9781422286784

57 / 66

55
GEAR
Rolling Computers
Few sports rely as heavily on technology as
automobile racing. The drivers are still
human (for now!), but the cars they race
employ some of the most sophisticated tech
in the sports world.
Formula 1 racing depends heavily on tech-
nology. The cars are all based on a single
technical formula. Teams tinker constantly
within that formula to find a better way for
air to flow over the sleek cars. They try to
coax more power from engines that are es-
sentially the same for every team. The cars
are made of very lightweight materials so that
“A modern Formula
One car has almost
as much in common
with a jet fighter
as it does with an
ordinary road car.
Aerodynamics have
become key to suc-
cess in the sport
and teams spend
tens of millions of
dollars on research
and development in
the field each year.”
—Formula 1.com