Love a Happy Ending Lifestyle Magazine August 2013 | Page 52

CIRCUITS – the tracks on which the races
are run. They’re never ovals or ‘D’s as in
some other motor sports, but each is
different, with a variety of angles and
speeds of corners, elevations, track
widths, track surface and climatic
conditions. Vastly expensive to create, an
F1 circuit needs a massive infrastructure
of
paddock
(garage
area),
communications centres, hospitality units,
spectator facilities, and an army of people
to run it. A new circuit is years in the
planning before the construction begins.
Speed is limited only by the capability of car
and driver. (But street circuits, such as Monaco or Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia, are
literally created in a couple of weeks from an area of public roads. Go figure.)
POINTS – points are awarded to the top ten cars to finish a race. Everything depends on
points, including income from TV rights. If you’re ‘in the points’ you’re in the money. Points
count to both Championships, driver and constructor.
PITS – the pit is the area in front of each team garage marked by a box shape on the ground
where cars stop for tyre changes during a race or for mechanical attention. Also called ‘box’.
PITLANE – the part of the circuit that passes in front of the pits. Speed limits apply. A
dangerous place to be and access strictly controlled during races and practice sessions.
TYRES – not just round and black, tyres are a big factor in performance, especially now
when they degrade quite quickly. They form the backbone of the race strategy and two
compounds are brought to every race. Unless the race is declared wet, both compounds
must be used on each car during a race. Tyres can be blamed for just about everything in
Formula 1.
PITSTOP – when a car flies into the pits, hits its box, and mechanics dressed as Darth
Vader change its tyres in sub-three-second bursts of activity. Lots of time won and lost in
pitstops. Mechanics and drivers train rigorously. Occasionally, someone gets hurt. More
frequently, someone makes a mistake and a forlorn car is left with three wheels on its
wagon, trying to return to its box in a shower of sparks.

These notes give you the most rudimentary structure of Formula 1. They don’t say anything
about the colour, the excitement, the noise, the edge-of-the-seat race finishes. I’ll have to
leave you to discover that yourself.
Brought to you by: Sue Moorcroft
Website/blog: www.suemoorcroft.com
Twitter: @SueMoorcroft FB: Sue Moorcroft