How much heat can an F1 race suit withstand?

The F1 race suits go through stringent tests before making it onto the bodies of the F1drivers.

How much heat can an F1 race suit withstand?

F1 drivers

F1 has, over the years, become the premium class of motor racing. No other motorsport comes even close to the kind of presence F1 has managed to develop among the ardent followers of motorsports. While the on-track action at the pinnacle of motor racing is stupendous, the racing gear that the drivers wear is also of top-notch quality.

With the help of this piece, let’s dive deep into the makings of the race suits that F1 drivers wear during Grand Prix weekends. As the years have gone by, the sport has developed massively in almost every department. Still, the evolution that has taken place around the race suit of drivers is almost unprecedented. In modern times, the suits are much more lighter and durable in comparison to the early years of F1.

YouTube video

The F1 race suits these days are made of a lab-tested fiber called Nomex. Moreover, the criteria regarding the use of Nomex fiber for making race suits are very stringent. In order to get the approval, the fiber is expected to withstand scorching temperatures of around 600-800 degree Celsius. It is required to resist ignition for at least 10 seconds, and the internal temperature is expected to not exceed 41° Celsius for at least 11 seconds.

If all the above criteria are met, only then the race suits are allowed to go for production and, from there on, to the garages of the various F1 teams, where drivers test the race suits for fittings, etc. The process of making race suits is incredibly time-consuming, but it is absolutely necessary, considering a driver’s life is on the line.

Discover: How much prize money does the F1 constructors champion receive?

Roman Grosjean’s horrifying crash at the 2020 F1 Bahrain GP

Roman Grosjean
Roman Grosjean

The F1 race suits go through stringent tests to make it onto the body of the F1 drivers, and the importance of this was very much realized at the 2020 Bahrain GP. Roman Grosjean, who was on the books of the Haas F1 team that year, found himself in a horrifying crash. The French driver at the Bahrain GP found himself surrounded by a bowl of fire as he crashed into the barricade at high speed. Moreover, the crash led to the car splitting into two pieces.

Roman Grosjean sustained an impact of 67 Gs and was in the bowl of fire for around 28 seconds. If it had not been for his race suit, Grosjean would have most probably sustained serious injuries. When the French driver, eventually made it out of the fire and was taken to the hospital, it was found that he had sustained a few burns on his hands. Other than that, he was fit enough to come back to the circuit, a few days later, to thank the people who saved his life.

Looking at Grosjean’s incident, it is quite easy to understand the importance of race suits in F1. Without race suits, there would be no sport, and it is because of the ever-advancing technology that the F1 drivers are able to go out on tracks and push their respective cars to the limit, without worrying much about their own well-being.

In case you missed it: