Overalls and undies

The driver’s overalls look similar to a baby’s romper suit. They zip up the front and cover their arms and legs. These suits are made of a special material called Nomex that is fire-resistant. The sport’s governing body, the FIA, demands that the material used must protect a driver from a fire of up to 700 degrees centigrade for at least 12 seconds – and the sponsors’ logos have to comply with this as well.
To increase the drivers’ protection, they also wear T-shirts, underwear and socks all made of Nomex. All of this makes it very hot in the car for the driver, but it is a small price to pay in the quest for safety.

Helmet technology – Top Gun in a car?

Formula One drivers could soon be making use of the kind of high-tech Heads Up Display (HUD) technology that is now used every day by fighter pilots. Although the use of pit boards and radio communications now mean it is very easy for a driver to keep in touch with his team in the pits, there is still plenty of room for improvement. German car manufacturer BMW is looking at ways for special displays to be used in the helmets of their drivers that would warn them of dangers ahead on the track. The display could include information about warning flags, oil on the track and whether other cars have crashed out of the race.
Grand Prix bosses are also looking at ways of automatically slowing down cars if there is an accident ahead, or if there is a chance that they might hit another car in poor weather conditions. This technology would have to be completely foolproof before it could be used in the sport though.

Understanding F1 Race Wear

Formula One drivers often look like walking advertising hoardings. Their multi-coloured overalls are full of the logos of their sponsors as every single last piece of material is covered with the names and badges of the companies that support the teams.
But the overalls the drivers wear are not just sponsor billboards, because they have a much more important use. The all-in-one overalls have to be worn for safety reasons – which is why they are worn whenever the car is being driven The days of drivers wearing a shirt, trousers and flowing silk scarf to fight it out for grand prix glory are long gone. Now drivers are decked out in all sorts of safety apparel: overalls, boots, gloves, and more. The following sections explain function and safety features of what drivers wear when they race.
Overalls and undies
The driver’s overalls look similar to a baby’s romper suit. They zip up the front and cover their arms and legs. These suits are made of a special material called Nomex that is fire-resistant. The sport’s governing body, the FIA, demands that the material used must protect a driver from a fire of up to 700 degrees centigrade for at least 12 seconds – and the sponsors’ logos have to comply with this as well.
To increase the drivers’ protection, they also wear T-shirts, underwear and socks all made of Nomex. All of this makes it very hot in the car for the driver, but it is a small price to pay in the quest for safety.
Boots, gloves and other accessories
The use of Nomex is not just restricted to the overalls and underwear because the boots and gloves that the drivers wear are also made of this modern fabric – although comfort issues have to be considered in these areas. Gloves will be trimmed with leather to make sure that there is no chance of them slipping off the steering wheel at 200 mph, while the soles of the racing boots are very thin and made of rubber to ensure that the driver can feel exactly what is going on with the pedals. Although the overalls may provide protection in the event of serious fires, they do not protect the drivers from the bumps and heat of a Formula One cockpit. Some of the top stars also wear knee and ankle protectors to prevent bruises, while drivers have been known to get heat blisters from the bottom of their car.
Driving is a dirty business and racing overalls are in a far from pristine condition at the end of the race – covered in sweat, oil, dirt and, if a driver has been successful, champagne. Some teams provide their drivers with a special jacket after the race that looks like the top half of their overalls so that they look pristine for the television cameras. These overalls have been nicknamed “bullet-proof vests” because they are made of specially toughened material to make sure the sponsors’ logos are completely flat and fully visible in photos and on television.

Helmet technology – Top Gun in a car?

Formula One drivers could soon be making use of the kind of high-tech Heads Up Display (HUD) technology that is now used every day by fighter pilots. Although the use of pit boards and radio communications now mean it is very easy for a driver to keep in touch with his team in the pits, there is still plenty of room for improvement. German car manufacturer BMW is looking at ways for special displays to be used in the helmets of their drivers that would warn them of dangers ahead on the track. The display could include information about warning flags, oil on the track and whether other cars have crashed out of the race.
Grand Prix bosses are also looking at ways of automatically slowing down cars if there is an accident ahead, or if there is a chance that they might hit another car in poor weather conditions. This technology would have to be completely foolproof before it could be used in the sport though.

