A ride in a Formula 1 car

Posted on July 31, 2010

Earlier this year I was given the chance to be a passenger in a Formula 1 car. For the past couple of months I’ve been trying - without much success - to find a way of describing what it was like, and I’ve come to the conclusion that there simply isn’t anything in the English language that illustrates it.

This was at 5am, the Thursday before the Australian Grand Prix. I had been invited down to Melbourne to go for a ride in the Minardi two-seater F1 car and now that I’m here, in the inner-sanctum of F1’s Paddock, the magnitude of what I’m about to experience starts to sink in.

Although I’ve brought along the prerequisite medical certificates I still have to undergo a medical examination by the FIA’s Chief Doctor to ensure I’m physically fit enough to be put into the car. The Medical Centre, which is a series of demountable structures, looks rather underwhelming in the high-tech world of F1. The picturesque location of Albert Park makes it easy to forget that this is a temporary street circuit set up once a year. Inside, the doctor hooks me up to some sort of beeping machine while he prods my belly and listens to my breathing. I’m told there are strict requirements to be a passenger in an F1 car. Candidates must have a clean bill of health, be under the age of 55, weigh no more than 88kg and be between 1.59m (5.2ft) and 1.8m (6ft) in height. For once I’m glad to be on the shorter end of the scale!

After a nervous fifteen minutes (at one point the machine I was hooked up to starting beeping crazily - thankfully it was a false alarm) the doctor gives me the thumbs up and I sign the first of many waiver forms.

Garth was sad.

Inside the garage are two Minardi F1 cars. Both are real deal F1 racers that competed in GPs before being modified with an extended monocoque to accommodate a passenger behind the driver. In spite of the major modifications, these Minardis - which are known as F1×2s - have a dry weight of 545kg so they are the most accurate representation of what it’s like in a real F1 car. Before I get the chance to look at the cars up close, another clipboard is thrust in front of me requiring me to acknowledge the dangers of what I’m about to take part in. To be honest, at that point I would have gladly signed anything because I’d be dying a happy man!

What strikes you when you first see a Formula 1 car in the flesh is just how low to the ground they are. Compared to a conventional F1 car, the F1×2 isn’t that much longer (it comes in at 4870mm).

Without its wheels and engine cowl, it looks more like a fighter jet than a car. The F1×2 has a slightly extended wheelbase of 3370mm with a track of 1800mm.

Certainly surprised how small an F1 car’s brakes are. You’d think that brakes capable of generating 4g would be enormous in size, but they’re small enough to fit behind a 13-inch rim. The Minardi uses 6-piston AP Racing calipers and inch-think carbon Hitco rotors.

Here’s the heart of the beast: a V10 built by Cosworth but re-badged under the European moniker. The crew weren’t able to tell me an exact power figure, but it produces in excess of 700hp with the rev limit set to a ‘conservative’ 16,000rpm. As you can see, the engine is bolted directly to the monocoque, which is the safety cell that houses the occupants and the fuel tank. In an accident F1 cars are, quite literally, designed to disintegrate to dissipate energy away from the monocoque. Hmm, I really shouldn’t be thinking about crashes when I’m about to get into an F1 car…

Engineers dedicate their lives to saving every gram of weight possible. There’s a continual push for components to be lighter and smaller so the aerodynamics can be maximised. One thing that is sacrificed in F1 cars are onboard starter motors. Instead, F1 cars are fired up with an external starter motor, which is an enormous probe that is inserted into the rear end. Before anti-stall was permitted, F1 drivers had to rely on catching the motor with the clutch to prevent stalling.

This dude’s shirt summed up what I was about to experience. See it. Hear it. Feel it. Two drivers were on duty, ex-F1 racer Zsolt Baumgartner and well-known Aussie driver Cameron McConville. No disrespect to Cam, but I really wanted Zsolt to be my driver, as no one has done more laps in the F1×2 than him. I also overheard Cam saying that after four laps in the F1 car his neck could no longer hold his head up!

We’re measured and dressed in the appropriate attire. I’m told the importance of wearing the flame-proof apparel correctly: the flame-proof underwear needs to overlap, there can be no exposed skin whatsoever, and I should choose overalls that are a size too big (so the family jewels aren’t crushed when I’m strapped in).

Here’s the F1×2 being pushed to the pit-lane, where the Minardi crew have set up a make-shift pit box. We’ll each be given three laps in the F1×2: one out-lap, one flyer and one in-lap. I’m told I’ll be the third passenger, with Zsolt as my driver.

There are half a dozen people in my group, and the first to get a ride is Lydia Lassila who won gold in the recent Winter Olympics. Hearing a lone Formula 1 car screaming around the track, slicing through the still of the early morning, sent chills down my spine.

