116-556: The Alpine A522 is a Formula One car designed and constructed by the BWT Alpine F1 Team and competed in the 2022 Formula One World Championship . The car was driven by Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon . The chassis is Alpine's first car under the 2022 technical regulations. The car was generally about as competitive as its predecessor, the A521 , and was regularly in the hunt for points at races, but not usually troubling
232-432: A C d value between 0.25 and 0.35), so that, despite the enormous power output of the engines, the top speed of these cars is less than that of World War II vintage Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union Silver Arrows racers. However, this drag is more than compensated for by the ability to corner at extremely high speed. The aerodynamics are adjusted for each track; with a low drag configuration for tracks where high speed
348-400: A ban on variable intake trumpets, have also been introduced with the new 2.4 L V8 formula to prevent the teams from achieving higher RPM and horsepower too quickly. The 2009 season limited engines to 18,000 rpm in order to improve engine reliability and cut costs. For a decade, F1 cars had run with 3.0 L naturally aspirated engines with all teams settling on a V10 layout by the end of
464-510: A deal to be a Ferrari test driver for 2010 and had driven for Force India throughout the 2009 season. Fisichella's seat at Force India was taken by Vitantonio Liuzzi , who was Force India's test driver. Following the Hungarian Grand Prix, Renault parted ways with Nelson Piquet Jr. as he had failed to score a single point and allegations that he had intentionally crashed during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix surfaced. Piquet
580-577: A diffuser that uses the rear crash structure in order to generate additional downforce, labelled "double diffusers". These designs were quickly protested, and just days after the cars were unveiled, rival teams asked the FIA for a clarification on the matter. On the Wednesday of the season opening race in Australia, an official complaint was launched by the seven other teams against the rear diffusers of
696-412: A downforce:weight ratio of 1:1) at 190 km/h (118 mph), while an F1 car achieves the same at 125 to 130 km/h (78 to 81 mph), and at 190 km/h (118 mph) the ratio is roughly 2:1. The bargeboards, in particular, are designed, shaped, configured, adjusted, and positioned not to create downforce directly, as with a conventional wing or underbody venturi, but to create vortices from
812-414: A driver is on wet-weather tyres), but during the race, it could only be activated when a driver is less than one second behind another car at pre-determined points on the track. (From 2013 DRS is available only at the pre-determined points during all sessions). The system is then deactivated once the driver brakes. The system "stalls" the rear wing by opening a flap, which leaves a 50 mm horizontal gap in
928-595: A flying spring when he was travelling at 162 mph in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix . The accident overshadowed the race, with a lightly fueled Fernando Alonso on pole retiring early in the race, which was won by Lewis Hamilton. Jaime Alguersuari finished his début race ahead of Buemi, the Toro Rosso test driver replacing the fired Sébastien Bourdais . Post-race, the Renault team received
1044-413: A full race weekend. For the 2005 championship, they were required to last two full race weekends, and if a team changed an engine between the two races, they incurred a penalty of 10 grid positions. In 2007, this rule was altered slightly and an engine only had to last for Saturday and Sunday running. This was to promote Friday running. In the 2008 season, engines were required to last two full race weekends;
1160-464: A gearbox problem, and incidents with Heikki Kovalainen and Adrian Sutil resulted in Brawn's first retirement of the season. By winning six out of the first seven races, Button had opened up a 26-point lead on his teammate, with Vettel a further six points behind. The British Grand Prix was seen as a turning point, being dominated by Red Bull with Vettel leading home Webber, in dry conditions. Button
1276-409: A green band on the sidewall of the softer compound was painted to allow spectators to distinguish which tyre a driver is on. Beginning in 2019, Pirelli scrapped the tyre naming system such that the tyres will denote at each Grand Prix independently as hard, medium and soft with white, yellow and red sidewalls respectively rather than having a separate name and colour for each of the five tyres. The change
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#17327800039691392-560: A result of the automotive industry crisis . After a winter of uncertainty, it was confirmed on 5 March 2009 that the team would compete in the 2009 season as Brawn GP , with Mercedes engines, following a management buyout led by team principal Ross Brawn , and would retain the services of both Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello as drivers. Anthony Davidson , who competed for the Honda-backed Super Aguri team before their early withdrawal in 2008, joined Brawn as
1508-495: A row of LED shift lights . The wheel alone can cost about $ 50,000, and with carbon fibre construction, weighs in at 1.3 kilograms. In the 2014 season, certain teams such as Mercedes have chosen to use larger LCDs on their wheels which allow the driver to see additional information such as fuel flow and torque delivery. They are also more customizable owing to the possibility of using much different software. The fuel used in F1 cars
1624-426: A small drag penalty. Until 2022, the underside of the vehicle, the undertray, had to be flat between the axles. The limited size of the wings (requiring use at high angles of attack to create sufficient downforce), and vortices created by open wheels lead to a high aerodynamic drag coefficient (about 1 according to Minardi 's technical director Gabriele Tredozi ; compared with the average modern car , which has
1740-644: A standing start, a distance of only 5.2 km (3.2 mi). As well as being fast in a straight line, F1 cars have greater cornering ability. Grand Prix cars can negotiate corners at significantly higher speeds than other racing cars because of their levels of grip and downforce. Cornering speed is so high that Formula One drivers have strength training routines just for the neck muscles. Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya claimed to be able to perform 300 repetitions of 23 kg (50 lb) with his neck. The combination of light weight (642 kg in race trim for 2013), power (670–750 kW (900–1,000 bhp) with
