Formula 1
I just watched the Grand Prix de Monaco, and I can’t get over how amazing those cars are. They are quite simply the absolute apex of automotive engineering. I find it hard to believe that man is able to engineer a machine that is capable of going as fast as these cars go and for as long. They traveled a total of 260.5km (162 miles) in 1 hour and 45 minutes. That works out to an average speed of 148kph or 92mph. The engines in these cars are 3.0 liter V-10’s that operate at up to 20,000rpm. Now compare this with the average car that operates around 5,000rpm and you can see that these engines revolve an amazing four times faster. The cars produce so much downforce at speed that they would literally be able to drive on the ceiling of a tunnel. Absolutely amazing!
One criticism that I have of Formula 1, and of racing in general, is that there is little emphasis on fuel economy. The FIA (the governing body for F1) has made a number of rule changes coming into the 2005 season, but none of them are aimed at improving fuel economy. The current generation of F1 cars gets, at best, .66 liters per kilometer (3.5 miles per gallon). Now, I am not a proponent of radical rule changes altering the nature of F1 racing, but I would like to see some minor changes to help improve fuel economy. I look at most forms of racing as, first, a very exciting sport but then as a testbed for automotive development. F1 has been absolutely instrumental in advancing the safety of vehicles, increasing horsepower, advancing aerodynamics and improving handling. The budgets of the top F1 teams probably equal budgets of most major automakers. I think it is time, especially considering the current strain on oil reserves, for F1 to pour some development money into improving fuel economy.