Paul Stoddart, the millionaire owner of Minardi, is an absolute legend. A lot has been said about Paul in the media, but within minutes of chatting to him you can’t help but be impressed with how easy going he is. His passion for F1 is obvious, and there’s a sense of regrettable irony that this F1 outcast is doing the most for the sport by giving us normal folk a chance to experience F1 first hand.

Although there’s no pressure of competition, it’s amazing to see how efficient the pit crew are. Everything is executed like clockwork, with the team working with military precision.

With a wink of the eye, Paul tells me it’s my turn. Gulp.

Getting into the F1×2 feels as if I’m lowering myself into a man-hole. My legs slide forward, straddling either side of the driver’s seat. The cockpit is so small that Zsolt’s seat is inches from my face, and I have to raise my arms so there’s enough room for the mechanics to tighten the harness. I’m not a claustrophobic person, but as the cockpit surround is clipped into place it feels like I’m being buried alive.

Before I have a chance to gather my thoughts and calm myself down, there’s a heavy clunk from the rear as the starter motor is inserted. There’s a sudden whirr from the starter that causes my teeth to chatter before the V10 barks into life, its idle a deep, menacing growl. I wince as the car is dropped off its jacks - your butt is literally on the floor so you feel everything - and without warning Zsolt selects a gear and releases the clutch. The F1×2 jolts forward like a train carriage and within a matter of meters we’re glancing off the speed limiter. Brap-brap-brap-brap; the rev limit sends shockwaves through the chassis, my helmet bouncing against the headrest. We’re hurtling down the pit lane with the garages flashing by to my right. Hey, this isn’t too bad, I think to myself.

Now if there’s one downside to the F1×2, it’s the fact that you can’t see what’s directly in front of you. So there I was, thinking how tame an F1 car is, completely unaware that we were nearing the pit exit. I was mid-breath when Zsolt crossed the line and dropped the hammer, and what ensued was one of the scariest things I’ve ever experienced. The best way to describe it is to imagine being blind-folded and pushed in front of a speeding truck. The moment Zsolt released the limiter, my helmet snapped back and the air was sucked out of my lungs. I could feel the blood draining from my cheeks, my body frozen against the sudden acceleration. Just as I thought things couldn’t get any worse, Zsolt hit the brakes for Turn 1 and everything went into reverse. My head was violently thrown forward, the visor of my helmet smashing against the back of his seat. I hate to say this, but for those first few seconds I was completely and utterly terrified. Although I had wanted to experience an F1 car since I was a child, the only thing I could think of was that I wanted to get out. I wanted it to stop. Immediately.

After a couple of corners the fear starts to subside and you try to get accustomed to not only the speed, but also the ferocity of it all. All of your senses are overwhelmed: your vision is a blur, your body is being battered and your ears are filled with the deafening scream of the V10.

When Zsolt stands on the brakes for Turn 9 I’m subjected to the full braking force of a Formula 1 car. The sudden increase in g-forces crush your body and it feels like my organs are being squished into my rib cage. Through the fast sweepers of 11 and 12 I’m thrown around like a rag doll. Although my belts were painfully tight, they’ve already worked loose and I’m completely helpless as I’m tossed right, left, right against the cockpit. Through the medium-speed corners I can feel the rear breaking away, the tyres groaning as Zsolt does a handful of micro-corrections - tiny flicks of opposite-lock - while staying on the throttle.

While the second and third laps are exhilarating, it’s impossible to get used to the severity of the braking. On the main straight I took a peek around Zsolt, which proved to be a bad idea as the buffeting was so strong my helmet felt like it was going to be ripped off. And within five minutes, it’s all over. I’m trembling when I get out of the car, and my elbows and knees are bruised from being banged against the cockpit.

After just three laps I was completely exhausted - and I wasn’t even driving. How F1 drivers can physically and mentally drive these things at 10/10ths for two hours is beyond comprehension. It’s not the acceleration that separates Formula 1 from other racing categories, it’s the staggering braking and extreme cornering speeds they are capable of. Was it an experience of a lifetime? Yes. Would I do it again? You bet. Was it enjoyable? Not in the slightest.

App review: HelvetiNote

Posted on July 28, 2010

Those who love Type will dig HelvetiNote. It’s another addition to the growing number of note-taking apps for the iPad and, as the name suggests, it celebrates everything Helvetica. It’s not as good as Things (which is the ultimate app for taking and keeping track of notes), but I’m sure this is a must have for many designers out there.

A sore loser?