1856-490: A suitable structure; e.g. on the ceiling . The use of aerodynamics to increase the cars' grip was pioneered in Formula One in the 1968 season by Lotus , Ferrari and Brabham . At first, Lotus introduced modest front wings and a spoiler on Graham Hill's Lotus 49 B at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix ; then, Brabham and Ferrari went one better at the 1968 Belgian Grand Prix with full-width wings mounted on struts high above
1972-439: A superficial resemblance to a normal road tyre. Whereas a road car tyre has a useful life of up to 80,000 km (50,000 mi), a Formula One tyre does not even last the whole race distance (a little over 300 km (190 mi)); they are usually changed one or two times per race, depending on the track. This is the result of a drive to maximize the road-holding ability, leading to the use of very soft compounds (to ensure that
2088-561: A suspension for the European Grand Prix, for an incident where Alonso's tyre came loose on the race track following a pit-stop error. An appeal overturned the decision, and the team raced in Valencia . During the summer break, BMW Sauber announced their withdrawal from Formula One racing due to poor results and lack of financial sustainability. The team would compete until the end of the season, while BMW attempted to sell
2204-524: A test driver. Force India joined Brawn GP in using the Mercedes engines by signing a five-year deal until 2013, having ended their previous supply contract from Ferrari . The retirement of Red Bull Racing driver David Coulthard led to the appointment of Sebastian Vettel as his replacement, who left the Scuderia Toro Rosso team after a successful previous season including winning
2320-487: A track, drivers can deploy DRS, which opens the rear wing, reduces the drag of the car, allowing it to move faster. As soon as the driver touches the brake, the rear wing shuts again. In free practice and qualifying, a driver may use it whenever he wishes to, but in the race, it can only be used if the driver is 1 second, or less, behind another driver at the DRS detection zone on the race track, at which point it can be activated in
2436-492: A year developing their car) had the option of keeping the current V10 for another season, but with a rev limiter to keep them competitive with the most powerful V8 engines. The only team to take this option was the Toro Rosso team, which was reformed and regrouped Minardi. In 2012, the engines consumed around 450 L (16 cu ft) of air per second (at the 2012 rev limit of 18,000 rpm); race fuel consumption rate
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#17327800039692552-442: Is 740 kg (1,631 lb) including the driver but not fuel. Cars are weighed with dry-weather tyres fitted. Prior to the 2014 F1 season, cars often weighed in under this limit so teams added ballast in order to add weight to the car. The advantage of using ballast is that it can be placed anywhere in the car to provide ideal weight distribution. This can help lower the car's centre of gravity to improve stability and also allows
2668-469: Is a critical issue, and is bolted onto the back of the engine. Fully-automatic gearboxes , and systems such as launch control and traction control , have been illegal since 2004 and 2008 , respectively, to keep driver skill and involvement important in controlling the car, and to ensure that no teams are using these systems illegally to gain a competitive advantage, as well as to keep costs down. The driver initiates gear shifts using paddles mounted on
2784-482: Is exactly what we need to foster as we move forward. To do so, we need to fully understand the challenges some of the under-represented groups in motorsport face. Pride Month is a good place to start; we know that we need to do more to give this community a voice and representation.". Formula One car A Formula One car or F1 car is a single-seat, open-cockpit, open-wheel formula racing car with substantial front and rear wings, and an engine positioned behind
2900-408: Is fairly similar to ordinary (premium) petrol , albeit with a far more tightly controlled mix. Formula One fuel would fall under high octane premium road fuel with octane thresholds of 95 to 102. Since the 1992 season onwards all Formula One cars must mandatorily utilize unleaded racing gasoline fuel. F1 blends are tuned for maximum performance in given weather conditions or different circuits. During
3016-459: Is more important like Autodromo Nazionale Monza , and a high traction configuration for tracks where cornering is more important, like the Circuit de Monaco . With the 2009 regulations, the FIA rid F1 cars of small winglets and other parts of the car (minus the front and rear wing) used to manipulate the airflow of the car in order to decrease drag and increase downforce. Currently, the front wing
3132-442: Is shaped specifically to push air towards all the winglets and bargeboards so that the airflow is smooth. Should these be removed, various parts of the car will cause great drag when the front wing is unable to shape the air past the body of the car. The regulations which came into effect in 2009 have reduced the width of the rear wing by 25 cm, and standardised the centre section of the front wing to prevent teams from developing
3248-449: Is typically operated by a lever inside the cockpit as opposed to a control on the steering wheel. An average F1 car can decelerate from 100 to 0 km/h (62 to 0 mph) in about 15 meters (48 ft), compared with a 2009 BMW M3, which needs 31 meters (102 ft). When braking from higher speeds, aerodynamic downforce enables tremendous deceleration: 4.5 g to 5.0 g (44 to 49 m/s ), and up to 5.5 g (54 m/s ) at
3364-595: The Brazilian Grand Prix , as Glock had suffered further complications from his accident, resulting in a cracked vertebra and he would not be guaranteed to be fit in time to race in Brazil. Kobayashi retained the seat in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi . The FIA released preliminary technical regulations for the 2009 season on 22 December 2006, and these were revised several times to accommodate
3480-546: The GP2 Series . The World Drivers' Championship would be decided in the traditional manner of points scored after Bernie Ecclestone 's idea that the driver who won the most races be declared as the champion was scrapped following protests from the Formula One Teams Association . The teams were less successful in their attempts to have the long-running French and Canadian Grands Prix kept on
