preparation that goes into engineering the perfect car is something I still haven’t fully comprehended. Each team may consist of hundreds of engineers and mechanics working together to design a race car- one that's light, aerodynamic, strong and fast (among many other things). The sheer magnitude of engineering that goes into these race cars is insane. Every nut, bolt, screw and curve on the car is made from scratch all whilst keeping to a budget and the FIA's regulations. And if that wasn't enough it is all done during the off-season (time between two F1 seasons) which is usually a little over four months but can be as little as 92 DAYS! NINETY-TWO DAYS TO DO ALL THAT.
Even though most of the more successful teams don't usually completely redesign their cars, just a tweak here and there, It's usually more common among teams in the mid and end fields. But the FIA is constantly putting out new changes and regulations that may require a car redesign. A good example would be the 2019–2020 offseason. At the end of the 2019 season, the FIA announced a Budget cap for the 2020 season, $145 million and dropping to $135 million by 2023. This was so more funded teams like Mercedes Ferrari and Renault don't have such a HUGE advantage over the rest (yes I know $145 is the budget cap I don't even wanna imagine what these podium teams were burning through).
Formula 1’s 2019–20 winter break was set to be the shortest in 38 years. and true to that the teams got working, pulling all-nighters and whatever they needed to complete their car. Unfortunately, the Championship was postponed in the wake of the pandemic. That doesn't overshadow the fact that within 92 days, these teams were at the Australian Grand Prix ready to go! *mind blown emoji*
Beyond the remarkable engineers and mechanics is the fascinating design of the car itself. Each racetrack has different altitudes, weather conditions, temperatures and track designs. An F1 team has to consider all of the above when designing a race car that can adapt to the variations between up to 21 different tracks.
There are a couple of cons that steer people away from the sport. Firstly is its sustainability issues. Formula 1 promotes greenhouse gas consumption and second is the insane amount of money that goes into the sport. Now whilst the second point is a whole other article I’ll need to write. the first I can briefly justify. Formula 1 was designed for car lovers- plain and simple. Sustainability was not as much of concern 75 years ago as it is today. And since then it has embedded itself into the hearts of its fans. Flashy overpriced, cars, clothes and loud engines- Formula 1 is as much of a show as it is a sports competition. As a result, aesthetics are a serious concern, some teams go as far as putting titanium plates under cars to create sparks for the fans. However, with climate change breathing down our necks, the 2022 regulations require the use of E10 a renewable biofuel. This hasn't received a lot of love from fans for the very fact that it may slow cars down and the engines won't be as loud.
Beyond Formula 1 an emerging branch of the sport is Formula E, where the cars are battery powered, Unfortunately, die-hard formula 1 fans are not too fond of it — realistically it will take a while for Formula E to gain significant traction but it's not impossible and is definitely somewhere in the near future.
To hear more about the twists and turns of this sport and learn more about the brilliant engineering that goes into every crevice of these cars. Subscribe to my blog, follow me on Twitter @ ishaverma_ and enable notifications to keep in touch with my latest content.
