Formula racing is a task that is waaayyyy more Demanding & Challenging than most other forms of driving. Which is why its one of the most expensive form of sports that are about. However its not due to this factor that any Tom, Dick & Harry is not allowed to get into F1 driving. Then what the hell is it????.
Some say that its because you have to drive over speeds of upto 400kmph (250mph) under the stress of so many factors such as body wrenching G-Force (for those of you who dont know what G-Force is, its the pull in the opposite direction that you feel when you take a bend in a car) pressure to perform and constant focus and blah blah blah (all sorts of shit like that).
Well YEAH those are all very valid reasons, but you look at things way more closely you'll see that there a more daunting and intriguing fact behind all the others. Okayyy, and what might this "FACT" be???
Lets begin with the basic fact. Any one who has driven a car will know that when approaching a bend at a speed you instinctively know when to slow down and by how much speed. Keeping that situation in mind, picture this series of events. Say there is a bend which in a normal sports car (Dodge Viper, Audi Rs,etc) you can just about manage to take at about 140 Kmph. You drive in on a straight at around 180kmph and you find your self applying the brakes down to 140 Kmph to take the turn.You go at any higher speed than that you will find your self skidding off the track and hitting the opposite wall, which would ofcource result in ... well, you inurying yourself and more importantly damaging the car :P.
You try slowing down from whatever speed you are comming in the F1 car and try to take the bend at 140kmph, you might as well write your last will before you try it out. Coz very simply putting it you are goin to goin to skid off the track and hit the opposite wall @ 140 kmph. "WHY DA HECK DID DAT HAPPEN????" If you are to successfully take that bend you will have to be travelling at almost double the speeds a normal sports car would have taken that bend at. Again you are thinking "ARE U FRIGGING MAD". How is it that travelling at a certain speed KILLS you and travelling at double the speed NOT KILL you???
The reason is very simple. F1 cars are made in such a way that they weigh only less that 1000kg and are powered by immensly overpowered engines. Therefore in order to keep the car on the ground F1 cars use extremly complex aerodynamic designing so that the air flowing over the car will push the car down acting as a glue sticking the car to the ground. So comming back to the previous series of events, if you are to take the bend at 140kmph, there is simply not enough air flowing over the car to keep it stuck to the ground. Hence it slides off the track. At double the speed you have double the air making the car weigh arround 2.5 MT (at normal F1 Cruise speeds) thereby keeping the car stuck onto the ground. Its as simple as that. There is also the fact about the tires being pre heated (since hotter tires tend to stick onto the tarmac better than cold tires) before they are put onto the car so at speeds as low as 140 kmph there is not enough friction to keep the tires hot, therefore they lose their heat & their grip.
All that technical jargon (if you didnt understand any of it... its ok) is fine, but what im trying to point out is this. Your brain is programmed to think that taking that bend at a lower speed will keep you safe which is not the reality. So in taking that bend YOU WILL HAVE TO DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOUR BRAIN TELLS YOU TO DO. It makes it even worse that the fact that your life will depend on what you do here. You are being challenged to make a decision, although you know the facts that'll keep you alive, you also know that the same facts goes against all that your instincts says. Its a battle between the Brain and you and it comes down to a matter of making your body DO what your brain tells you NOT TO DO.
On just reading this you cant understand what im trying to say here. You really have to experience a near death experience where you might have either frozen up completely or reacted instinctively to get out of the way. And here (and i cant emphasise enough) even instinct is against you. THINK DATS HARD. Thats just for taking one bend imagine going round a race track over n over again having to go through that though process over and over again.
At the end of it all there is only one question that needs answering, only one answer that matters..
"IS IT YOUR BRAIN, OR IS IT YOU that makes the decision??"............ Food for Thought..