3596-574: The Italian Grand Prix . Toro Rosso, a team designed to develop new Formula One drivers, saw co-owner Gerhard Berger sell his half-stake back to Red Bull, claiming that the new regulations would "leave no room for improvement for a small team like STR", Franz Tost took over as team boss. Filling Vettel's race seat in Toro Rosso was Sébastien Buemi , who as part of the Red Bull Junior Team competed for Trust Team Arden in
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3712-476: The McLaren MP4-20 . Most of those innovations were effectively outlawed under even more stringent aero regulations imposed by the FIA for 2009. The changes were designed to promote overtaking by making it easier for a car to closely follow another. The new rules took the cars into another new era, with lower and wider front wings, taller and narrower rear wings, and generally much 'cleaner' bodywork. Perhaps
3828-702: The Williams FW31 , Toyota TF109 and the Brawn BGP 001 saying that they were illegal. The FIA scrutineers disagreed, declaring the cars legal. The other six teams filed an unsuccessful appeal which was heard on 14 April 2009 – the week prior to round three of the championship, the Chinese Grand Prix . The season opened at the Australian Grand Prix , won by Jenson Button with teammate Rubens Barrichello in second, giving
3944-487: The end of previous season . All teams, except Toyota , took part in the testing session where some teams tested their new aerodynamics package and slick tyres. The new look cars did not suit everyone's taste, with BMW Sauber 's test driver, Christian Klien , labelling the car the ugliest car he'd ever seen. The first 2009 test was held by Bahrain International Circuit , Bahrain on 16–19 February, and
4060-618: The 3.0 L V10, 582 kW (780 bhp) with the 2007-regulation 2.4 L V8, 710 kW (950 bhp) with 2016 1.6 L V6 turbo), aerodynamics, and ultra-high-performance tyres is what gives the F1 car its high performance figures. The principal consideration for F1 designers is acceleration , and not simply top speed. Three types of acceleration can be considered to assess a car's performance: All three accelerations should be maximised. The way these three accelerations are obtained and their values are: 2009 Formula One World Championship The 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship
4176-532: The Formula One brake manufacturers to date. Every F1 car is capable of going from 0 to 160 km/h (0 to 99 mph) and back to 0 in less than five seconds. During a demonstration at the Silverstone circuit in Britain, an F1 McLaren-Mercedes car driven by David Coulthard gave a pair of Mercedes-Benz street cars a head start of seventy seconds, and was able to beat the cars to the finish line from
4292-460: The ability to fine-tune many elements of the race car from within the machine using the steering wheel. The wheel can be used to change gears, apply rev. limiter, adjust fuel/air mix, change brake balance, control the differential, power unit, engine braking and call the radio. Data such as engine rpm, lap times, tyre temperature, brake temperature, speed, and gear are displayed on an LCD screen. The wheel hub will also incorporate gear change paddles and
4408-463: The activation zone until the driver brakes. Nose box or more commonly the nose cones serve three main purposes: Nose boxes are hollow structures made of carbon fibers. They absorb the shock at the time of crash preventing injury to the driver. Just behind the driver's cockpit is a structure called the Air Box. The Air Box serves two purposes. It receives the high-speed moving air and supplies it to
4524-445: The air box is its large size, which provides a large space for advertising, in turn, providing opportunities for additional ad revenue. F1 regulations heavily limit the use of ground effect aerodynamics , which are a highly efficient means of creating downforce with a small drag penalty. The underside of the vehicle, the undertray, must be flat between the axles. A 10 mm (as of 2008) thick wooden plank, or skid block , runs down
4640-439: The air moving through the compressor was much cooler, since it was farther away from the hot turbine section. Formula One cars use highly automated semi-automatic sequential gearboxes with paddle-shifters, with regulations stating that 8 forward gears (increased from 7 from the 2014 season onwards) and 1 reverse gear must be used, with rear-wheel-drive . The gearbox is constructed of carbon titanium, as heat dissipation
4756-465: The air spillage at their edges. The use of vortices is a significant feature of the latest breeds of F1 cars. Since a vortex is a rotating fluid that creates a low-pressure zone at its centre, creating vortices lowers the overall local pressure of the air. Since low pressure is what is desired under the car, as it allows normal atmospheric pressure to press the car down from the top; by creating vortices, downforce can be augmented while still staying within
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4872-410: The amount of turbulence. Revised regulations introduced in 2005 forced the aerodynamicists to be even more ingenious. In a bid to cut speeds, the FIA reduced downforce by raising the front wing, bringing the rear wing forward, and modifying the rear diffuser profile. The designers quickly regained much of this loss, with a variety of intricate and novel solutions such as the 'horn' winglets first seen on
4988-405: The back of the steering wheel , and advanced electric solenoids , hydraulic actuators , and sensors perform the actual shift, as well as the electronic throttle control . Clutch control is also performed electro-hydraulically, except when launching from a standstill (i.e., stationary, neutral) into first gear, where the driver operates the clutch manually using a lever mounted on the back of
5104-617: The biggest changes in Formula One regulations for several decades. The Brawn team, formed as a result of a management buyout of the Honda team , won six of the first seven races, their ability to make the most of the new regulations being a deciding factor in the championship. Red Bull Racing caught up in an unpredictable second half of the season, with the season being the first time since 2005 that all participating teams had scored World Championship points. Sebastian Vettel and Button's teammate Rubens Barrichello were his main challengers over
