How to assemble a Formula One car - Part One
12 February 2007
Have you ever complained about how much mechanics charge when they service your car? With the hourly rate so high and with even the smallest fault often taking far longer to fix than you?d imagined, the answer is more than likely a resounding yes. Now imagine how big the bill would be if your car needed to be completely re-assembled - with more than a week?s labour involved, undoubtedly in most cases you?d be better off buying a new car!
In Formula One racing, however, cars have to be routinely rebuilt from scratch at the track in next to no time at all. This will often take place when chassis arrive by air for flyaway Grands Prix - and then there are always those unfortunate incidents during practice sessions, which force mechanics to compete in their own race against time to repair a damaged car. Here?s our step-by-step guide to the process?
Part One - Nude chassis fitting
To begin with the mechanics will take a bare chassis, pre-painted in the team?s livery but without the sponsorship stickers, and fit all the required wiring. With all the car?s sensors, electrovalves and connectors requiring a cable each, it is a huge task. In all, at least 70 separate elements - and several hundred metres of cabling - are fitted to the chassis during this initial stage of the assembly process.
The pedals are then connected to the brake hydraulics, before the seat is lowered into place and fitted. With the rubber fuel tank and safety systems - including extinguisher - pre-assembled in the chassis back in the factory, fuel flaps and fillers are then bolted onto the chassis.
This first phase is one of the most critical and every part is double-checked by the mechanics. Cables which have been improperly fitted could easily be destroyed by heat and lead to retirement in the race. Furthermore, it is essential nothing moves inside the tub. A small bolt or a free cable could easily get stuck under a brake pedal and pose serious safety risks, while any unregulated movement in the fuel tank fillers could cause leakage, or worse still, friction - potentially leading to sparks and hence fire - during refuelling.
This initial part of the assembly process takes about two and a half hours. Make sure to check back throughout the week for the additional stages.