The Basics of Formula 1 Racing

Introduction to Formula 1 Racing

Formula 1 Racing is recognized as the top-rated global open-wheel racing series that 20 of the best drivers participate every year. The series traditionally has more than 20 races per season, where drivers compete to earn points for the series championship.

This open-wheel racing series is filled with high-speeds, tight corners, and intense strategy. Pit stops take place multiple times per race, where drivers have to decide which type of tires they want to put on for the next portion of the race. There are typically several tire compounds available over the course of an F1 race weekend.

Weekend Sessions

Practice

There are multiple practice sessions for every race in Formula 1. Practice sessions help race teams and their drivers tweak their setup to perfection. They can also test new parts and run laps to adjust their preferred tire strategy.

Qualifying

Qualifying sessions are used to establish the starting grid for the upcoming race. An elimination format has been used in recent qualifying formats, typically split into three separate qualifying rounds. At the conclusion of every round, several of the slowest drivers are locked into their grid position, while the faster cars advance to the next qualifying round. This continues for three qualifying rounds until all grid positions are established.

Race

The race is the final session of the weekend. Finishing well in the race is important for acquiring championship points. To win the F1 series championship, drivers have to be consistent and fast. Finishing on the podium on a regular basis is extremely important in order to win the championship.

Other Aspects of F1 Racing

Crashes and Mechanical Failures

If you are just starting to watch Formula 1 Racing, then you can expect to see some crashes and mechanical failures in several races per season. Crashes are typically more common at the beginning of a race when all of the drivers are bunched up for the initial start. Mechanical failures can occur at any point in the race, but it is more likely to happen towards the end of longer endurance races.

How to Change Your Car’s Oil

Changing a car’s engine oil, as recommended by the automaker, is arguably the single most important form of preventive automotive maintenance. All gas-powered cars use oil to reduce friction and heat in the engine while also moving particulate matter away from the engine. Rather than spending hundreds of dollars per year on professional oil change services, though, car owners should consider changing it themselves.

Jack Up Car

Owners should first jack up the front of their car and place a jack stand under the driver- and passenger-side jack points. While some cars may provide enough clearance to access the oil pan simply by sliding underneath them, this doesn’t offer much room with which to work. Jacking up the car creates an additional clearance between the oil pan and ground, making it easier to change the oil.

Warm Up Engine

The oil should only be changed when the engine is warm. The viscosity of oil varies depending on its temperature. When the oil is warm, it becomes less viscous, meaning it flows more easily. To achieve this state, owners should allow their car to run for five to seven minutes immediately before changing the oil.

Remove Old Oil

After the engine has warmed up, owners should slide underneath their car and place a container below the oil pan. To remove the old oil, the drain plug on the oil pan must be unscrewed. This will cause oil to flow out of the pan and into the container. Once the oil stops flowing, screw the drain plug back into the oil pan.

Replace Filter

Most automotive mechanics recommend changing the oil filter when changing the oil. Since it’s adjacent to the oil pan, the filter is easily accessible. Changing it requires nothing more than unscrewing the old filter and replacing it with a new one of the same size.

Refill Oil

Now it’s time to refill the engine with new oil. Depending on the specific type of car, the engine may hold anywhere from 5 to 8 quarts of oil. Owners can refer to their car’s manual to determine how much their engine holds. Alternatively, the dipstick reveals the appropriate amount of oil for an engine.

Changing a car’s oil may seem like a daunting task, but it’s actually pretty painless.

This article was originally published at RodShegem.net

The Early History of Automobile Racing

Not long after the creation of the gasoline-fueled internal-combustion engine in the 1880s, humanity concocted the idea of organizing an automobile competition. The first organized competition was a reliability test, held in 1894 from Paris to Rouen, France. The distance traveled was about 50 miles, and the winner had an average speed of 10.2 mph.

The first true automobile race was held a year later from Paris to Bordeaux, France and back. The winner had an average speed of 15.01 mph over the course of about 732 miles. In the United States, organized racing began the same year with a 54 miles race on Thanksgiving from Chicago to Evanston, Illinois. For promotional purposes, both of these races were sponsored by newspapers.

By 1900, racers had reached speeds of more than 50 mph. Before the abrupt end of the Paris-to-Madrid race in Bordeaux, France in 1903 due to the high number of accidents, town-to-town races in France and races from France to other countries were incredibly common. The increasing danger to spectators, racers, and livestock on roads that were not built for automobiles or automobile racing, however, caused the overall decline of road races.

During this time, the Automobile Club de France was founded, and closed-circuit racing was born. The first closed-circuit road race occurred in 1898, the Course de Périgueux. This type of racing became the most common form in Europe, except in England, Wales, and Scotland.

The modern sense of international racing didn’t begin until 1901 after James Gordon Bennett, the then owner of The New York Herald offered a trophy to be competed for. The annual Bennett Trophy Race was organized by the Automobile Club de France from 1901-1903 and consisted of national automobile clubs that raced three cars each, all built with parts from their respective countries. In the following years, the races were held in Ireland, Germany, and again in France at Circuit d’Auvergne.

Around this time frame, William K. Vanderbilt chartered America’s first international trophy race in Long Island. With the assistance of other wealthy racing enthusiasts, William formed the National Automobile Racing Association. Then in 1904, he founded the Vanderbilt Cup Race at Garden City, Long Island.

Back in Europe in 1906, French manufacturers boycotted the Bennett Trophy Race because they did not want to be limited to only representing three vehicles. This resulted in the established of the first French Grand Prix Race at Le Mans in 1906. Here, each car was raced by the manufacturer’s team.

Most of the vehicles that were raced in both Europe and the United States were typically prototypes of the following year’s models. When racing became too specialized after World War I, most production cars could no longer be used. It wasn’t until 1939 that stock-car racing began, with standard models modified specifically for racing. While automobile use was relatively similar, the racing itself was quite different in each country until the 1950s when Grand Prix racing was organized worldwide.

This article was originally published at RodShegem.net