5220-542: The calendar, with the organisers of both events pulling out due to financial issues. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix made its debut appearance as the last round of the season, at the Hermann Tilke -designed Yas Marina Circuit . The race, starting at sunset, was Formula One's first day-night race. The first multi-team testing session took place at Circuit de Catalunya , Barcelona in November 2008, two weeks after
5336-472: The cars stripped of as much wing as possible, to reduce drag and increase speed on the long straights. Every single surface of a modern Formula One car, from the shape of the suspension links to that of the driver's helmet – has its aerodynamic effects considered. Disrupted air, where the flow 'separates' from the body, creates turbulence which creates drag – which slows the car down. Almost as much effort has been spent reducing drag as increasing downforce – from
5452-605: The championship. Vettel kept the opportunity of winning the Drivers' title with a dominant display in the Japanese Grand Prix , with Toyota's Trulli gaining what would prove to be Toyota's final podium before their withdrawal at the end of the season. Toyota teammate Glock was injured during qualifying, and a cracked vertebra meant he was replaced by reserve Kamui Kobayashi for the final two races. The Drivers' and Constructors' championships were both decided at
5568-462: The championships. The inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix , taking place at sunset, rounded out the season, with another win for Vettel and Red Bull's fourth 1–2 result of the year, awarding Vettel and the team second place in both championships. In a scandal dubbed " Crashgate " by the media, allegations of race-fixing during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix emerged during the second half of the 2009 season from former Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. Over
5684-635: The course of the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix , Piquet, who had been sacked weeks earlier by Renault, claimed he was asked to crash at the Singapore race in a strategy designed to aid teammate and eventual race winner Fernando Alonso . Renault were handed a two-year suspended ban from the sport after the FIA World Motor Sport Council decided the team's managing director , Flavio Briatore and its executive director of engineering , Pat Symonds had asked Piquet to crash. Both had left
5800-458: The design of the cars, incorporating wider and lower front wings, taller and narrower rear wings, and a reduction on aerodynamic bodywork. Also introduced were slick tyres and Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems, as well as implementing cost-cutting measures in a response to the rising costs of competing. Honda announced in December 2008 they would be leaving Formula One with immediate effect, as
5916-460: The diversity we see in wider society. There are various reasons, but we need to look forward and challenge the biases we see. Our journey starts here. The LGBTQ+ community has lacked visible representation and support within our industry, and we need to change this. We want Alpine to be an open, inclusive and productive place to work and for our employees to feel happy and supported in their workplace. A happy environment gives greater creativity and that
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#17327800039696032-503: The driver , intended to be used in competition at Formula One racing events. The regulations governing the cars are unique to the championship and specify that cars must be constructed by the racing teams themselves, though the design and manufacture can be outsourced. Formula One drivers experience peak cornering forces of up to six lateral g. Modern-day Formula One cars are constructed from composites of carbon fibre and similar ultra-lightweight materials. The minimum weight permissible
6148-414: The driver. Early experiments with movable wings and high mountings led to some spectacular accidents, and for the 1970 season, regulations were introduced to limit the size and location of wings. Having evolved over time, similar rules are still used today. In the late 1960s, Jim Hall of Chaparral, first introduced " ground effect " downforce to auto racing. In the mid-1970s, Lotus engineers found out that
6264-462: The dry weather compounds (generally a harder and softer compound) are brought to each race, plus both wet weather compounds. The harder tyres are more durable but give less grip, and the softer tyres the opposite. In 2009, the slick tyres returned as a part of revisions to the rules for the 2009 season; slicks have no grooves and give up to 18% more contact with the track. In the Bridgestone years,
6380-524: The entire car could be made to act like a giant wing by the creation of an airfoil surface on its underside which would cause air moving relative to the car to push it to the road. Applying another idea of Jim Hall's from his Chaparral 2J sports racer, Gordon Murray designed the Brabham BT46B , which had a radiator fan that also extracted air from the skirted area under the car, creating enormous downforce. After technical challenges from other teams, it
6496-554: The findings of the Overtaking Working Group (formed in response to concerns that passing in wheel-to-wheel racing was becoming increasingly rare) and the increasing need for cost-cutting in the sport to minimise financial costs. FIA President Max Mosley announced dramatic rule changes for the 2009 season in a bid to improve the spectacle of the sport, with the cars undergoing major changes in an effort to increase overtaking. The design changes significantly altered
6612-568: The first win for Rubens Barrichello after Hamilton lost the lead with an error in the pits; he finished second while both Red Bulls failed to score. At the Belgian Grand Prix Giancarlo Fisichella gained Force India 's first pole position, and his second-place finish behind Kimi Räikkönen gave their first points. Button's title charge was undermined by poor qualifying and a crash, involving him, Hamilton, Alguersuari and Grosjean, ending their races. Following
6728-446: The following car. Thus, for the 2022 season , the FIA made technical changes to the aerodynamic characteristics of the cars to reduce the amount of this 'dirty air' and allow for easier overtaking. Front wing, side pods, and rear wing have all been redesigned to redirect aerodynamic turbulence upwards, and larger tyres with 18-inch wheels were adopted in an effort to limit disruptive vortices generated by their rotation. The driver has
