Photo: F1 Authentics
Most of the time. when you’re gifted something mundane as a wall-clock, it’s probably going to either sit in a closet or a garbage can within a few minutes of receiving it. We’d think twice about binning this clock fashioned from a genuine Renault Grand Prix car.
That’s right, this genuine race-used F1 disk brake has been retired from the rigors of racing and is now the foundation of one of the coolest trinkets of Formula One memorabilia we’ve come across in a long time. The fact it survived a genuine Grand Prix race intact is astonishing in itself.
To give you an idea of how much stress a brake disk on a Formula One car endures during the race, continuously decelerating from over 200 mph (322 kph) on straightaways down to 30 or 40 (65 kph) for tight corners can oftentimes make the disk glow red-hot.
Yet, the brakes continue to function even after hours of hard abuse. Stresses like this would destroy the brakes even on lesser race cars. Now, this little nugget of engineering genius has taken a form that’s aesthetically pleasing to most people, but especially petrolheads.
Brake disks are traditionally created out of high-strength steel, but in F1, racing has transitioned to new carbon-ceramic construction. The construction material for the unique-looking clock is not explicitly stated. But considering the age of the vehicle it came from and its look, one can only assume it’s that kind of disk.
The official literature from F1authentics.com, the site where the clock is for sale, states the item will “take center stage in your office or home.” But it will more likely just be appreciated only by the person who bought it. For $973.00 before shipping and handling, that’s quite the price for a conversation piece for an audience of one. At least it ships ready to hang on the wall for your own profound amusement.
To give you an idea of how much stress a brake disk on a Formula One car endures during the race, continuously decelerating from over 200 mph (322 kph) on straightaways down to 30 or 40 (65 kph) for tight corners can oftentimes make the disk glow red-hot.
Yet, the brakes continue to function even after hours of hard abuse. Stresses like this would destroy the brakes even on lesser race cars. Now, this little nugget of engineering genius has taken a form that’s aesthetically pleasing to most people, but especially petrolheads.
Brake disks are traditionally created out of high-strength steel, but in F1, racing has transitioned to new carbon-ceramic construction. The construction material for the unique-looking clock is not explicitly stated. But considering the age of the vehicle it came from and its look, one can only assume it’s that kind of disk.
The official literature from F1authentics.com, the site where the clock is for sale, states the item will “take center stage in your office or home.” But it will more likely just be appreciated only by the person who bought it. For $973.00 before shipping and handling, that’s quite the price for a conversation piece for an audience of one. At least it ships ready to hang on the wall for your own profound amusement.
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