F1 drivers are among the strongest athletes in sports, but are they subjected to significant g-force throughout the course of a race weekend, know what is it explained and its comparision
What are some of the factors they encounter, and when are they strongest?
One common criticism levelled against F1 drivers is that no matter how excellent they are, if they don’t have the vehicle, they won’t win or come near.
F1 G-Force Meaning And Comparision Explained During Braking And On Turns And Max Highest Experienced
| Formula One car, peak lateral in turns | 6–6.5 g |
| Standard, full aerobatics certified glider | +7/−5 g |
| Apollo 16 on reentry | 7.19 g |
| Maximum permitted g-force in Sukhoi Su-27 plane | 9 g |
| Maximum permitted g-force in Mikoyan MiG-35 plane and maximum permitted g-force turn in Red Bull Air Race planes | 10 g |
| Gravitational acceleration at the surface of the Sun | 28 g |
| Maximum g-force in Tor missile system | 30 g |
| Maximum for human on a rocket sled | 46.2 g |
| Formula One 2021 British Grand Prix Max Verstappen Crash with Lewis Hamilton | 51 g |
| Formula One 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix Romain Grosjean Crash | 67 g |
| Sprint missile | 100 g |
| Brief human exposure survived in crash | > 100 g |
| Highest g-force ever survived (IRL IndyCar Series 2003 Kenny Bräck Crash) | 214 g |
| Coronal mass ejection (Sun) | 480 g |
| Space gun with a barrel length of 1 km and a muzzle velocity of 6 km/s, as proposed by Quicklaunch (assuming constant acceleration) | 1,800 g |
| Shock capability of mechanical wrist watches | > 5,000 g |
| V8 Formula One engine, maximum piston acceleration | 8,600 g |
| Mantis Shrimp, acceleration of claw during predatory strike | 10,400 g |
| Rating of electronics built into military artillery shells | 15,500 g |
| Analytical ultracentrifuge spinning at 60,000 rpm, at the bottom of the analysis cell (7.2 cm) | 300,000 g |
| Mean acceleration of a proton in the Large Hadron Collider | 190,000,000 g |
| Gravitational acceleration at the surface of a typical neutron star | 2.0×1011 g |
| Acceleration from a wakefield plasma accelerator | 8.9×1020 g |
However, this is not totally correct.
Yes, a powerful, competitive car is required to place you among the front-runners, but as a driver, you must be able to get the most from the package in order to place the car where it needs to be.
Drivers may assist push themselves to the limit by putting in the time during training to be in top physical shape – and it is critical that they do so. Drivers must be able to cope with g-forces in F1 vehicles while while continuing to drive the car swiftly.
But what are some of the g-forces that F1 drivers experience? When are they at their most powerful?
G-FORCE IN F1
While g-forces have always been in F1, their impact on drivers has grown in recent years. In 2017, revised technical restrictions resulted in vehicles with higher downforce and grip, allowing drivers to push harder for longer laps. This increase in grip is accompanied by a rise in g-forces.
Furthermore, the 2022 generation of automobiles has encountered a new issue in the form of porpoising – or bouncing. Drivers must now contend with bouncing down straights before being subjected to g-forces in bends and braking zones. Drivers can experience 5g after throwing off the anchors in hard braking zones, such as the end of a back-straight in China.
4-5g is not unusual for drivers to feel on high-speed sweepers like Silverstone’s Maggots and Becketts.
THE MOST IMPORTANT AMOUNTS IN RECENT YEARS
In the previous several years, there have been two major incidents in Formula One, with some of the highest g-forces ever recorded. Romain Grosjean sustained 67g during his horrific crash after striking the barrier at 119mph during the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. At the time of impact and maximum g-force, he weighed 3.9 tonnes.
Max Verstappen was pushed into the barrier at 51g during the 2021 British Grand Prix following his first lap contact with Lewis Hamilton at Copse. Verstappen was taken to the hospital as a precaution after the incident with the Red Bull.
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