Posted on July 27, 2010

While waiting outside Sydney’s domestic terminal for our flight to Perth, the wind blew this piece of paper to my feet. Someone had scribbled this rather disturbing message on the back of a lottery ticket (which they obviously didn’t win). I’m glad this dude wasn’t sitting next to me on the plane!

Auto Salon Perth 2010

Posted on July 26, 2010

Earlier this morning I arrived back in Sydney from our Auto Salon event in Perth. It was completely exhausting for the whole team but it was certainly rewarding.

Some of the pics aren’t of great quality, as I rushed to take these just as the show was coming to a close. Here is the JUN Auto EVO X from Japan, which was recently purchased by someone in Perth (at a bargain price too).

Thanks to the hard-work of Allen @ Tomei and Ian @ Hi-Octane Racing, the Tomei Cusco WRX made its first ever appearance in Western Australia. It was so fresh from its 3rd place finish at WTAC that it was still covered in champagne spray.

Really digging this black-on-black Z4.

Perth showed off some clean streeters. Here’s a Supra on TE37s and a 180SX on three-piece SSRs.

V35 with GT-Cs. Team Fusion had some great-looking cars on display.

Here’s their Sprinter.

Keeping it simple.

This was JPC’s R35 GT-R that cracked out around 450kW at the wheels.

Look twice: it’s a Nissan-powered Liberty.

Plenty of EVOs in WA.

Nicely done Toyota-powered 180SX.

Here’s its little turbo.

Spotted so many brake upgrades that I lost count.

Jason from Twisted Metal brought his ‘Landbruiser’ over from Sydney. This thing is insane.

Regamasters still look good.

This is still my favourite Impreza shape.

Behind the scenes: counting up the votes for the People’s Choice Award.

Behind the scenes: The Tomei Cusco WRX in the CEVA race transporter.

In other news

Posted on July 21, 2010

(Photo copyright Felix Alim)
Tomorrow I’ll be heading off to Perth for the Auto Salon event and I’ll try to update this blog with some of the cool cars that will be there. In the mean time, I covered Christina’s VWGolf.net.au warehouse meet for Speedhunters, which you can read here.

Apples and oranges

Posted on July 21, 2010

Eating apples like this is so much better!

High-tech heat pad

Posted on July 20, 2010

Funnily enough, one of the things I picked up from the Good Food & Wine Show had nothing to do with food; it was this this heat pad. It’s a nifty little thing as it’s cool to touch and filled with gel. But when you snap the metal disc inside, it starts to heat up.

Inside it, the gel starts to turn white and in a matter of seconds it gets pretty damn hot. It’s a super cool invention that I’ve seen in Japanese cans of sake (maybe Alexi can take a pic of one?), but there’s some pretty hefty downsides. It’s expensive, goes cold within an hour, and you need to boil it for 10 minutes for it to return to its original state. These are much better and only cost a couple of bucks.

Not another one…

Posted on July 19, 2010

Here’s yet another addition to the growing energy drink market. I really like Boca Lupo, which is an Italian energy drink, as it doesn’t taste like you’re downing half a can of sugar.

Skirmish

Posted on July 19, 2010

Feeling a little tender after a day of paintball for Steve’s birthday. During one of the battles I, for whatever reason, decided to abandon the log I had been hiding behind and tried to blitz the other team. Note to self: don’t try to be Rambo ever again. I got all of five metres before being hit three times in the gut, one on the inner thigh (that was a little too close for my liking!), and one to the side of the head. But they were all mosquito bites compared to the one that hit my collarbone - that one really hurt!

2010 Good Food & Wine Show

Posted on July 18, 2010

Diageo gave us some tickets to the 2010 Good Food and Wine show, which was held over the past three days at Darling Harbour. I hadn’t been before so I was keen to go!

This pic shows how busy it was. The crowds were crazy; and I’m sure the Australian series of Masterchef played its part in converting so many people into foodies. At one point there was a queue 100m long outside the entry because there simply was no more room inside the exhibition halls.

Because I had to head to work later in the day I couldn’t sample any of the wines, which was pretty disappointing considering how many wineries were present. On the food front I only bought a couple of things, as most of the stands were flogging frozen foods you can pick up at any supermarket. And you know how I feel about that particular aisle of the supermarket.

A weekend of sports

Posted on July 12, 2010

Spent Sunday overdosing on sports. AFL in the afternoon, Formula 1 at night, and then waking up at 3:30AM to head down to the cinemas to watch the World Cup final in 3D. Right now I’m somewhere beyond delirious; I really need my sleep!

Thanks once again to Anthony from Nova for the box seats! Jose from Hankook came along to watch his first live Swans match - and they certainly put on a good show! There were a few shaky moments in the third quarter when the Swans took their foot off the gas, but they came back strong to punish North Melbourne!

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