An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars,
sports cars,
stock cars, and
touring cars
Touring car racing is a motorsport road racing competition with heavily modified road-going cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States.
While the cars do not mov ...
, which have their wheels below the body or inside
fenders. Open-wheel cars are built both for
road racing and
oval track racing
Oval track racing is a form of closed-circuit motorsport that is contested on an oval-shaped race track. An oval track differs from a Road racing, road course in that the layout resembles an oval with turns in only one direction, and the directi ...
. Street-legal open-wheel cars, such as the
Ariel Atom, are scarce as they are often impractical for everyday use.
History
American racecar driver and constructor
Ray Harroun was an early pioneer of the concept of a lightweight single-seater, open-wheel "monoposto" racecar. After working as a mechanic in the automotive industry, Harroun began competitive professional racing in 1906, winning the
AAA National Championship
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to:
Airports
* Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA)
* Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA)
Arts, entertainment, and me ...
in 1910. He was then hired by the
Marmon Motor Car Company as chief engineer, charged with building a racecar intended to race at the first
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
, which he went on to win. He developed a revolutionary concept which would become the originator and forefather of the single-seater (i.e. monoposto) racecar design. Harroun has also been credited by some as pioneering the rear-view mirror which appeared on his
1911 Indianapolis 500
The 1911 International 500-Mile Sweepstakes Race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Tuesday, May 30, 1911. It was the inaugural running of the Indianapolis 500, which is one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world. Ray ...
winning car, though he himself claimed he got the idea from seeing a mirror used for a similar purpose on a
horse-drawn vehicle in 1904.
Prior to
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, street automobiles generally had wheels that protruded beyond the vehicle's main body, though they were typically covered with
mudguards to protect the car body (and following traffic) from water and mud spray. With the advent of
unibody
A vehicle frame, also historically known as its '' chassis'', is the main supporting structure of a motor vehicle to which all other components are attached, comparable to the skeleton of an organism.
Until the 1930s, virtually every car ha ...
vehicle construction, the desire to maximise interior space, to improve aerodynamics , and aircraft-inspired styling trends of the era, by the end of the 1950s the majority of new road-registerable vehicles had wheels that were under the main body of the car, and thus the open-wheel design became almost exclusively associated with racing vehicles.
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
cars have almost exclusively used the open-wheel design throughout the history of the championship. The only notable exception was the "Monza body" variation of the
Mercedes-Benz W196 racer of 1954-55, which covered the wheels with bodywork for aerodynamic reasons. Modern Formula One regulations mandate the open-wheel configuration.
Design
A typical open-wheeler has a minimal cockpit, sufficient only to enclose the driver's body, with the head exposed to the air. In the
Whelen Modified Tour and other short track modified series, the driver's head is contained in the car. In modern cars, the engine is often located directly behind the driver and drives the rear wheels; except in
asphalt
Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term ...
modified cars, such as the
Whelen Modified Tour, where the engine is in front of the driver. Depending on the rules of the class, many types of open-wheelers have
wings at the front and rear of the vehicle, as well as a very low and virtually flat
undertray that helps achieve additional aerodynamic
downforce pushing the car onto the road. While many other categories of racing cars produce downforce, the top categories of open-wheel racing cars (particularly
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
and
Indycar) produce far more downforce relative to their mass than any other racing category, allowing much higher corner speeds on comparable tracks.
Some major races, such as the
Singapore Grand Prix
The Singapore Grand Prix; ta, சிங்கப்பூர் கிராண்ட் பிரிக்ஸ் is a motor racing event which forms part of the Formula One World Championship. The event takes place on the Marina Bay Street Cir ...
,
Monaco Grand Prix (sanctioned by
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
) and the
Long Beach Grand Prix (sanctioned by
IndyCar), are held on temporary
street circuit
A street circuit is a motorsport racing circuit composed of temporarily closed-off public roads of a city, town or village, used in motor races. Airport runways and taxiways are also sometimes part of street circuits. Facilities such as ...
s. However, most open-wheel races are on dedicated
road courses, such as
Watkins Glen in the US,
Nürburgring in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
,
Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has he ...
in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
and
Silverstone in
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...
