Fascinating F1 Facts
Discussion
Here's one:
The 1968 F1 season kicked off on the 1st January 1968.
That's kind of blown my mind given the dificulties of travel and shipping cars/equipment that would have been involved in those days.
If the opening race was on New Years day, did that mean that qualifying was done on New Years Eve?
You take it for granted that the season does not start until March these days.
The 1968 F1 season kicked off on the 1st January 1968.
That's kind of blown my mind given the dificulties of travel and shipping cars/equipment that would have been involved in those days.
If the opening race was on New Years day, did that mean that qualifying was done on New Years Eve?
You take it for granted that the season does not start until March these days.
Most of my facts are only factual as of 20+ years ago, but the one that amazed me, and got me into the industry at the time was the amount of outsourcing.
The majority of teams would outsource precision engineering and machining jobs, everything from scale wind tunnel mock up parts, prototype engine blocks, to gearbox plates and ballast screws.
I suspect it's all a lot more in-house these days, and not farmed out to small, niche operators.
Used to be fun watching something you'd spent days making get t
tted into a wall! 
The majority of teams would outsource precision engineering and machining jobs, everything from scale wind tunnel mock up parts, prototype engine blocks, to gearbox plates and ballast screws.
I suspect it's all a lot more in-house these days, and not farmed out to small, niche operators.
Used to be fun watching something you'd spent days making get t
tted into a wall! pistonheadforum said:
Here's one:
The 1968 F1 season kicked off on the 1st January 1968.
That's kind of blown my mind given the dificulties of travel and shipping cars/equipment that would have been involved in those days.
If the opening race was on New Years day, did that mean that qualifying was done on New Years Eve?
You take it for granted that the season does not start until March these days.
And then it was more than five months until the second WC race of the season.The 1968 F1 season kicked off on the 1st January 1968.
That's kind of blown my mind given the dificulties of travel and shipping cars/equipment that would have been involved in those days.
If the opening race was on New Years day, did that mean that qualifying was done on New Years Eve?
You take it for granted that the season does not start until March these days.
The teams and drivers weren't sat idle in the meantime, though, as most of them flew straight to NZ immediately after the SA GP for the Tasman Series, which started on the 6th Jan.
All of the used F1 tyres are shipped to a concrete making factory in Didcot where they're used as fuel to make concrete. The process of turning them into a fuel creates secondary materials that are used in the manufacture of flooring materials.
Tyrrell failed to score sufficient points to trigger prize money payments one year, banking on a good final race in Adelaide to at least earn enough to cover the airfreight back to the UK. They didn't. So they broke the cars down and team members checked the various parts in as luggage (hold and carry-on).
Tyrrell failed to score sufficient points to trigger prize money payments one year, banking on a good final race in Adelaide to at least earn enough to cover the airfreight back to the UK. They didn't. So they broke the cars down and team members checked the various parts in as luggage (hold and carry-on).
StevieBee said:
Tyrrell failed to score sufficient points to trigger prize money payments one year, banking on a good final race in Adelaide to at least earn enough to cover the airfreight back to the UK. They didn't. So they broke the cars down and team members checked the various parts in as luggage (hold and carry-on).
That has got to be an urban legend, surely?!pistonheadforum said:
Here's one:
The 1968 F1 season kicked off on the 1st January 1968.
That's kind of blown my mind given the dificulties of travel and shipping cars/equipment that would have been involved in those days.
If the opening race was on New Years day, did that mean that qualifying was done on New Years Eve?
You take it for granted that the season does not start until March these days.
Back then there wasn't much complexity to transporting the car and equipment. Two cars and tools in the truck towing the corporate sponsorship caravan.The 1968 F1 season kicked off on the 1st January 1968.
That's kind of blown my mind given the dificulties of travel and shipping cars/equipment that would have been involved in those days.
If the opening race was on New Years day, did that mean that qualifying was done on New Years Eve?
You take it for granted that the season does not start until March these days.
F1 could do a good cost saving exercise by limiting the teams to a 1 truck and a caravan.
pistonheadforum said:
Here's one:
The 1968 F1 season kicked off on the 1st January 1968.
