Saturday 2 November 2013
Safety in Formula 1: Helmets (Part Two)
Safety in Formula
1 or any form of motorsport is very important, and therefore my next blog will
be based on ‘Helmets’. As per my
previous blog about Safety in Formula 1 ‘Clothing’
this blog will now focus on the crash/racing helmet. I most certainly believe
that the racing/crash helmets also play a pivotal role in the safety of racing.
Crash helmets have been made compulsory in Formula 1 racing since 1953, but
like F1 the cars, their design and construction have evolved enormously since
the beginning of this form of motorsport. For racing drivers, head and neck
trauma remains the greatest single injury risk in any form of motorsport, hence
the introduction of helmets and the Head and Neck Support (HANS) system.
Source: Youtube.com
According to Formula1.com, “…modern F1 helmets must be supremely light - around 1250 grams is the norm - and strong. The lighter the helmet, the less weight it adds to the driver’s head under the extreme G-forces experienced in accelerating/braking/cornering, hence the smaller the risk of whiplash-type injuries. And the stronger the helmet, the greater its ability to absorb impacts and resist penetration during a crash.”
The visor is constructed from a special clear polycarbonate, combining impact protection with flame resistance and exceptional visibility. According to Formula1.com, “Most drivers use tinted visors, the insides of which are coated with anti-fogging chemicals to prevent them misting up, particularly in wet conditions.” Several transparent tear-off strips are attached to the outside of the visor, which drivers may tear off if need be to clear there line of vision or dirt that may accumulate during the race.
Did you know…that despite the cutting edge materials used in
their construction, Formula One helmet liveries are still painted by hand? It’s
an incredibly skilled job requiring hundreds of hours of work for more
complicated patterns and designs.
 |
| Source: Google Images. |
Last but not least the F1 helmets undergo wind-tunnel testing to help achieve a design that minimises the drag produced when the driver is travelling at speed. I hope that you have enjoyed the read!
Thursday 31 October 2013
Redbull Racing RB7 in Cape Town
 |
| The Stunning RedBull Racing RB7 being prepared in the Garage at Killarney, Cape Town. Photograph by: Junaid Samodien |
Engineers put on the engine cover and wheels.
Neel Jani strapped into the RedBull Racing RB7 and ready to come out onto the circuit.
Neel Jani streching the legs of the stunning Redbull Racing RB7 on circuit.
These brief clips were filmed by me at Killarney Racetrack in Cape Town, South Africa.
Sunday 27 October 2013
Saturday 26 October 2013
Safety in Formula 1: Clothing (Part One)
Source: Formula1.com
From the end of time safety
has always been a factor in Formula 1, and since the death of Ayrton Senna in
1994, there has been no other fatalities due to the introduction of a variety
of safety measures and precautions such as:
Helmets, HANS, Clothing, Cockpit safety and crash testing. I’ve decided
to draw up a series of Articles, where these Safety Measures can be discussed
in detail.
 |
| The Helmet and HANS safety gear. source: www.googleimages.com |
Clothing in the world of Formula 1 is often
disregarded when considering the enormous collection of other high tech safety
equipment. Hence me starting my series with a segment about “Clothing”. The
Formula 1 safety clothing also has a primary purpose; to protect the driver in
case of serious fire. Since 1975
the Fédération Internationale de
l'Automobile (FIA) has required that driver clothing be flame
retardant so as to offer protection in the event of a fire. Now-a-days the key
material used for Formula 1 and other racing suits is Nomex - a fire-resistant,
lightweight artificial fibre. It is subjected to an open flame with a
temperature of 300 to 400 degrees Celsius that acts on the material from a
distance of three centimetres - only if it fails to ignite within 10 seconds
can it be used in a driver’s overalls.
 |
| The fireproof balaclava used in Formula 1 Source: www.googleimages.com |
Fires
have become less of a problem for Formula 1 in recent years but this has not
led to a disregarding of safety clothing. The clothing that is used in Formula
1 today is made from fire-proof materials that are so efficient they can
protect a driver as his car burns around him. The items of clothing include
overalls, gloves, boots and balaclavas in an attempt to shield every part of
the driver's body in the event of a fire. It’s
not just the driver that has to wear the levels of safety clothing. Pit crews
must wear equal amounts of safety gear as the pit lane is the most dangerous
place on a Formula 1 racing track.