6844-411: The front wing. The cars underwent major changes in 2017, allowing wider front and rear wings, and wider tyres . Throughout much of the turbo-hybrid era, drivers have noted that following closely behind other cars, particularly when attempting to overtake, has been made considerably more difficult by large amounts of turbulence or 'dirty air' from the leading car reducing the aerodynamic performance of
6960-526: The fuel they are providing for a race. At any time, FIA inspectors can request a sample from the fueling rig to compare the "fingerprint" of what is in the car during the race with what was submitted. The teams usually abide by this rule, but in 1997, Mika Häkkinen was stripped of his third-place finish at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium after the FIA determined that his fuel was not the correct formula, as well as in 1976, both McLaren and Penske cars were forced to
7076-705: The high-speed circuits such as the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (Canadian GP) and the Autodromo Nazionale Monza (Italian GP). This contrasts with 1.0 g to 1.5 g (10 to 15 m/s ) for sports cars (the Bugatti Veyron is claimed to be able to brake at 1.3 g). An F1 car can brake from 200 km/h (124 mph) to a complete stop in just 2.9 seconds, using only 65 metres (213 ft). Currently Brembo along with its sister brand AP Racing and Hitco are
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#17327800039697192-475: The intake manifold of the engine. This high-speed air is pressurised and hence is compressed due to the Ram Effect. This high-pressure air, when supplied to the engine, boosts its power. Also, the air supplied to it is highly turbulent since it passes above the driver's helmet. The airbox absorbs this turbulent air, preventing it from disturbing the laminar airflow along with other parts. The second advantage of
7308-416: The interval between races, the controversial double diffusers, used by Brawn, Williams and Toyota, were declared legal by the FIA, ending the fight over their use. The Chinese race also took place in wet conditions, with the rain throughout the duration of the race necessitating a safety car start and causing several accidents. Vettel led teammate Mark Webber to Red Bull's first win in Formula One, ahead of
7424-411: The many reasons that Mercedes dominated the season early was due to the placement of the turbocharger's compressor at one side of the engine and the turbine at the other; both were then linked by a shaft travelling through the vee of the engine. The benefit was that air was not traveling through as much pipework, in turn reducing turbo lag and increasing the efficiency of the car. In addition, it meant that
7540-416: The matter with a $ 2.1 million payment to Bourdais to avoid litigation. After sustaining an injury during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, Ferrari's Felipe Massa missed the remainder of the season. He was replaced for the next two races by Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer , but after Badoer failed to score a single point in his two races, Ferrari replaced him with Giancarlo Fisichella who had signed
7656-425: The maximum amount of downforce for the minimal amount of drag. The primary wings mounted on the front and rear are fitted with different profiles depending on the downforce requirements of a particular track. Tight, slow circuits like Monaco require very aggressive wing profiles – cars run two separate 'blades' of 'elements' on the rear wings (two is the maximum permitted). In contrast, high-speed circuits like Monza see
7772-415: The middle of the car to prevent the cars from running low enough to contact the track surface; this skid block is measured before and after a race. Should the plank be less than 9 mm thick after the race, the car is disqualified. The 2022 rule change allowed for teams to utilise venturi tunnels to create much more ground effect than previous seasons allowed. This change, along with a vast simplification of
7888-466: The most interesting change, however, was the introduction of 'moveable aerodynamics', with the driver able to make limited adjustments to the front wing from the cockpit during a race. The new DRS (Drag Reduction System) rear wing system, introduced in 2011 usurped the former system. This too allows drivers to make adjustments, but the system's availability is electronically governed – originally it could be used at any time in practice and qualifying (unless
8004-400: The next day. At the other end of the timing sheets, reigning champion Lewis Hamilton 's McLaren team were struggling to adapt to the new regulations, often 1.5 seconds off the pace. Massa stated he had never seen McLaren so far behind. A major source of controversy throughout the winter season were the rear diffusers . Three teams – Toyota, Williams and Brawn GP – launched their cars with
8120-589: The nose is raised above the centre of the front aerofoil, allowing its entire width to provide downforce. The front and rear wings are highly sculpted and extremely fine 'tuned', along with the rest of the body such as the turning vanes beneath the nose, bargeboards , sidepods, underbody, and the rear diffuser . They also feature aerodynamic appendages that direct the airflow. Such an extreme level of aerodynamic development means that an F1 car produces much more downforce than any other open-wheel formula; Indycars, for example, produce downforce equal to their weight (that is,
8236-511: The organisation. Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher was originally set to replace the injured Massa, but the seat was taken by test driver Luca Badoer due to Schumacher's neck injuries. Also replaced was Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. , who complained of unfair treatment by team management, in favour of GP2 driver Romain Grosjean . The European Grand Prix in Valencia provided
8352-460: The outsides subsequently creating greater downforce. Tests were held on the Red Bull front wing and the FIA could find no way that the wing was breaking any regulation. Since the start of the 2011 season, cars have been allowed to run with an adjustable rear wing, more commonly known as DRS (drag reduction system), a system to combat the problem of turbulent air when overtaking. On the straights of
