Curiosities of the Formula 1 car

Formula 1 is called the highest category of motor sports, it is the most popular competition in international motor sports. It was very attractive to Colombians when Juan Pablo Montoya raced these slopes, and lost its global appeal after "Kaiser" Michael Schumacher left the slopes after a serious skiing accident in the French Alps.

However, the cars are equipped with the latest technology and many of us would like to know some technical data and trivia about them, so this is an opportunity to learn some interesting facts about Formula 1 cars.

Interesting Facts

1. An engine has about 5,000 parts, of which 1,500 are moving parts.
2. The engine can produce around 800 horsepower and reach 20,000 rpm (before they were restricted they could produce around 1,000 horsepower).
3. Currently, all Formula 1 engines are capable of producing about 720 hp. in 8 cylinders at a distribution of 90° V with a limit of 19,000 rpm.
   The engines are built on the basis of an aluminum alloy due to the combination of relative lightness and high strength. Other more advanced materials (composites, superalloys) can certainly offer greater lightness, but to limit costs, the FIA has banned non-ferrous materials. Read how the F1 inflatable diffuser worked on this page.
4. Engines produce around 1750kW per minute, this amount of heat has to be removed from the car somehow, usually released into the atmosphere through the radiators and exhaust, which can reach temperatures of up to 550°C. They consume about 75 liters per 100 km.
5. However, a Formula 1 engine is 20% more efficient than an SUV engine.
6. As for the reliability and durability of the engine, in each season they must withstand a certain number of Grands Prix (according to the regulations of the specified season), if this is not the case, the driver is penalized according to the FIA rules.
7. At maximum speed (about 18,000 rpm), a Formula 1 engine consumes 0.4 kilograms of air per second. 24 kilograms of air per minute, enough to inflate 600 balloons.
8. The exhaust gases coming out of the back have a temperature of 950 to 1000 ºC. The exhausts are unmuffled and make a thunderous sound live. The temperature at which exhaust gases leave is sufficient to melt aluminum.
9. The gearboxes of Formula 1 cars must withstand 2,500 to 4,000 gear changes in a Grand Prix. These are sequential boxes with virtually no gear shifting.
10. At a Grand Prix like Canada, drivers change gears on average every 1.3 seconds. Imagine something similar with a mechanical car.
11. Lubrication of an engine that is subjected to very high rotational speeds and huge G-forces is very important.
12. Seven oil pumps pump oil through the engine, avoiding a lack of lubrication that would cause the propeller to fail in seconds. The seven pumps are so efficient that they consume as much energy as a household light bulb. The thickness of the oil layer that lubricates the cylinders is only 20 microns, which is half the thickness of the thinnest human hair.
13. The Formula 1 data collection system has about 250 channels, 250 variables, which are simultaneously monitored by the team from their pit. If needed, these 250 channels can record information 1,000 times per second, generating over 1 billion pieces of data during any given race.
14. At a speed of 330 km/h, the car sticks to the asphalt with a force equivalent to 2.5 tons. The aerodynamic load is almost five times its weight, and it is achieved thanks to hours and hours of work in the wind tunnel.
15. The space between the car and the ground is very limited. Even at medium speeds, it ranges from 10 to 50 mm (1 cm and 5 cm). At the moments closest to the ground, the space between the car and the asphalt prevents the smartphone from sliding under the vehicle.
16. When braking at maximum intensity, the F1's carbon-ceramic brakes make the driver feel 5g of deceleration (five times their weight). Up to 4g can be created in curves. A sports car like the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray generates just over 1g when cornering, while a regular car is around 1g during the most intense braking it can do.
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