According to Formula 1.com – “The zip on the suit must also be able to withstand the same temperatures and must not melt or transfer heat close to the driver's skin. Even the thread used to sew it together must be fire resistant, as must any patches, although the majority of sponsor logos are now printed on - a change that has helped cut the weight of overalls by over half a kilo in the past few years. But not only are modern race suits light, they’re also breathable to in order to allow the several kilos of sweat produced by the driver during a race to escape.” The racing suits should also have two large ‘handles’ on the driver’s shoulders. These straps should be capable of supporting the combined weight of the driver and his seat, which in the event of an accident can be removed from the car by marshals ‘as one’, in order to minimise the risk of complicating injuries.
According to Formula 1.com – “The zip on the suit must also be able to withstand the same temperatures and must not melt or transfer heat close to the driver's skin. Even the thread used to sew it together must be fire resistant, as must any patches, although the majority of sponsor logos are now printed on - a change that has helped cut the weight of overalls by over half a kilo in the past few years. But not only are modern race suits light, they’re also breathable to in order to allow the several kilos of sweat produced by the driver during a race to escape.” The racing suits should also have two large ‘handles’ on the driver’s shoulders. These straps should be capable of supporting the combined weight of the driver and his seat, which in the event of an accident can be removed from the car by marshals ‘as one’, in order to minimise the risk of complicating injuries.
 |
| Source: www.googleimages.com |
Underneath his race suit the driver wears a further
layer of flameproof underwear, and under his helmet a fireproof balaclava. Gloves
may appear as an insignificant piece to Formula 1 safety clothing but are disputably
the most important of all. According to Formula 1.com – “They must be made as
thin as possible to ensure the driver can maintain his connection to the car
whilst also remaining fire-proof enough to protect. The same can be said for
Formula 1 boots as the soles of these are made extremely thin so the driver has
the closest contact with the pedals of the car.”
There
is no doubt that the safety clothing has made Formula 1 far safer, looking back
to the fifties when drivers wore cloth overalls, goggles and leather driving
caps the advance in technology is almost unbelievable. In one of the most
dangerous sports in the world it is reassuring to know that so many designers
are producing items of clothing with the driver's safety as their primary
concern.
Sunday 6 October 2013
RUSH - Review
Release Date: 04 October 2013 (South Africa)
Running Time:
202 minutes
Genre:
Action/Drama
Cast: Chris
Hemsworth, Alexandra Maria Lara, Daniel Brühl and Olivia Wilde
Directed by: Ron Howard
Rating: 9.5/10
When first hearing about the making of Rush, I was a bit sceptical about how
the story and plot will be put together, but after seeing it I have to say that
Ron Howard has captured the essence of Formula 1 and the strong history between
Niki Lauda and James Hunt.
Rush
is
a return to form for Ron Howard after his successful movies Apollo 13, How the
Grinch stole Christmas and Cocoon. Similar any great sports movie, Rush breaks
the boundaries of its genre. Where most racing films leave it all on the
track, Rush smartly makes the story about the drivers behind
the wheels and there alive surrounding the sport.
Rush is based on the true story of Formula One
racing rivals James Hunt played by Chris Hemsworth and Niki Lauda played by
Daniel Brühl. Rivals since their early days in Formula Three, the story centers
around their battle for the 1976 World Championship.
Based on
the real-life rivalry between Hunt and Lauda is indeed a gripping one. Lauda buys
a seat in Formula 1 and through his superior knowledge of mechanics he is able
to make any car run faster than any other team could, but then makes the jump
to the top-level Formula One first.
