Formula 1 Automotive Technology Showcase
Formula one is the most-watched motor racing event, with a global viewing audience of about 425 million people tuning in every year.
This year (2016) has seen the most races held in history, with 21 races in 21 different countries, generating between $1.5 to $2 billion dollars of revenue every year.
The ultimate showcase for manufacturers
F1 is a glamorous sport, so no wonder so many manufacturers want to be part of this amazing spectacle and showcase their new innovative technologies to the world.
It’s no surprise that Mercedes are seeing record sales of their road car sales, partially due to the Mercedes team dominating the F1 scene at the
moment.
Technical expertise matters the most.
F1 is a sport mostly dominated by the team with the best technical expertise.
Not to say that driver input is irrelevant, but if you look at history, the team that wins the constructors championship have the the best technical expertise, and the drivers of that team get the chance to win the driver’s title.
Costs involved in participating
For manufacturers, the greatest challenge is remaining competitive, as it is a very competitive sport, and if success doesn’t come, then most manufacturers leave the sport. Toyota and BMW are two examples of teams which no longer compete.
Influence on technology
Several technological innovations which have been developed specifically for F1 have since been adopted by other car manufacturers and incorporated into the design of passenger vehicles.
– Active suspension technology was first introduced by the Lotus team in 1980 to improve cornering. Many variations of this technology are used in road cars today.
– Sequential Gearbox. First introduced to F1 by the Williams team, sequential gearboxes allow for faster gear shifting without the need to press the clutch to change between gears. Nowadays most sports cars have this feature built-in.
Technical expertise is very important in F1 but the drivers have a role as well. To learn more about the best F1 drivers, click on 5 Best F1 Drivers currently racing.
For more information about F1 gossip news click here.