. In the United States, some top-level open-wheel events are held on ovals, of both short track and superspeedway variety, with an emphasis being placed more on speed and endurance than the maneuverability inherently required by road and street course events. The
Whelen Modified Tour is the only opened wheeled race car series endorsed by
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
. This series races on most of NASCAR's most famous tracks in the United States. Other asphalt modified series race on short tracks in the United States and Canada, such as
Wyoming County International Speedway
Wyoming County International Speedway is an asphalt speedway located in Perry, New York, USA. The speedway was built in 1960 as a dirt racetrack called Perry Speedway. The speedway was paved in 1968, and the concrete retaining wall constructed. I ...
in New York. The best-attended oval race in the world is the annual
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
(Indy 500) in
Speedway, Indiana, sanctioned by IndyCar; in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, it is quite common to refer to open-wheel cars as IndyCars, or Champ Cars, because of their recognizable appearance and widespread popularity across America at the Indy 500.
Compared to covered-wheel race cars, open-wheeled cars allow more precise placement of the front wheels on the race course, as the tires are clearly visible to the driver. This allows the maximum potential of the cars to be wrung out during cornering and passing maneuvers. Furthermore, open-wheeled cars are less tolerant of vehicle-to-vehicle contact, which usually results in vehicle damage and retiring, whereas some level of contact is expected in covered-wheel racing, as for example in NASCAR. Open-wheeled drivers must be extremely precise to avoid contact.
Minimum weight requirements tend to be much lower than in categories that more closely resemble street-legal vehicles, such as
sports cars,
touring cars
Touring car racing is a motorsport road racing competition with heavily modified road-going cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States.
While the cars do not mov ...
, and
stock cars. For instance, a
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
must weigh ; the minimum weight for NASCAR is .
Driving
Open-wheeled racing is among the fastest in the world.
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
cars can reach speeds in excess of . At
Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Antônio Pizzonia of BMW Williams F1 team recorded a top speed of (over 102 m/s) in the
2004 Italian Grand Prix. Since the end of the
V10 era in 2006, speeds like this have not been reached, with contemporary machinery reaching around . It is difficult to give precise figures for the absolute top speeds of Formula One cars, as the cars do not have speedometers as such and the data are not generally released by teams. The 'speed traps' on fast circuits such as Monza give a good indication, but are not necessarily located at the point on the track where the car is travelling at its fastest.
BAR Honda
British American Racing (BAR) was a Formula One constructor that competed in the sport from 1999 to 2005. BAR began by acquiring Tyrrell, and used Supertec engines for their first year. Subsequently, they formed a partnership with Honda which l ...
team recorded an average top speed of in 2006 at
Bonneville Salt Flats with unofficial top speed reaching using their modified
BAR 007
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
* Chocolate bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud
* Bar ( ...
Formula One car. Speeds on ovals can range in constant excess of , and at
Indianapolis in excess of . In 2000,
Gil de Ferran set the one-lap qualifying record of at
California Speedway. Even on tight non-oval street circuits such as the
Grand Prix of Toronto, open-wheel
Indy Cars attain speeds of .
Regardless of top speeds,
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
open-wheel race cars hold the outright lap record at the circuits which they race due to their combination of top speed, acceleration, and cornering abilities. For example, at the
Monza Circuit the fastest lap in the 2021 Grand Prix (
Daniel Ricciardo 1:24.812) is more than six seconds per lap faster than the fastest closed-wheel racing car, an
LMP1 sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
, and more than 20 seconds per lap faster than the
DTM touring car lap record.
Driving an open-wheel car is substantially different from driving a car with fenders. Virtually all Formula One and Indycar drivers spend some time in various open-wheel categories before joining either top series. Open-wheel vehicles, due to their light weight,
aerodynamic capabilities, and powerful engines, are often considered the fastest racing vehicles available and among the most challenging to master. Wheel-to-wheel contact is dangerous, particularly when the forward edge of one tire contacts the rear of another tire: since the treads are moving in opposite directions (one upward, one downward) at the point of contact, both wheels rapidly decelerate, torquing the chassis of both cars and often causing one or both vehicles to be suddenly and powerfully flung upwards (the rear car tends to pitch forward, and the front car tends to pitch backward.) An example of this is the 2005
Chicagoland
The Chicago metropolitan area, also colloquially referred to as Chicagoland, is a metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States. Encompassing 10,286 sq mi (28,120 km2), the metropolitan area includes the city of Chicago, its suburbs and hin ...
crash of
Ryan Briscoe with
Alex Barron.