That's kind of blown my mind given the dificulties of travel and shipping cars/equipment that would have been involved in those days.
If the opening race was on New Years day, did that mean that qualifying was done on New Years Eve?
Yes, qualifying was on the 31st December 1967. Clarks last pole and win.The 1968 F1 season kicked off on the 1st January 1968.
That's kind of blown my mind given the dificulties of travel and shipping cars/equipment that would have been involved in those days.
If the opening race was on New Years day, did that mean that qualifying was done on New Years Eve?
Halmyre said:
StevieBee said:
Tyrrell failed to score sufficient points to trigger prize money payments one year, banking on a good final race in Adelaide to at least earn enough to cover the airfreight back to the UK. They didn't. So they broke the cars down and team members checked the various parts in as luggage (hold and carry-on).
That has got to be an urban legend, surely?!coppice said:
First Finn to collect the WDC trophy? A little head scratching and it's Keke Rosberg ,right ? Or if you're younger , Hakkinen then ?
Wrong - Nina Rindt in 1970. The late Jochen was Austrian , of course but his wife Nina was a Finn
The WDC trophy only dates back to 1995/96 and was created by Bernie specifically because there was no WDC trophy.Wrong - Nina Rindt in 1970. The late Jochen was Austrian , of course but his wife Nina was a Finn
This doesn't mean that Nina Rindt wasn't given something to commemorate her husband's posthumous title but it wasn't the WDC trophy.
Abbott said:
Back then there wasn't much complexity to transporting the car and equipment. Two cars and tools in the truck towing the corporate sponsorship caravan.
F1 could do a good cost saving exercise by limiting the teams to a 1 truck and a caravan.
1982, Kyalami South Africa, the Osella Team work on their car in their "pit garage"F1 could do a good cost saving exercise by limiting the teams to a 1 truck and a caravan.
Abbott said:
Back then there wasn't much complexity to transporting the car and equipment. Two cars and tools in the truck towing the corporate sponsorship caravan.
F1 could do a good cost saving exercise by limiting the teams to a 1 truck and a caravan.
Sheer bloody luxury!F1 could do a good cost saving exercise by limiting the teams to a 1 truck and a caravan.
This is the entire D W Racing Enterprises (ie Bob Anderson!) transport fleet at Zandvoort in 1964. Bob managed 3rd place in the Austrian GP at Zeltweg that year.
Despite an impressive junior career, winning Le Mans and driving over 100 F1 races. During his 12 year F1 career with 9 podiums, Martin Brundle never led a lap.
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Nico Rosberg never drove an F1 race as a world champion.
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All 20 cars in all races, qualifying sessions, practice, and testing in a year combined burn less fuel than one transatlantic flight from London to New York.
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Hans Heyer is the only driver to be credited with a DNQ (Did Not Qualify), DNF (Did Not Finish), and DSQ (Disqualified) in the same race.
He didn't qualify for the 1977 German Grand Prix, so he snuck his car onto the track and raced 10 laps. Only when his gearbox jammed (he couldn't finish the race) did the officials realise what he had done, and disqualified him.
In the process, he earned himself a lifetime ban from Formula One. He's still alive, so the ban is still in effect.
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Nico Rosberg never drove an F1 race as a world champion.
---
All 20 cars in all races, qualifying sessions, practice, and testing in a year combined burn less fuel than one transatlantic flight from London to New York.
---
Hans Heyer is the only driver to be credited with a DNQ (Did Not Qualify), DNF (Did Not Finish), and DSQ (Disqualified) in the same race.
He didn't qualify for the 1977 German Grand Prix, so he snuck his car onto the track and raced 10 laps. Only when his gearbox jammed (he couldn't finish the race) did the officials realise what he had done, and disqualified him.
In the process, he earned himself a lifetime ban from Formula One. He's still alive, so the ban is still in effect.
Speed Badger said:
Apparently Pierre Gasly made history at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by achieving a unique feat. The Alpine driver etched his name in F1 history by becoming the first driver to have incurred £0 in damages over a season.
Doubley impressive when you consider for 23 of the 24 races, his team mate was Ocon. And we all know how much that man enjoys a side-swipe at a team mate! 
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