Why Are Formula 1 Drivers Recumbent in Their Vehicles?

Called the pinnacle of motorsport Formula 1There are many reasons why ‘ is named this way, but many important details are skipped when viewed from afar. There is also the fact that these cars, which require serious work even just to understand the steering wheel, have to be built. Details we wouldn’t normally think of. It requires long hours of work by spending significant money on it.

Formula 1 more than anything of the gaps is a sport. Before the race, while the vehicles are standing in the garage, hot air is supplied through the air ducts by machines that look like giant blow dryers so that the engine can warm up. Because inside the vehicle, the engine is too cramped to move, and when the engine is heated, the pistons have room to move. In all such compact vehicles not having the same driver’s seat normal.

They drive almost lying on the ground.

As we often see in Formula 1 races pilots when they are placed inside the vehicle, their heads do not even reach the waist of a person outside the vehicle. Not counting Yuki Tsunoda, none of these pilots are short. Average height of pilots 1.77 meters. We can see how close they are to the ground from here.

Race length of the pilots to the G force extreme It is very important that they are not tossed left and right in the vehicle due to exposure to In addition, aerodynamic balances are very important for teams. Therefore, custom-made seats allow pilots to enter the vehicle in a special position.

On the basis of these studies, Formula 1 vehicles downforce also air friction also lies to prevent. As the downforce on the vehicle increases, the car’s handling increases, but the lap times slow down and tire wear increases. As the wind resistance increases at high speeds, problems such as heating and loss of speed arise.

These chairs are not ordinary.

The pilots, who start the season fit every year, try to maintain the same weight and body structure throughout the season. Although it seems very simple on paper, In an average race, pilots lose 3-4 kilos from their weight.. If it hadn’t rained at the last Singapore GP, it was estimated that the pilots would have lost an average of 5 kilograms.

So why are the pilots trying to protect their structure and the seats in the vehicles? every week not made suitable for pilots? In fact, it is brought, but not as much as one might think. For example, at the beginning of this year, the seats were renewed for the pilots who developed their neck and shoulder muscles due to the fact that the vehicles experienced too much pitching, but this change was achieved with the modifications on the main mold. It is not always possible to buy a mold from scratch, producing from scratch requires a process. After all, we’re talking about Formula 1 cars here, Not from Fiat Egea.

So how is the master mold produced?

At the beginning of the year, the pilots molds taken with polymersAfterwards, they are finalized with 3D design programs and sent to production. from carbonfiber The pilot seats produced are placed in the empty chassis. Afterwards, electronic junk, cables, etc. being laid. So actually inside the car There is no place to step. If you inflate too much, you won’t be able to fit in the seat, if you don’t inflate enough, you will be beaten from the seat at every bend throughout the race. Moreover, when you change the seat, you may need to make some changes even in the chassis, depending on the location. In the video below in 2021 The process of making Bottas’ chair We are guests.

The seats are actually It is not fixed to the car. The reason for this is to ensure that in the event of an accident, the pilot can be removed from the vehicle by being held by the belt buckles. This significantly reduces the risk of possible spinal damage or internal bleeding. The seats can be attached and detached from the vehicle using a four-point system.

At least the drivers are comfortable. It does, doesn’t it?

In the part where the drivers are, safety is more important than comfort. In addition, since aerodynamics have an important place in the design of the vehicle, it “being in a slightly uncomfortable position” It’s not a big deal for teams.

Here’s how useful security decisions are. The crash of Romain Grosjean we can see. When you hit the barriers at high speed with your fuel tank behind you and your car turned into a fireball and split in two, you couldn’t normally get out of that car with just a little burn on your hands. Or when the Max Verstappen 51G hits the barriers fast in the 2021 season if the seat and vehicle do not absorb the impact, today, as in previous years, there was a Verstappen corner named after the pilot who died in the accident. Safety is important, Formula 1 is no joke.

In this driving position, the pilots also have their knees it’s curling. The reason for this is that vehicles require a significant amount of power, especially in order to use the brake pedals. This power difference is not small, someone who is not accustomed to a Formula 1 car cannot accelerate, and if he accelerates, he cannot slow down. Having the knees in the bent position allows the pilots to apply more force. to use more muscles makes it possible to control the vehicle.

Another effect of sitting position: Pilots only see ahead of them.

From time to time during race broadcasts from on-board cameras We see the runways. The images from these cameras make us feel like the vehicles have a wide field of view, but the reality is not quite like that. Let’s illustrate this with two videos.

This is the angle you saw. From the on-board camera of Leclerc’s Ferrari in Abu Dhabi in 2022:

If you cannot view the video, click this link.

Here are the images reflected on Charles Leclerc’s helmet camera on the same track:

Field of view differences draws attention.

The position of the seats is also important.

your vehicle the deterioration of the aerodynamic structure Besides, another reason why pilots go this close to the ground is to bring the center of gravity as close to the ground as possible. Thus, the vehicle is aimed to be more stable when accelerating, decelerating or cornering. The closer the center of gravity is between the support points and the closer to the ground, the greater the balance.

So in Formula 1 cars each pilot’s seat is unique to him as produced. Thanks to the special seating position and shape, the seats make the vehicle more balanced and aerodynamically more advanced.