How fast do they go?

How do an F1 car's brakes compare with a road car's?

How much does a Formula One car cost?

How many people go to each race?

How much material does the team take to a race?

What is the engine capacity of a Formula One engine?

Does Jordan have its own windtunnel?

How many people work for Jordan Grand Prix?

How much does the Jordan Ford EJ14 weigh?

What air is used inside a Formula One tyre?

What tyre pressure is used?

Who organises the Formula One World Championship?

How far back does Formula One go?

What is a Grand Prix?

How many Grands Prix are held every year?

Can any driver compete in a Grand Prix?

Can the drivers change cars during the event?

How fast do they go?

The Grand Prix with the highest average speed in history was the 1971 Italian Grand Prix, won by Peter Gethin in a BRM at an average speed of 242.615 kph (150.754 mph) on the Monza circuit which at the time did not have any chicanes (interestingly, a recent computer imulation suggested that current Formula One cars would achieve an average speed of well over 300 kph - 190 mph - on the original circuit).

In 2001, the fastest Grand Prix was the Italian Grand Prix, won by Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams) at an average of 239.103 kph (148.571 mph). but the highest straight line speed recorded during a Grand Prix in the 2001 season was set by Jean Alesi (Jordan), at 363.2 kph (225.7mph), in his EJ11 during the Italian Grand Prix.

The Jordan Ford EJ14 can accelerate from 0-100mph and brake to a standstill (0-100-0) in 5.8 seconds.

How do an F1 car's brakes compare with a road car's?

The brakes on road cars are derived from the disc brakes which were first used in racing. All Formula One cars are equipped with brakes with callipers made from light alloy while the discs and pads tend to be made from synthetic materials, e.g. carbon. Their resistance to heat is much greater than that of road car brakes (which is why, in certain conditions, the insides of the wheels appear completely incandescent) and they weigh significantly less. Their braking power is very high: at the end of a straight, at maximum speed (say around 340 kph - 212.5 mph), a Formula One car can brake at less than 100 metres in order to take a slow corner.

How much does a Formula One car cost?

It is difficult to ascertain the exact cost of a Formula One car, as there are so many different variables that go in to producing each car. However, somewhere between £1 million and £1.5 million is an approximate material cost.

How many people go to each race?

50 people, 10 of whom are from Ford.

How much material does the team take to a race?

Jordan takes 20 tonnes of equipment to each Grand Prix. For European races, this equipment is packed into three transporter units and driven to the circuit. For the fly-away Grand Prix (such as USA and Malaysia), the equipment is packed into 59 containers supplied to us by Danzas, who are an official partner to the Jordan Ford team.

What is the engine capacity of a Formula One engine?

All the current Formula One engines are 3 litre V10s. The fuel used is very low sulphur unleaded that complies with EU standards that will come into force in 2005 for road cars.

Does Jordan have its own windtunnel?

Yes. The Jordan windtunnel is at Brackley, approximately 5 minutes drive from Jordan’s headquarters in Silverstone. It is a 40% scale model windtunnel operating about 90 hours per week.

How many people work for Jordan Grand Prix?

Just over 200.

How much does the Jordan Ford EJ14 weigh?

600 kgs including the weight of the driver. This is a Formula One regulation and should any car be under this weight at the end of a Grand Prix, it will be disqualified.

What air is used inside a Formula One tyre?

The air used inside a Formula One tyre is Nitrogen, as this gas does not expand when hot and is also a dry air.

What tyre pressure is used?

Approximately 12-16psi depending on the circuit and conditions of the track.

Who organises the Formula One World Championship?

The FIA is the world governing body of motor sport and, as such, regulates and administers the Formula One World Championship, as well as all other international motor sport. The Formula One World Championship was created in 1950 and is the oldest of the FIA Championships. It also has the greatest media impact. It is estimated that the seventeen Grands Prix of the 2001 season attracted over 54 billion television viewers, from 200 countries whilst the printed press maintained a significant presence, with an average of 600 journalists and photographers from 54 countries travelling from all over the world to cover the 16 events of the championship.

How far back does Formula One go?

There were no formulae in the early era of the motor car from 1894 (the year of the first motor race in history, from Paris to Rouen) to 1900. The existing vehicles were simply raced. A distinction was made between the racing cars on the basis of their method of propulsion (petrol or steam), and number of seats. At that time, cars always had at least two seats, and it was not until the end of the 1920s that single-seater cars were used. The invention of the rear-view mirror made an important contribution to this development,  since one of the mechanic's tasks was to warn the driver that someone was trying to overtake him.

From 1907 to 1939, almost every possible formula was tried. Minimum weight, maximum weight, consumption and bore were each restricted in turn, but the formula most frequently used, even after 1939, was to limit the cylinder capacity of the engines. This restriction was first introduced in 1914.

Following the introduction of the first "formula" in 1904 by the FIA (which restricted maximum weight), categories were created for the smaller cars, but the name "Formula One" did not appear until 1948. The first Formula One race was at Pau on 29 March 1948 and was won by a Maserati. The FIA Formula One World Championship was created in 1950, and the first Formula One World Championship race was the British Grand Prix, at Silverstone on 13 May 1950.

What is a Grand Prix?

The first race to be given the title "Grand Prix" was held at Le Mans in 1906. It was restricted to "big cars". From then on, the term Grand Prix became associated with major circuit races for cars. Top events, which were the equivalent of today's Grands Prix, were called "Grandes Epreuves". However, the FIA was opposed to the general usage of the "Grand Prix" title, which it wished to reserve for events counting towards its Formula One World Championship. Henceforth, it was prohibited to use the Grand Prix title for an event which did not count towards this Championship, except for very rare cases with historic justification, such as the Grand Prix de Pau, or the Grand Prix de Macao, both of which are now Formula 3 events.

How many Grands Prix are held every year?

The 1950 Championship consisted of only 7 Grands Prix. This figure gradually increased, peaking at 17 in 1977. It was then limited to 16, but the possibility of holding a maximum of 17 events was reintroduced in 1996. A minimum of eight events must take place for the World Champion Drivers' and Constructors' titles to be awarded. More than 600 Formula One World Championship races have been held since 1950.

Can any driver compete in a Grand Prix?

No. In order to be able to take part in a Grand Prix, a driver must hold a "Super Licence", which is awarded by the FIA on the basis of his past record in junior formulae and of his having a valid contract with a Formula One team which has entered the World Championship.

Can the drivers change cars during the event?

Each two-car team may use a maximum of two cars during free practice, and a maximum of three cars for qualifying practice, provided that all the cars have been checked by the Scrutineers and are of the same make (chassis and engine). However, no change of car is permitted after the 15 seconds signal preceding the start of the formation lap. Nevertheless, if the race has to be stopped before two laps have been completed by the leader, the starting procedure is repeated and starts again from the T-15 point. Once again car changes are permitted until the 15 seconds signal which precedes the start of the new formation lap.