8468-442: The over body aerodynamics, was done with the intention of creating closer racing by reducing the vortices created by the complex wings. A substantial amount of downforce is provided by using a rear diffuser which rises from the undertray at the rear axle to the actual rear of the bodywork. F1 regulations heavily limited the use of ground effect until the 2022 rule change, which are a highly efficient means of creating downforce with
8584-463: The partnership had not met his expectations. Bourdais was replaced by Jaime Alguersuari ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix . Alguersuari had been racing in Formula Renault 3.5 Series in 2009, and had only signed a deal to replace Brendon Hartley as Toro Rosso's test driver two weeks prior. Bourdais was advised by counsel to file suit for breach of contract by Toro Rosso. Toro Rosso settled
8700-465: The penultimate race in Brazil . Storm-affected qualifying at Interlagos gave Barrichello pole during Formula One's longest qualifying session, while title rivals Button and Vettel started from 14th and 16th respectively. During the first lap, three incidents led to the retirement of three cars and a fire in the pit-lane, with Button taking advantage to move up the grid. Button fought up to fifth position by
8816-465: The penultimate race of the season. It was both Button and Brawn's first and only championship success, Brawn becoming the first team to win the Constructors' Championship in their debut season. 2009 was the only season in which Brawn GP competed, before the team was sold to Mercedes for the 2010 season, also making them the only team ever to win 100% of championships in which they took part. Button
8932-409: The period when teams were limited to a specific volume of fuel during a race, exotic high-density fuel blends were used which were actually more dense than water, since the energy content of a fuel depends on its mass density. To make sure that the teams and fuel suppliers are not violating the fuel regulations, the FIA requires Elf, Shell, Mobil, Petronas, and the other fuel teams to submit a sample of
9048-500: The period; however, development had led to these engines producing between 730 and 750 kW (980 and 1,000 hp), and the cars reaching top speeds of 375 km/h (233 mph) (Jacques Villeneuve with Sauber-Ferrari) on the Monza circuit. Teams started to use exotic alloys in the late 1990s, leading to the FIA banning the use of exotic materials in engine construction, with only aluminium, titanium and iron alloys being allowed for
9164-513: The pistons, cylinders, connecting rods and crankshafts. The FIA has continually enforced material and design restrictions to limit power. Even with the restrictions, the V10s in the 2005 season were reputed to develop 730 kW (980 hp), power levels not seen since before the ban on turbo-charged engines in 1989. The lesser funded teams (the former Minardi team spent less than 50 million, while Ferrari spent hundreds of millions of euros
9280-451: The poor performances of McLaren and Ferrari compared to the 2008 season. Ten teams participated in the championship after several rule changes were implemented by the FIA to cut costs to try to minimise the financial difficulties. There were further changes to try to improve the on-track spectacle with the return of slick tyres , changes to aerodynamics and the introduction of kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) presenting some of
9396-567: The race Badoer, who had qualified and finished last in both races, was replaced with Giancarlo Fisichella after his performance at the Belgian race. Vitantonio Liuzzi in turn took the vacant Force India drive. Brawn returned to form in Italy , with Barrichello leading home the team's fourth 1–2 of the season. Lewis Hamilton crashed on the penultimate lap, but came back by winning the next race at Singapore . Webber's crash ended his chance of winning
9512-399: The race end, securing enough points to clinch the title. Mark Webber took the lead after Barrichello pitted and won the race, followed by Robert Kubica, to give BMW Sauber their joint best result of their final season and his only podium result in 2009. Lewis Hamilton completed the top three after starting 17th on the grid, moving him and McLaren above Kimi Räikkönen and Ferrari respectively in
9628-477: The race. Button won in dominant fashion at Monaco , leading the majority of the race from pole position ahead of his teammate Barrichello and Räikkönen, who scored Ferrari's first podium in 2009. At the Turkish Grand Prix Vettel started on pole but lost the position to Button on the first lap. Button went on to win, followed by Webber and a closely pursuing Vettel. Barrichello's car developed
9744-470: The rear of the Italian Grand Prix after the octane number of the mixture was found to be too high. The 2009 season saw the re-introduction of slick tyres replacing the grooved tyres used from 1998 to 2008 . Tyres can be no wider than 405 mm (15.9 in) at the rear, front tyre width expanded from 245 mm to 305 mm for the 2017 season. Unlike the fuel, the tyres bear only
9860-576: The reception of the DRS system has differed among drivers, fans, and specialists. Early designs linked wings directly to the suspension, but several accidents led to rules stating that wings must be fixed rigidly to the chassis. The cars' aerodynamics are designed to provide maximum downforce with a minimum of drag ; every part of the bodywork is designed with this aim in mind. Like most open-wheel cars they feature large front and rear aerofoils , but they are far more developed than American open-wheel racers, which depend more on suspension tuning; for instance,
9976-421: The region of 2 – 3 ms . In order to keep costs low in Formula One, gearboxes must last five consecutive events, and since 2015, gearbox ratios will be fixed for each season (for 2014 they could be changed only once). Changing a gearbox before the allowed time will cause a penalty of five places drop on the starting grid for the first event that the new gearbox is used. Aerodynamics has become key to success in
10092-568: The rules prohibiting ground effects . The F1 cars for the 2009 season came under much questioning due to the design of the rear diffusers of the Williams, Toyota and the Brawn GP cars raced by Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, dubbed double diffusers . Appeals from many of the teams were heard by the FIA, which met in Paris, before the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix , and the use of such diffusers
