Formula 1 interesting facts (I)

No race scheduled this weekend but that doesn't mean we can't talk about our favorite sport. Yeah, you've guessed it, it's time for that interesting post (which is a rare thing on this F1 blog).

This time I've decided to begin a 5 day series which will sweep through: F1 interesting facts,  F1 records, Top 20 liveries (good and bad -one of each) and will end up with a video about the most dominant cars in F1 history (look forward to that). Let's fast forward to the important stuff:

Formula 1 interesting facts (I)

- F1 drivers have prolonged exposure to high G forces and temperatures for little over an hour. This results in an average F1 driver losing about 4kgs of weight after just one race. However he regains weight afterwards.

- In the days preceding very hot races like Australia, Malaysia, and Brazil, the drivers can drink up to 8 litres of water.

- Numbers are assigned to all F1 drivers. The previous season's champion is given number 1, and his team-mate is designated number 2 and so on. The number 13 is not designated to any driver.

-Approximate 80,000 components come together to make an F1 car. The cars have to be assembled with cent per cent accuracy. If it were assembled 99.9% correctly, it would go on the track with 80 components wrongly placed.

- The brake discs in an F1 car have to withstand the operating temperature of approximately 1000 degrees Centigrade. They are made of carbon fibre which is much harder than steel and has a higher melting point.

- The cars have more than a kilometer of cable linked to about 100 sensors and actuators which monitor and control the car.

- An F1 car can accelerate from 0 to 160 kph and decelerate back to 0 in just four seconds.

- Road car tyres can last 60 000 to 100 000 km. On the other hand, racing tyres are designed to last only 90 to 120 km.

- Without aerodynamic downforce, racing cars have sufficient power to fly once they exceed 160 kph. The cars usually race at over 300 kph. When a car is traveling over 160 kph, it car can generate enough downforce to hold itself to the ceiling of a tunnel and drive upside down.

- The downforce plays an important part. 10% improvement in downforce is worth about a second a race lap.

- Since Formula 1 began using standard car numbers, in 1973, the number 5 has had an illustrious history. Cars with this number have won eight world titles: Jackie Stewart (1973), Emerson Fittipaldi (1974), Mario Andretti (1978), Nelson Piquet (1981 and 1983), Nigel Mansell (1992), Michael Schumacher (1994) and Damon Hill (1996).

Source: http://formula1.sporting99.com/

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