Understanding F1 Helmets

Crash helmets are the most obvious piece of safety wear for a driver – and they are the one item that a driver absolutely cannot do without. The increased use of modern technology in Formula One has not overlooked helmets and the versions used by drivers today make use of the knowledge gained from space travel. Safety, comfort, and usefulness are all important components of today’s helmets. Consider the following:

• The material used: The helmets are made with the same ultra-strong materials that teams build cars with. The material must adhere to tough regulations to ensure it is strong enough to survive an accident. The helmets have to comply with similar kinds of crash tests that the cars go through as well. If they are at all damaged in a race then they will be replaced for the following event. Drivers usually get through about 15 helmets during a season – and discarded ones do become collectors’ items.
• How it is sized: Each driver has the helmet made to measure. This customized fit not only increases comfort when it is worn in action, but also ensures that the helmet is not likely to slip off in an accident or have gaps where fire or other debris could find their way inside the helmet during the races.
• Functionality and strength of the visor: The visor of the helmet has to be as strong as the rest of the helmet, but it also has to provide the driver with enough visibility. Some drivers fit special tinted visors to keep the sun out of their eyes, while all of them are fitted with tear-off strips that allow the driver to remove a layer if it is covered with oil or dirt. Drivers cannot risk smudges on their visors when racing at 200mph.
• Special padding: The inside of the helmet is full of special padding. This not only makes wearing the helmet as comfortable as possible for the driver, but also adds further protection in the event of an accident.
• The mouthpiece: At the mouthpiece of the helmet is a hole for a special tube that allows the driver to drink fluids during the race. Because of the incredible heat in a Formula One cockpit during the race, it is vital the drivers are kept well hydrated so they do not get tired and run-down, which could lead to them making mistakes and crashing out.
• Earplugs: Before drivers put on their helmets, they put in special earplugs to prevent their hearing being damaged by the very loud noise of Formula One engines – which is easily in excess of a Motorhead concert or a jet taking off. The earplugs also house the radio systems that allow drivers to communicate with their teams in the pits.
• Balaclavas: Drivers also wear fireproof balaclavas to protect their head in the event of fire.

Winning Means Money in the Pocket? You Bet

Winning in Formula One brings much more than just prestige. It also brings huge financial rewards. Just look at how Michael Schumacher, the sport’s best driver for the past few years, is now one of the highest paid sportsmen in the world. Estimates of his earnings put his yearly wage packet at $30 million. That means, by the time he has read this sentence he has earned another $6! And again. And again.
Racing drivers don’t just get paid a set fee for the year, however. There are many ways that they can earn money during their career. Here are the different ways that make up the final amount a driver earns.

• Wage: A driver’s wages are detailed in his contract with the team. The amount is usually a flat fee and includes details like the number of test sessions the driver must take part in, as well as any appearances he must make for sponsors.
• Win bonus: Some drivers’ wage packet stays the same no matter how well they drive; others are given a bonus depending on results. This bonus is often points related, meaning drivers could earn an extra $150,000 per race win.
• Championship bonus: Winning the championship is the aim of every driver and, because of its financial benefits, some drivers are given an extra bonus if they win the world title.
• Merchandise: When a driver becomes successful, race fans often want to wear T-shirts or hats that portray him. Drivers often license clothing manufacturers to produce goods for them in return for a small percentage of profits. Some can earn several million dollars from merchandise rights.
  
• Endorsements: Companies love having their products endorsed by a world famous name, and racing drivers can fit perfectly into this category. Formula One drivers can earn several thousands of dollars by giving their names to anything from petrol to shampoo.
  
• Personal sponsorship: Some teams allow their drivers to have their own sponsors who don’t deal with the team at all. In exchange for a badge on their overalls or helmets, drivers can earn hundreds of thousands of dollars of extra income.

If a driver wins a lot, then his earning power increases dramatically. For a new driver, just starting out on his Formula One career, he can expect to earn anything from $60,000 upwards for his first season. But as soon as he establishes a reputation as a good driver, he can easily begin to take home more than $1 million per season.
Unlike other forms of racing series, however, especially those in the United States, Formula One teams and drivers are very secretive about what they earn. All the details are locked up in the top secret Concorde Agreement, a covenant signed by all the teams that details how much each team earns from the sale of television rights and other endorsements, like computer games. No one outside the teams knows the exact details of how the payment is split up, but it is widely accepted that teams split between them 47 per cent of television money – believed to be around $300 million in total.

The Bernie Awards: Formula One’s Oscars

Even if a driver has not had a successful season, it does not mean he ends the year without any trophies. Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone recently created a series of awards, nicknamed “The Bernie’s”, which are the sport’s equivalent of the Oscars.
A panel of experts and other drivers vote for who should receive these trophies, and they go to various categories each year. The categories include the best track, the best rookie, and the best driver. There is also a special award called the “Drivers’ Driver”, in which every driver – and test driver – votes for the man they consider to be the best in the sport. This accolade is very prestigious because it appreciates the efforts of drivers who sometimes don’t drive for the best teams.