10208-405: The same principle as aircraft wings but are configured to cause a downward force rather than an upward one. A modern Formula One car is capable of developing 6 Gs of lateral cornering force due to aerodynamic downforce. The aerodynamic downforce allowing this is typically greater than the weight of the car. That means that, theoretically, at high speeds, they could drive on the upside-down surface of
10324-603: The same regulation as the 2006 season. However, for the 2009 season, drivers were allowed to use a maximum of 8 engines per head over the season, meaning that a couple of engines had to last three race weekends. This method of limiting engine costs also increased the importance of tactics, since the teams had to choose in which races to employ a new or an already-used engine. As of the 2014 season, all F1 cars have been equipped with turbocharged 1.6 L V6 engines. Turbochargers had previously been banned since 1989. This change may give an improvement of up to 29% fuel efficiency. One of
10440-405: The season, winning six races between them to finish in second and third, respectively. As of 2024, it was the last time a British -licensed constructor won the constructors' title. The following teams and drivers competed in the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship . Teams competed with tyres supplied by Bridgestone . One constructor entered free practice only drivers over the course of
10556-458: The season: Kamui Kobayashi for Toyota at the Japanese Grand Prix . Honda withdrew ahead of the 2009 season, and the team was bought by a consortium led by team principal Ross Brawn . Brawn renamed the team Brawn GP , and raced with Mercedes engines, but retained Honda drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello . Force India also raced with Mercedes engines, after running with Ferrari engines in 2008 . The only offseason driver change
10672-521: The second and final testing was held by Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya , Spain on 9–12 March. The final test featured for the first time Brawn GP , who made an immediate impact by leading the times early in the day. The test was the first in which all teams used their 2009 cars and had BMW Sauber leading the times whilst Brawn GP were fourth. On day three, Brawn GP's Jenson Button was fastest by just over one second to Ferrari's Felipe Massa , while Button's teammate Rubens Barrichello went even faster
10788-527: The sponsorship deal between Alpine and BWT , the A522 competed in the first two races of the season, in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, in pink livery, completely replacing the usual blue livery. In June 2022, Racing Pride announced a partnership with [Alpine, which saw Racing Pride work with Alpine on a number of initiatives to ensure their pathways for attracting emerging talent are welcoming to LGBTQ + people, and
10904-431: The sport, and teams spend tens of millions of dollars on research and development in the field each year. The aerodynamic designer has two primary concerns: the creation of downforce, to help push the car's tyres onto the track and improve cornering forces, and minimising drag caused by turbulence that slows the car. Several teams started to experiment with the now familiar wings in the late 1960s. Racecar wings operate on
11020-587: The steering wheel. The last F1 car fitted with a conventional manual gearbox , the Forti FG01 , raced in 1995 . A modern F1 clutch is a multi-plate carbon design with a diameter of less than 100 mm (3.9 in), weighing less than 1 kg (2.2 lb) and handling around 540 kW (720 hp). As of the 2009 race season, all teams are using seamless-shift transmissions , which allow almost instantaneous changing of gears with minimum loss of drive. Shift times for modern Formula One cars are in
11136-412: The stewards and at the following Malaysian Grand Prix there were reports he was on the verge of quitting. The race was equally dramatic, being stopped because of monsoon-like conditions, meaning only half points were awarded for only the fifth time in F1 history. Button mastered the changing conditions for his second win, while quick starting Nico Rosberg dropped to eighth when the race was stopped. In
11252-482: The team a 1–2 on its début. Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel had been running in second until he collided with BMW Sauber 's Robert Kubica . The accident meant the race finished behind the safety car , with Toyota's Jarno Trulli eventually classified third despite McLaren 's false protest he had illegally overtaken Lewis Hamilton . Reigning champion Hamilton was disqualified from the Australian race for lying to
11368-466: The team before the WMSC hearing, where they were given life and five-year suspensions respectively. It had been rumoured Renault were prepared to quit the sport at the end of the 2009 season had the team been heavily punished, but the FIA found Briatore and Symonds solely to blame and chose to suspend Renault's ban. Points were awarded to the top eight classified finishers. If two or more competitors had
11484-507: The team pledged to show support and raise awareness and for the LGBTQ+ community. Coinciding with Pride Month 2022, the Formula 1 team also ran a special pride livery on their Alpine cars throughout the month of June, with other nods to the LGBTQ+ community throughout the team's sites. Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi said of the partnership: "For so long, motorsport has not been representative of
11600-534: The team to fine-tune the weight distribution of the car to suit individual circuits. The 2006 Formula One season saw the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) introduce a then-new engine formula, which mandated cars to be powered by 2.4 L naturally aspirated engines in the V8 engine configuration, with no more than four valves per cylinder. Further technical restrictions, such as
11716-409: The top teams. One of the car's key strengths is its top speed, which was particularly evident in races such as Baku , where it was noted that other cars could not catch the A522 on the straightaways, despite the advantage of DRS. The team had reliability problems in several races, however the team beat McLaren to 4th in the constructors' championship - their best finish since 2018. To mark the start of
11832-458: The two Brawns and McLarens. Dry conditions at Bahrain saw the Toyota team gain the front of the grid, but Button managed to fight up from a fourth-place start, and overtook race leader Timo Glock on his first pit stop. Hamilton and Räikkönen, in fourth and sixth respectively, gave their 2008 championship winning teams the best finishes of a disappointing season start. The Spanish Grand Prix
