Ask any petrol head and they will tell you that Formula One is the pinnacle of Motorsport. Every would be racing driver, setting out in karts or Caterham Sevens will have this as their ultimate aim. Few will ever get there and the talent required is incredible even to race for a minor team. The slick aerodynamic massively powered Formula one car is a testament to science and engineering with the ability of a human to pilot it through the many Grand Prix’s in the year. The nearest experience that most of us will ever get is actually going to or watching on television a Grand Prix. The other way is to use a simulator on a Games console or even go really retro and buy a Scalextric set. When race day comes what better way is there than settling down with a drink and snacks and a Sportscar lap tray to keep it all on. Why not visit https://personalisedlaptrays.co.uk/collections/sport-lap-trays to get one? You can choose to decorate it with your favourite Driver or team on it. Where does Formula one originate from? How did it all start?
Before Formula one there were still Grand Prix’s. These were slightly ad hoc meetings where teams and privateers would turn up with a car at arranged meetings and race each other. There was no set Formula so cars were distinctly mismatched and all had differing designs. These meetings had grown out of Pre First World War races like the London to Brighton run and the very first Paris to Rouen. Most races were more like Rally’s having a City to City theme. Endurance of the cars and reliability was what was really tested. As these were held on public roads the cars needed to be quite hardy. Due to public interest, and safety, it was decided that specific race tracks should be made. The first ever was the banked oval of Brooklands in Surrey. The cars were able to reach very high speeds for the first time and the public flocked to watch.
In the 1920’s a move was made to ensure that some stability was needed. Larger car manufactures in Europe such as Alfa Romero, Bugatti, Renault, Mercedes and Riley were all looking to use the races to test car improvements and advertise their vehicles. A series of officially regulated Grand Prix’s throughout Europe were started with a Drivers and Constructors championship. After the Second World War the term of Formula one was established and a set of clear rules and regulations set down, although teams could work within the guidelines to give their car an edge. Super charged cars could compete against normally aspirated engine cars and the Drivers began to take on celebrity status. Little did those first drivers in the 1950’s know how much the cars, in terms of speed and design plus the physical demands on the driver, were to change greatly over the next 60 years! So settle down and enjoy it, you’re watching a Formula with a lot of heritage.