Lauda is
able to drive any car faster than anyone else on the circuit, except perhaps
Hunt. Hunt is an equally talented driver on the track, but is a much bigger
risk taker. Lauda’s talent is seen quickly and very early in his career and he
signs a prestigious deal with Ferrari. Hunt struggles to sign on with a team
due to his high risk state and his partying reputation, though he finally gets
a drive after a team (McLaren) decides to take a chance on him.
Rush is a very gripping story in
the way that it portrays the two drivers.
Where it
would be the obvious choice for Hemsworth’s to play the charismatic James Hunt
as the hero and Brühl as the unlikable Niki Lauda as the villain. Audiences
will find themselves cheering for both drivers at different points in the film.
The
acting, particularly from the two leads, is fantastic. Hemsworth is very
convincing as portraying the high-spirited British driver. Brühl is able to
match his performances and is a far more reserved one. Olivia Wilde is great in
her brief time on screen as supermodel Suzy Mille.
The music
used is really effective. This was necessary as the story that revolves around
the 1976 Formula 1 season. Overall, Rush is
a brilliantly put together movie and a definite must WATCH!!!!!
Friday 26 July 2013
Understanding Understeer from Oversteer
 |
| Graphic Illustration of Understeer vs. Oversteer Source: Google Images |
As a car enthusiast, I
literally eat, sleep and dream cars, but I always tend to struggle with understanding
the terms: Understeer and Oversteer. Whenever one watches a car related
programme you always tend to hear the motoring terms: Understeer and Oversteer. With this blog, I will attempt to explain: Understeer and Oversteer.
I hope that you enjoy the read!
Top Gears: Richard Hammond explains Understeer and Oversteer
What is Understeer and Oversteer? These are predominantly vehicle
dynamics terms used to describe the sensitivity of a
vehicle to steering. Simply put, oversteer is what occurs when a car steers
more than commanded by the driver. Whereas, understeer occurs when a car steers
less than the amount commanded by the driver. Some motoring journalists
attribute “Understeer” to Front Wheel Drive (FWD) cars, whereas Rear Wheel Drive
(RWD) cars predominantly “Oversteer”, which makes them the ideal car to use for
drifting.
Now that you are aware of what “Understeer”
and “Oversteer” is, I will now go about explaining Oversteer and Understeers, as
well as the causes and methods to correct both Oversteer and Understeer if are
faced with the situation.
Explaining Oversteer
As a driver it’s unlikely that you’ll ever
experience oversteer unless you’re driving/pushing a car over its limits of
grip. According to DrivingFast.net,
You can recognise oversteer if:
·
The rear of the vehicle
becomes unstable and ‘light’ due to lack of grip.
·
The car starts to rotate so
the driver is facing towards the inside of the corner.
There are four major causes of oversteer:
1.
Entering the
corner too fast.
2.
Accelerating into
the corner, too early or too aggressively.
3.
Braking into the
corner or mid corner.
4.
Lifting off the
throttle mid-corner.
Correcting Oversteer.
DrivingFast.net explains how to correct oversteer:
“Whatever
the cause of oversteer it is important to keep the front wheels pointing in the
direction you're hoping to go. If you fail to do this, the most likely result
is a spin. You should apply enough steering lock to point the wheels in the direction
of the slide. Too little and you're likely to spin as the back continues to
come round, too much and the car will rapidly over-correct, often resulting in a spin in the opposite
direction. The skill can only be mastered with plenty of practice and should
become instinct if you're planning to drive fast on a track.”
