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The student news site of Clayton High School.

The Globe

The student news site of Clayton High School.

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Fans rev their engines for 2011 Formula One racing Season

For car and motor sport enthusiasts, Formula 1, or F1 for short, is the pinnacle of mankind’s land racing achievements, the bridging of man and machine in perfect harmony. Streamlined super-machines designed to pump out a mandated 750 brake horsepower at 18,000 rpm whip around a track, pushing the drivers’ limits with g-forces fit for an astronaut.

Now, after months of wait since the end of the 2010 season, the 2011 Formula One season has finally revved up after a brief hiccup – the Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled due to violent revolts in Manama, Bahrain – and in the final week of March, things got underway for another thrilling Melbourne Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel, 2010 F1 World Driver’s Champion, was out on the hunt yet again in Melbourne, posting a dazzlingly quick time in the qualifying round, thus starting the race in first position, otherwise known as ‘pole position’. His team, Red Bull Racing, was ecstatic to have garnered another early win, as was he that, “Everything worked perfectly,” according to Vettel in a post-race interview on f1.com.

Of course, it wouldn’t have been a great race without fierce contenders, and Lewis Hamilton of team McLaren Mercedes came in second, coping with a broken floor board on the bottom of his car for the majority of the race. The real surprise came with VitalyPetrov’s third place finish, his first ever podium finish and a huge step for his team, Lotus Renault.

The excitement of the race stemmed not only from the remarkable driving prowess, but also from new implementations and regulations in the 2011 season.

First, the 2011 F1 season will boast the return of the Kinetic Energy Recovery System, or KERS for short. This powerful technology restores charge to a battery when the F1 cars brake, taking advantage of the otherwise lost kinetic energy. There are many stipulations as to when a driver can use KERS, how much per lap, and for how long, but the ultimate result is a brief boost. Essentially, the button for KERS that drivers press is a ‘push to pass,’ allowing for overtaking and therefore a more exciting race. It will be interesting to see how the return of KERS from the 2009 season revitalizes passing around the track.

As a side note, and perhaps to further glorify champion Sebastian Vettel, his car did not use KERS and he therefore had no advantage. While the Red Bull car was equipped for KERS, it was not functioning properly and he had to tough out the race on pure engine power.

More changes for the 2011 season include movable rear wings, prohibited in 2010, which facilitate less downforce and drag on the straights, and more downforce in the turns, allowing for more overpassing. Also, the tires from last year were changed from Bridgestone to Pirelli, altering the grip dynamic entirely. The new Pirellis wear faster since they are have more grip, forcing F1 drivers to make more pit stops, as was intended to, again, create more nail-biting races.
So where do all the changes in the rules lead for the 2011 season? What does Vettel’s win portend?

Well, perhaps nothing. But let’s hope they mean everything.

Vettel’s first place finish is reminiscent of last year, suggesting he’s still as focused as ever and prepared to fight hard on the asphalt in order to defend his champion status.

With the big names of the business like Lewis Hamilton still refusing to relent, and other major threats such as Fernando Alonzo of team Ferrari still racing hard, it’s not clear who will be the 2011 driver’s champ.

Furthermore, if Vitali Petrov has continued his success after his podium finish breakthrough at Melbourne, it could make for a very interesting point distribution between the hot shots of F1.

Ultimately, the new rule implementations and possible pecking orders of the finest drivers can mean only one thing. Excitement. The thrill of watching humans achieve the impossible at astronomical levels. Hopefully the 2011 season will bring more viewers to an otherwise unappreciated sport in America, and longtime fans will get their fair share of entertainment.

Either way, worldwide F1 fans’ thirst for petroleum has surely been quenched.

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Fans rev their engines for 2011 Formula One racing Season