If you're going to talk about the evolution of automotive technology over the past century, you have to include motorsports as well. Manufacturers that are actively involved in racing can test new ideas there, to further adapt them to their streetcars later on in the timeline. And the way that technology has evolved would most likely feel shocking for anyone who was racing say, 50 years ago.
Just imagine the life of a present-day race driver. And we'll take today's case as an example. After the F1 Emilia Romagna GP ended on the 24th of April, teams were already looking forward to the inaugural Miami Grand Prix.
Drivers go through a lot of training before and after each race. After all, we are talking about a multi-billion dollar industry here. So, every driver has a daily routine that includes mental and physical training. But what about the most important part of all?
A driver needs to get as much seat time as possible. That way he can improve his connection with the car and get to grips with the way he has to operate it during any given race weekend. But running an F1 car is not cheap at all.
Reportedly, it can use up as much as $500,000 in fuel alone, throughout an entire racing season. And for the driver to get in the car for practice, you need to think of all the adjacent costs including track fees, spare parts, crew costs, tires, and so on so forth.
Photo: McLaren
So a good way to cut down on costs, while still providing the driver with an adequate level of pre-race training is the use of simulators. Just as a commercial air pilot would practice his skills and learn to react to different situations, so will an actual race car driver.
The racing simulators used for F1 drivers are extremely advanced and also prohibitively expensive, but using them is still a more sensible option. But today, we will be seeing Lando Norris having fun with a commercial-type, affordable racing sim instead.
At this point, he has probably done hundreds of virtual laps on the Miami International Autodrome on the team's main simulator, which means he could probably drive there with his eyes closed already. We get to see the perks of being an F1 driver, namely: Lando gets to play the F1 22 videogame before anyone else gets a chance!
For us mere mortals at home, we'll have to wait until July 1st to get a copy of EA's newest racing installment. Developed by Codemasters, this marks the fifteenth title in the franchise so far!
Photo: McLaren Shadow
Lando Norris is all set up for a fast lap of the 3.36 miles (5.41 km) long racetrack, and this way, we get a glimpse of the layout before the start of this race weekend. This is going to be the first-ever F1 race in Miami and one of two events to be held in the United States in 2022.
There are two sections of the track where he manages to hit 205 mph (330 kph) and 206 mph (331 kph), respectively, and he crosses the finish line with a time of 1:32.117. In a few hours, we'll see if he can do better than that in real life. Until then, we can head back to our own F1 21 for a short stint as we wait for the live broadcast of the Miami Grand Prix.
The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S. Full profile
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