Explaining Understeer
As stated previously
Understeer will not happen if you aren’t pushing a car to its limit. Understeer
is most likely to result from these situations:
·
Accelerating into a bend
·
Braking into a corner
·
Ploughing into a corner too fast
·
Low traction conditions on the corner such as ice or oil
Active causes of Understeer
·
Cornering speed
·
Throttle
·
Braking
·
Steering inputs
·
Weight transfer
Recommended ways to correct understeer are:
- Be as smooth as you can
- Don't enter corners flat out, and accelerate as you exit
- Don't brake in a corner. The only exception to this is if you are using trail braking...
One can now establish that “Understeer” and
“Oversteer” are will most likely to occur when pushing your car to the limit. In
conlusion, I believe that you should only experience these driving dynamics on
a racetrack, because tracks are there for racing and many tracks are open to
the public. Therefore, I suggest rather push your car on a track/circuit than on the
street because you’d be much safer. I hope that you have enjoyed this new blog!
Monday 19 November 2012
Speeding...............NASCAR racing
 |
| Caption: Nascar Races begin with rolling starts, as seen here. Source: Googleimages |
Racing is my passion, as some of you may know, but this blog is a tribute to American Stock Car Racing (NASCAR). The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France, in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of Bill France. NASCAR is the largest sanctioning body of stock car racing in the United States. The three largest racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series. It also oversees NASCAR Local Racing, the Whelen Modified Tour, the Whelen All-American Series, and the NASCAR iRacing.com Series. NASCAR sanctions over 1500 races at over 100 tracks in 39 US states and Canada. NASCAR has presented exhibition races at the Suzuka and Motegi circuits in Japan, Mexico, and Calder Park Raceway in Australia.
 |
| Caption: A 2009 Sprint Cup NASCAR Source: Googleimages |
NASCAR's headquarters are located in Daytona Beach, Florida, although it also maintains offices in four North Carolina cities; Charlotte, Mooresville, Concord, and Conover. Regional offices are also located in New York City, Los Angeles, Bentonville, Arkansas, and international offices in Mexico City and Toronto. Additionally, owing to its Southern roots, all but a handful of NASCAR teams are still based in North Carolina, especially near Charlotte.
 |
| Caption: Accidents do happen! Source: googleimages |
NASCAR is second only to the National Football League amongst professional sports franchises in terms of television ratings in the United States. Internationally, NASCAR races are broadcast in over 150 countries. In 2004 NASCAR's Director of Security stated that NASCAR holds 17 of the top 20 regularly attended single-day sporting events in the world. NASCAR has 75 million fans who purchase over $3 billion annually in licensed products. Fortune 500 companies sponsor NASCAR more than any other motor sport, although this has been in decline since the early 2000s.
I trust that you enjoyed this read, because I truly believe that NASCAR is amazing form of motorsport.
Source: Official Website - NASCAR
Wikipedia
Wednesday 7 November 2012
Formula 1 drivers profile: Fernando Alonso
 |
| Caption: This is Fernando Alonso, who is currently battling Sebastien Vettel for the 2012 Championship title. Source: F1.com |
This
week, we turn our attention to a current Formula 1 racing driver: Fernando Alonso who
was born on 29 July 1981 and is a Spanish Formula One racing driver
and a two-time World Champion, who is currently racing for Scuderia
Ferrari.
Alonso started in karting from the age of 3. He won three consective karting
championships in Spain from 1994 to 1997, and he became world karting champion
in 1996. He made his Formula
One debut in the 2001 season with Minardi, and then moved to the Renault as a test driver the next year. Starting in 2003 Alonso then became one of the main drivers of the team. On
25 September 2005, he won the Formula
One World Driver's Championship title at the
age of 24, at the time making him the youngest Formula One World Drivers'
Champion. After retaining the title the following year, Alonso also became the
youngest double Champion at the time. He joined McLaren in 2007, before returning to Renault for two seasons in 2008 and 2009, and in 2010, he joined Scuderia
Ferrari who he continues to race for to date.
 |
| Caption: Fernando Alonso in his Scuderia Ferrari 2010 Source: F1live.com |
Source: Formula 1 world
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