11948-507: The tyre surface conforms to the road surface as closely as possible). Since the start of the 2007 season, F1 has had a sole tyre supplier. From 2007 to 2010, this was Bridgestone, but 2011 saw the reintroduction of Pirelli into the sport, following the departure of Bridgestone. Seven compounds of F1 tyre exist; 5 are dry weather compounds (labeled C1 through C5) while 2 are wet compounds (intermediates for damp surfaces with no standing water and full wets for surfaces with standing water). Three of
12064-405: The vast amounts of heat produced by the engine and brakes. In recent years, most Formula One teams have tried to emulate Ferrari's 'narrow waist' design, where the rear of the car is made as narrow and low as possible. This reduces drag and maximises the amount of air available to the rear wing. The 'barge boards' fitted to the sides of cars have also helped to shape the flow of the air and minimise
12180-407: The vertical end-plates fitted to wings to prevent vortices forming to the diffuser plates mounted low at the back, which helps to re-equalise pressure of the faster-flowing air that has passed under the car and would otherwise create a low-pressure 'balloon' dragging at the back. Despite this, designers can't make their cars too 'slippery', as a good supply of airflow has to be ensured to help dissipate
12296-404: The wing, thus reducing drag and allowing higher top speeds. However, this also reduces downforce so it is normally used on long straight track sections or sections which do not require high downforce. The system was introduced to promote more overtaking, and is often the reason for overtaking on straights or at the end of straights where overtaking is encouraged in the following corner(s). However,
12412-487: Was a battle between the Brawn teammates, with Barrichello getting ahead of polesitter Button while a first lap incident forced the retirement of four drivers. Button followed a different pit-stop strategy and passed Barrichello during his stop, leading Brawn's second one-two of the season. Red Bull was the closest team to Brawn finishing third and fourth, while Felipe Massa 's fuel shortage lost him places as he slowed to finish
12528-428: Was declared as legal. Brawn GP boss Ross Brawn claimed the double diffuser design as "an innovative approach of an existing idea". These were subsequently banned for the 2011 season. Another controversy of the 2010 and 2011 seasons was the front wing of the Red Bull cars. Several teams protested claiming the wing was breaking regulations. Footage from high-speed sections of circuits showed the Red Bull front wing bending on
12644-555: Was following the retirement of Red Bull's David Coulthard after 14 years in Formula One. He was replaced by Sebastian Vettel , who had raced for Toro Rosso in 2008. Vettel's seat at Toro Rosso was taken by the Swiss driver Sébastien Buemi , who was Red Bull's test driver in 2008. Following the German Grand Prix , Toro Rosso's Sébastien Bourdais was dropped by the team, with Toro Rosso principal Franz Tost claiming that
12760-823: Was implemented so that casual fans could better understand the tyre system. Generally, the three dry compounds brought to the track are of consecutive specifications. Disc brakes consist of a rotor and caliper at each wheel. Carbon composite rotors (introduced by the Brabham team in 1976 ) are used instead of steel or cast iron because of their superior frictional, thermal, and anti-warping properties, as well as significant weight savings. These brakes are designed and manufactured to work in extreme temperatures, up to 1,000 degrees Celsius (1800 °F). The driver can control brake force distribution fore and aft to compensate for changes in track conditions or fuel load. Regulations specify this control must be mechanical, not electronic, thus it
12876-447: Was normally around 75 L/100 km (3.8 mpg ‑imp ; 3.1 mpg ‑US ). All cars have the engine located between the driver and the rear axle. The engines are a stressed member in most cars, meaning that the engine is part of the structural support framework, being bolted to the cockpit at the front end, and transmission and rear suspension at the back end. In the 2004 championship, engines were required to last
12992-402: Was not on the podium for the first time this season, finishing sixth. Red Bull also dominated the following German Grand Prix with Webber taking his first pole and race win, despite being given a drive through penalty . Ferrari were also showing signs of improvement, Felipe Massa finishing third in what would be his final race of the season. He was hospitalised after being hit on the helmet by
13108-499: Was replaced by Romain Grosjean , who was Renault's test driver. In qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix , Toyota's Timo Glock crashed heavily at the last corner and was airlifted to hospital with a leg injury. As he was not fit to race, Jarno Trulli was the only driver representing Toyota at the Japanese Grand Prix. On 11 October, Toyota confirmed that its test driver Kamui Kobayashi would make his race debut in
13224-420: Was the 63rd season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 60th Formula One World Championship which was contested over 17 events commencing with the Australian Grand Prix on 29 March and ending with the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 1 November. Jenson Button and Brawn GP secured the Drivers' Championship and Constructors' Championship titles, respectively, in the Brazilian Grand Prix ,
13340-403: Was the tenth British driver to win the championship, and following Lewis Hamilton 's success in 2008, it was the first time the championship had been won by English drivers in consecutive seasons, and the first time since Graham Hill (1968) and Jackie Stewart (1969) that consecutive championships had been won by British drivers. Also notable was the success of Red Bull Racing , as well as
13456-407: Was withdrawn after a single race. Rule changes then followed to limit the benefits of 'ground effects' – firstly a ban on the skirts used to contain the low-pressure area, later a requirement for a 'stepped floor'. Despite the full-sized wind tunnels and vast computing power used by the aerodynamic departments of most teams, the fundamental principles of Formula One aerodynamics still apply: to create
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