Us Formula 1 Grand Prix And The Unseen Track

By Author: Gustavo Roche
Total Articles: 10
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Heading to Grand Prix to a new circuit is always a special test for the entire Formula team. For them, the United States Grand Prix will be among the most remarkable and exciting competitions for the year. The new track in Austin Texas which is labeled as the Circuit of the America seems like a tough test. Here are some of the highlights on how the F1 team went through before the event:

Before the weekend race

When Formula team sets on a new track, the first preparation that they would do is to get a detailed map of the circuit from the architects. From the map, they will get idea what type of car set up they will need for the league.

They would need key information such as the length of the straights and the radius of the corners. It is important to derive the best racing line while considering two significant parameters. One is to minimize the individual corner radius and the second is the shortest lap distance.

To arrive with the full make up of each FORMULA 1 car, all the gathered geometry will then be applied to get which type of tire, aerodynamics and mechanical data they need. After setting ...
... up everything in the plot, they will acquire the braking distance, acceleration speed and the minimum corner speeds for the whole circuit as well as the gear ratios.

The Next step

After the primary preparation, they will all move on to the basic level of simulation. Top teams such as McLaren , Red Bull and Ferrari would even have advanced three dimensional map of the track with emphasis on the topography, kerb, etc.

With the simulators, the team will change the mechanical tone of their car. They will change roll distribution front to rear, down force levels, front and rear suspension stiffness and so on. Teams will also have off-sets for DRS overtaking aid and power boost system.

At the Track

Although in spite of so much preparation and advanced simulator programs, there are still so much that cannot be accomplished until they get down on the track. The moment they hit the road, that’s the time they would discover if there are some kind of bumps or the chances if they will hit the kerb.

These are only some of the things that a driver will find out the moment they will set on for their practice which will be happening on Friday, November 16, 2012. It is always exciting to discover who will be the first F1 driver in a new circuit.

After coming out of the car, it is the only time that a driver would find out what certain changes they need for the car set up and to know the adjustment that he needs on the road.