New Formula 1 Cars “Not Far From 8 G” in Corners, Grosjean Says
In recent interview, Haas F1 driver Romain Grosjean casually mentions hitting fighter pilot-level g-forces.
In a recent interview ahead of the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, Haas Formula One driver Romain Grosjean said that the cars in the race are pulling close to 8 g's when running hot.
"The cars are brutal to drive—we are not far from 8G with the peak in high corners—so it is pretty good fun. But it is hard on the body, it is hard on parts, it is hard on the cars," Grosjean said, according to Motorsport.com. "You better not miss the turning point on some places. The speed we go through the corners is insane compared to the past. You need to be more precise, more accurate, more on it."
Credit (or blame, if you're Kimi Räikkönen's cardiologist) the increased performance of the 2017 Formula One race cars. Indeed, the cars are so fast, first Sebastian Vettel and then Lewis Hamilton shattered the unofficial Albert Park track lap record set back in 2011 during qualifying today.
"It is incredible," Hamilton said, Motorsport.com reports. "The grip is fantastic, the aero makes such a drastic difference. You can push deep into the corners, it is amazing."
In case you don't feel like grabbing the calculator, at eight times the force of gravity, a 150-pound Formula One driver would weigh 1,200 pounds.
That said, while eight g's sounds like a big number, it's well within human tolerance when endured for short periods. (Just ask Alonso.) U.S. Air Force rocket sled rider Dr. John Stapp, who holds the record for horizontal g-force tolerance, endured 29 separate deceleration events, including a peak sustained force of 25 g's for 1.1 seconds; he lived to be 89 years old with no known ill effects.
The Australian Grand Prix—the first race of the 2017 Formula One season—kicks off Sunday at 1AM Eastern Daylight Time here on America's East Coast. (Damn time zones.)