Expensive hi-tech materials like carbon, magnesium or titanium are the reason why such values can be achieved in Formula 1 in the first place. Thus, approximately 60 percent of a Formula 1 car is made of the composite material carbon fibre. All three materials have the advantage that they are lightweight and, at the same time, extremely durable. Regardless of that, however, an extensive after sales service is always on the post-Grand Prix agenda. All of the components are inspected – and many of them will already have expired. The clutch, for instance, needs to be replaced after every race. For a good reason: to stop the wheels spinning wildly when the car starts, the clutch does not close completely. Within only a few tenths of a second, temperatures of up to 1,000° Celsius are built up – the carbon-fibre clutch discs begin to glow. The titanium transmission housing may be strong

enough to last an entire season. The gear wheels and bearings inside it, however, are replaced – just to be on the safe side – after every race.

Even the engine, with its approximately 5,000 individual components, is at the least subjected to an extensive overhaul after a race weekend. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), for financial reasons, changed the regulations at the beginning of this season, stipulating that per race car a team may now use only a single engine for the entire duration of a Grand Prix weekend. So the engine must now not only function during the race but also during free practice and qualifying, thus – compared to previous years – having to cover approximately twice the distance. There even used to be special qualifying engines, constructed for the sole purpose of achieving the best possible position on the starting grid. Everyone knew that these engines could never survive a full race distance.

The trend towards longevity has resulted in longer service intervals for standard production vehicles as well – to the great delight of drivers everywhere. Modern electronic systems are another feature that help identify signs of wear earlier and with more accuracy. However, systems like that are not yet being installed in all cars. Even if it is not necessary, as is the case in Formula 1, for drivers to completely dismantle their cars after every lengthy drive, Dr. Harthmut Wolff of the Alliance Center for Technology would still advise the following: “Regular inspections and workshop visits not only maintain reliability but are especially important for safety. After all, those parts in a car that are subject to the most wear are the tyres and the brakes.”

In Formula 1, the shock absorbers, brake discs and pads, as well as the exhaust system with the exhaust pipe, where exhaust temperatures of approximately 950° Celsius are a main factor of wear, are routinely removed and replaced after a race. The underbody actually has to be newly produced and the chassis repainted for every race. By the way, even the drivers’ clothing is subject to the service life discussion: being an important part of the safety concept, the overalls must always fulfil the highest demands. To guarantee that they do, approximately 12 of them are required for each driver per season.

The electronics are especially sensitive. Thus, most of the sensors that measure the data for the telemetry do not survive the heat and the vibrations for longer than a single race. The electronic components inside the steering wheel are slightly better protected so that the multi-functional control centre in the cockpit does its job for at least two races. By then, however, it too is worn beyond repair and needs to be replaced. The engine radiator is usually also replaced after the second run. After the fifth Grand Prix, the lightweight magnesium wheels are no longer suitable for use in Formula 1. During their service life, they cover approximately 3,000 kilometres. The suspension springs, on the other hand, can manage an entire season. The driver and his style play an important part in deciding when the rear or front wing of the race car needs to be replaced. These parts are of course replaced immediately if they get damaged.

There really is only one part that can practically always be relied upon: the carbon-fibre monocoque, the driver’s safety cell, is virtually indestructible.