F1
How weather can impact F1 races and how teams stay prepared to ensure that their drivers post the best time possible.
When Max Verstappen clinched his second-consecutive Formula One Driver’s Championship, it wasn't a perfect race.
Heavy rain disrupted the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix. The race was red-flagged after two laps, and the subsequent flooding delayed any attempt to restart the race for over two hours.
In the end, Verstappen led the field with little contest and came away with the win. Max also took home the world championship. The Dutchman had carved out a 113-point lead in the standings with only 112 points left on the calendar.
Verstappen is known for being particularly good on rainy race days. He attributes it to a lot of practice in the wet. “Growing up in Belgium and Holland, it rains a lot. So, we never like turned around when it suddenly started raining. We would put the rain tires on and we would go and practice and that just helps a lot. You get a lot more understanding of what you have to do when it rains," he said.
With 23 races on the calendar for the 2023 Formula One World Championship season spanning from March to November across five different continents, you can imagine there are a wide variety of weather conditions that teams must overcome. It is a necessity for drivers and their teams to be prepared for any type of weather that will greet them.
Types of weather that can impact F1
- Rain
- Snow
- Ice
- Fog
- Thunder & Lightning
- Wind
There are several weather factors that teams consider whenever they enter a race weekend like precipitation and cloud cover. These factors create major differences in how teams assemble their tires and how they will approach the race.
01
Weather and the Track
Before we get to the cars and the drivers, we must talk about how the weather can affect the track.
In F1 history, race weekend temperatures have ranged from 41॰F (5॰C) to 108.5॰F (42.5॰C). The general rule of thumb is that the hotter it is, the less grip there is on the track. This is because F1 tires are already heated and generate heat as they run on the track, so when a track’s surface is really hot, it can cause the tires to overheat and wear out faster. Contrary to the heat are the colder climates. If the track is too cold, the tires require more energy to get going, causing them to drop in tire pressure quicker.
When there is moisture on the track, it reduces the grip and traction that cars have. To account for rainfall, racing teams make their own modifications to the car to ensure the best result (which we will get into later).
Rain can also severely affect visibility. If the rain is heavy enough, it can become really difficult for drivers to see the track. They must also navigate the spray that other drivers are kicking up during the race. At that point, it becomes a safety hazard that may cause races to be postponed or even called prematurely, like the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.
02
Car Performance and Weather
Since weather can have such a massive impact on the race, drivers and their teams need to be realistically prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at them on a given race weekend.
The overall goal for a team is to find a balance between maximizing airflow to keep the car as cool as possible and maximizing the car’s energy output. If a team focuses too much on increasing airflow, the car becomes less aerodynamic. However, if a team focuses too much on increasing the car’s energy output, the vehicle components could overheat and malfunction.
In dry conditions, F1 drivers use dry or “slick” tires. These tires have no treads, making them the fastest tire available in racing. These tires can range from C0 (hard) to C5 (soft). Medium tires are in between. Harder tires have less grip on the track but are more durable, while softer tires have more grip on the track but are less durable.
However, these tires are only good when the track and weather are dry since they do not have the grip to cut through the water.
When it’s raining, driving teams use wet tires. Unlike dry tires meant for dry surfaces, wet tires are equipped with treads like regular car tires. These tires are specially designed to displace water and prevent the car from hydroplaning, which could cause the driver to lose traction and slide off the track. What wet tires account for in traction, they lack in speed, as they are the slowest type of weather-specific tires that a Formula One racing team carries.
03
The Driver and Weather
More important than what goes on outside the car, is what goes on inside.
The location of the cockpit, or where the driver sits, can reach up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Four factors that increase cockpit heat:
- The engine is near the cockpit, which generates significant heat
- The brakes produce heat, that can reach up to 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit
- The aerodynamic design of the car directs heat into the cockpit
- There is a lack of airflow inside the cockpit
A major factor that F1 regulations and Teams put extra research and development into are the driver race suits. The suits are designed to provide protection, temperate control, etc. However, outside of hydrating and installing cooling pads in their driver’s suit, there’s not much the drivers can do to stay cool in the cockpit.
Driver visibility is another hurdle teams have to clear at times. From rain to smog to proper lighting for night races, F1 racing can become very dangerous if the driver can’t see where they’re going. Helmets are fitted with visors that are water-resistant and have a special coating to ensure that rainwater doesn’t get logged in the helmet. The visors also protect drivers from any eye or face damage from flying debris when moving at high speeds.
It’s also important to note that F1/FIA sanctioning bodies will call a race off, or put it on hold if the rain creates unsafe conditions.
04
Driving Strategies
Driving strategies change based on the weather.
For example, when water is on the track, teams will start with wet tires to ensure that their cars have the traction required to make tight turns and not slide off the track. However, once the track begins to dry, it becomes a chess match between teams deciding when to switch to the faster intermediate (mix between wet and dry/slick) tire.
If they make the move too soon, they could lose traction on the wet parts of the track and start to fall behind. If they make the move too late, other teams who already made the switch could begin to separate themselves from the pack and create a gap that is impossible to make up.
Conclusion
Going into a race weekend, the weather isn’t a minor factor. At times, it’s the biggest factor, and it can definitely impact the outcome of a race.
