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Impact of Fangio
While this race and it's outcome didn't necessarily change any rules or regulations of the sport, it showed people why this driver should be known. Fangio had an incredible drive most would say they haven't seen since. His career is even more to talk about, as he won 24 of the 51 races he competed in throughout and ended with 5 separate championships under his belt, a record that wouldn't be beaten for 46 years until Michael Schumacher in 2003. -
Juan Manuel Fangio - Germany 1957
In 1957, arguably the best to ever do it, Juan Manuel Fangio was first place when suddenly on lap 12 of the German Grand Prix his pit stop when horribly wrong putting him back in third place. While he was 30 seconds behind, he puts on what he called his best race ever. He comes back to win the grand prix, going down in history. -
Introduction of Aerodynamic Wings - 1968
Throughout F1, aerodynamics have played arguably the biggest part in vehicle innovation. In the beginning, the cars were simply as light as possible, with as much power as possible. In 1968, that would all change. Teams started to add a wing on the front and back of the car. This ended up leading to more grip through the corners and faster lap times. Nowadays, the wings and other aerodynamic pieces are made to generate the most downforce while keeping the air drag on the straights at a minimum. -
Impact of Wings
Until this time, aerodynamics were known as "black magic" within the sport. Nobody really understood the impact it could have on cars, until the team Lotus had introduced the aerodynamic wings. It created downforce, which keeps the car planted on the ground, which leads to higher speeds throughout the corners, which then leads to faster lap times. Engineers found that they created drag, however. That slowed them on the straights leading to lower top speeds. Nowadays, that is not the case. -
Lauda's Crash
This crash not only ended racing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife for F1, it forced the teams and the league to look at safety once again. Race attire was made more fireproof, helmets were improved and strengthened, and drivers now had to wear head and neck braces to offer extra support. The cars were also made safer with the cockpits more open to prevent drivers from being trapped inside. While drivers understand the risk, nobody actually expects it until it happens. -
Niki Lauda - German Grand Prix 1976
A hard day to remember, where torrential conditions warned ahead of time not to race that day, but most drivers voted otherwise. On only the race's second lap, Lauda spins the car, crashing and causing it to burst into flames. Unable to get out of the car, Lauda is engulfed in flames and inhales a large amount of toxic smoke. However, due to the bravery of his fellow drivers, he was pulled out of the car where he miraculously survived. Six weeks later, he's back in the car. -
Turbocharger Innovation of the 1980's
Formula 1 cars are powerful. At one point they were so powerful that in 1988 the use of turbochargers in F1 was banned completely, until it was uplifted in 2014 with limitations. The turbocharger was introduced to F1 in 1977, however it hadn't proven itself very useful until 1980 when team Renault breezed passed the competition in qualifying sessions throughout the season. In less than 10 years, engines were outputting double the original power made with figures of 1,400 horsepower. -
Impact of Turbocharging
Rules were changed surrounding turbos due to the safety concerns of the cars becoming too fast. Engineers and drivers alike were astounded by the speed, however along with the FIA, were worried something unfortunate may arise. Teams were then forced to go back to developing naturally aspirated engines. -
Addition of Active Suspension - 1983
To help drivers achieve the lap times they desired, innovation of cars peaked in the 80's, 90's and early 2000's. One of those additions was active suspension in 1983. To keep it short, the suspension can automatically change ride height, absorbing impact from bumps. Not only that, it prevented the car from over/understeering, rolling and sliding, and overall comfort. It was found to be so successful, it even entered the consumer car market and is used in most high-end cars released today. -
Active Suspension
Active suspension is still being developed today, and is still reserved for high-end consumer cars and racecars. -
Safety Changes Yet Again
After the deaths of Ratzenberger and Senna, Formula 1 and it's fans mourned. The work would not stop though, and new regulations and requirements were created to further improve safety of these cars. The cars had higher cockpit sides to protect the head of the driver, wheels had tethers to prevent detachments, and tracks modified the run-off areas to help decrease speed while going off track. -
San Marino Grand Prix Weekend 1994
The saddest weekend in F1 history, two drivers, Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna, passed away while driving the Imola race circuit. Roland, just three races into his career, crashed during qualifying after the front wing of his car failed, causing him to lose control and hit the barriers at high speed.He passed due to head injuries. For Senna, injuries were the same. He lost control, hit the barriers, and that was it. However the team engineers could not find a cause for the loss of control. -
Further Explaining
During the Singapore Grand Prix, Piquet Jr. had crashed to help his teammate, Fernando Alonso, secure more points by drawing out a safety car, and buying time running down laps without overtaking occurring. Drivers could also pit for new tires without too much risk of being passed. This affected the Brazilian Grand Prix because Hamilton was also able to stay farther ahead of Massa, securing extra points Massa would have gained himself, if not for the crash. -
Felipe Massa's Unpredictable Loss - Brazilian Grand Prix 2008
In 2008, the driver's championship came down to two drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa. Before Brazil was the Singaporean Grand Prix where a major controversy took place. It is believed team Renault had ordered Nelson Piquet Jr to crash during the race, extending Hamilton's point lead on Massa throughout the season. However, during the Brazilian GP, Massa was about to score enough points over Hamilton to win the championship, when Toyota's Timo Glock broke down, allowing Hamilton to pass. -
Hybrid Systems
While the original single KERS system was working, Formula 1 decided to use full hybrid systems instead starting in 2014. They had 2 separate battery packs leading to higher capacities, more electric power, and better fuel efficiency. This electric power also leads to higher torque which helps initial acceleration. -
Introduction of Hybrid Powertrains - 2009
In 2009, the FIA introduced hybrid systems to the racing league. It started with KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), in which a battery pack would collect the energy lost while braking, and the driver could utilize it on acceleration. This lead to faster cars, rule changes and safety changes. In 2014, they opted for full hybrid systems where electric power is used constantly, along with the KERS boost. -
Further Explanation
People still debate over what should have happened and who should have won. Verstappen was not far behind Hamilton when Nicholas Latifi crashed and brought out a safety car. Where Verstappen decided to pit for new tires, Hamilton stayed out to build a gap. However, a last minute decision, which ultimately was made too late, said lapped drivers could pass and unlap themselves by overtaking the race leader. Verstappen no longer had anyone but Hamilton in front of him, and was given a prime chance. -
Max Verstappen - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021
Feeling much like a Hollywood script, the 2021 rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen will go down in history. In the last laps of the last race, one driver crashes causing a safety car and Verstappen to pit for new tires. Hamilton stays out to maintain his lead, however the FIA decided to allow lapped cars to pass while under the safety car. Verstappen caught up to Hamilton again, battling and ultimately passing on the final turn of the race due to fresher tires. -
Zhou Guanyu - British Grand Prix 2022
During the 2022 British Grand Prix, Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu experienced a crash that left many silent. After being clipped by Mercedes driver George Russell, Zhou Guanyu found himself upside down sliding on the pavement, where he'd then hit the gravel trap, flip and land in the barrier. The only reason he survived was due to the "halo" device that surrounds the driver's head. He was conscious after, airlifted to the nearest hospital for evaluation, and released the next day. -
Safety Impacts of Zhou's Crash
After this crash, the strength of these cars were increased and more focus went into development of the halo device and weight distribution. The heights of the car and device were lowered, along with other developments expected to be seen in 2024.