First corner approach at Hockenheim

There are many corners with famous names in Formula 1, such as the Parabolica at Monza or Becketts at Silverstone. But those are not the corners that can decide a race: on every track, the corner the drivers pay most attention to, and which commands the most interest from the fans, is the first corner after the race begins.

The battle for the first corner is very brief. When the start lights go out, the drivers have just a few seconds to get into position among the mass of 22 cars charging towards the eye of the needle at the end of the start/finish line. For them, the stakes are extremely high. “It is much easier to catch up or lose places at the start than during the rest of the race,” says Sam Michael, Technical Director at WilliamsF1. “So only one motto applies for the drivers up to the first corner: keep your eyes straight ahead and put your foot down.”

That’s easier said than done at the German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring. Of course, every driver tries to approach the first corner on precisely the ideal line, which as a rule is an extremely narrow corridor and only has space for one car. So the drivers have to concentrate fully on the perfect position and the right braking point and also watch very carefully what is happening in front of and next to them. A glance in the rear-view mirror can’t hurt either - because in these few seconds at the absolute limit, one thing is clear: anyone who makes even the tiniest mistake can not only completely ruin his own chances, but also those of his team mates or his rivals.

In order to keep their nerves in this exceptional situation, the drivers have to be absolutely physically and mentally fit. In no other phase of the race is the pressure so great, or must they absorb and process so much information at the same time. Thanks to their concentration and training, the drivers are able to maintain their pulse at 130 beats per minute at the start. Then the body takes over from the psyche. While they race towards the first corner, the pulse rate climbs to 180. Under such stressful conditions, a normal car driver could expect a circulatory collapse.

In everyday traffic, too, the first few metres can be a problem. Anyone who occasionally rents a car is familiar with the situation that the accelerator, clutch and brake pedals feel slightly different, the controls are arranged differently and the vehicle dimensions are unfamiliar. On holiday trips in particular, you have also often never driven the route before. “To arrive safely in such situations, it’s advisable to take enough time before setting off to adjust the seat and mirrors and to get to know the most important controls, from the lights to the windscreen wipers,” says Dr. Christoph Lauterwasser from the Allianz Centre for Technology (AZT). “In contrast to a Formula 1 race, it is certainly sensible to take things relatively easy for the first few kilometres.”

The battle for the first corner is one of the most exciting moments in any Formula 1 race. It is no wonder that the drivers prepare for it specifically. Because every track is different, it’s important to analyse the racing lines through the first corner using video recordings from recent years. Sam Michael warns his drivers before every race to be particularly careful in the first corner, even though the drivers are perfectly aware of that. In those critical few seconds, so many things are happening around them that sometimes the drivers can forget. As a result, Michael is all the more relieved when everything has gone well and his drivers have mastered this difficult situation successfully. However, experience has shown him that “to get through the first corner unscathed takes luck as well as skill”.

Because jostling is inevitable in the battle for the first corner, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has done a great deal to make sure it doesn’t have serious consequences for the drivers or spectators. The implementation of generous run-off zones in this area has guaranteed greater safety at the start, in the same way that the restriction of frequent sudden lane changes on the start/finish straight. As a result, the car in front can now only change position once to prevent the car behind from overtaking. Anyone who infringes this regulation will be punished by the sport commissioners. All these measures have helped to keep the start exciting, while also making sure fewer and fewer drivers have their race finished right at the outset.

“A great deal was done to improve the safety during the conversion of this high-speed track. There are now generous tarmac run-off zones. But the drivers like to integrate them into their driving line so they can be really fast, and so they can easily tempt you to try risky manoeuvres. I don’t particularly like the north loop, where the curbs extend so far on to the track that we just have to drive over them. The track operators could certainly do a bit more work there."