Advantages
The lower weight of an open-wheel racecar allows for better performance. While the exposure of the wheels to the airstream causes a very high aerodynamic
drag at high speeds, it allows improved cooling of the brakes, which is important on road courses with their frequent changes of pace.
Gallery
Image:Caterham Roadsport SV - Flickr - Alexandre Prévot (1).jpg, Caterham open wheeled sports car, derived from Lotus 7
Image:5 Stoffel Vandoorne at Lung Wo Rd, Man Yiu St (20190310161031).jpg, Electric Formula E racing car (Spark SRT05e
The Spark SRT05E, also known as the Spark Gen2 (or the Spark Gen2EVO for the upgraded chassis set to be introduced in the 2020–21 season but eventually cancelled) is an electric formula race car designed for use in the FIA Formula E Championsh ...
) racing for HWA Racelab
HWA Team, also known as HWA RACELAB, is the auto racing team of HWA AG, a German company based in Affalterbach, that also develops and builds vehicles and components for Mercedes-AMG race cars. It is named after founder Hans-Werner Aufrecht.
...
Image:Mercedes MGP W01 Jerez 2010 2.jpg, 2010 Mercedes-Benz Formula One car
Image:PenskePC23.jpg, 1994 Penske Indy Car
Image:Dad's Day Out 2011 Top Gear Track DSC 8120 (5719768677).jpg, Ariel Atom sports car from UK
Image:KTMX-Bow.jpg, KTM X-Bow, road legal open wheeled sportscar
Image:Modified-45ShowCar.jpg, Asphalt Modified Short Track Race Car
Image:957bWoU.jpg, Sprint cars
Image:2012-Reading-Museum-Barlotti-kart.jpg, A Barlotti go-kart: a low-end open-wheel car
Image:Mansell cart.jpg, Nigel Mansell in a CART car at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, 1993
Safety
In 2018, several single seater series such as
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
,
Formula 2 (with their new
Dallara F2 2018 chassis), and
Formula E (with their new
Spark SRT05e
The Spark SRT05E, also known as the Spark Gen2 (or the Spark Gen2EVO for the upgraded chassis set to be introduced in the 2020–21 season but eventually cancelled) is an electric formula race car designed for use in the FIA Formula E Championsh ...
chassis) introduced a protection system to the cockpit called the
"halo", a wishbone-shaped frame aimed to deflect debris away from a driver's head. Despite initial criticism, including for the reason of obstructing the driver's vision, it showed some praise in the
Formula 2 sprint race in Catalunya when
Nirei Fukuzumi spun and had the back of his car land on fellow countryman
Tadasuke Makino's halo. In the
Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix,
McLaren driver
Fernando Alonso was sent airborne after being hit from behind by the
Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...
of
Nico Hülkenberg
Nicolas Hülkenberg (, born 19 August 1987) is a German professional racing driver who is scheduled to make a full-time racing return to Formula 1 with Haas F1 Team in 2023, after serving as a reserve driver for Aston Martin F1 Team for the yea ...
and struck the halo of
Sauber driver
Charles Leclerc, thereby saving the Monegasque driver from a visor strike.
In
2019, the newly-formed
FIA Formula 3 Championship
The FIA Formula 3 Championship is a third-tier international single-seater racing championship and organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship launched in 2019 as a feeder series for the FIA Formula 1 ...
introduced a halo to their new chassis which was unveiled at the
2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (formally known as the Formula 1 2018 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 25 November 2018 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The race was the twenty f ...
.
In
2020, the
Indycar Series adopted a halo combined with an aeroscreen, built by Red Bull Advanced Technologies.
At the start of the 2020
Bahrain Grand Prix,
Romain Grosjean
Romain David Jeremie Grosjean (; born 17 April 1986) is a Swiss-French professional racing driver, competing under the French flag in the NTT IndyCar Series, driving the No. 28 Honda for Andretti Autosport. Grosjean had previously spent nine ...
collided with
Daniil Kvyat in which his car broke in two and burst into flames as it split the barrier. The halo helped prevent Grosjean from possible decapitation while it allowed him to escape from the fire.
References
{{Class of Auto racing
*