Are F1 Cars At A Different Level?

As Formula-1 season cools in Singapore, we can't help but wonder - what makes an F1 car different from your typical Honda? Turns out, the formula lies in its tyres, engine and weight.

Tyres

As you have noticed, the smooth tyres are reserved for racing. Smoother than your pickup lines, they provide increased direct traction [1], helping the cars to stop and go with more force. Italian manufacturer Pirelli, available at our stores, has exclusively supplied F1 tyres since 2011 [2]. Like ramen noodles, these 18-inch tyres have 3 main types - white (hard), yellow (mid) and red (soft) [3]. Yumm.

1.6-litre V6 turbo engine

The turbocharged engines in these supercars have maxed out their speed and power indexes. This engine produces about 1,000 hp (horsepower), equivalent to ten passenger cars [4]. The engine is designed to run at a high speed. This is unlike regular cars which prioritise engine longevity and dependability. 

Speed Limit

Singapore’s speed limits are up to 90km/h, dropping to 40km/h in the School and Silver Zones for the well-being of all [5]. But during the Grand Prix every September, we all hear the VROOMs of speeds up to 233km/h around Marina Bay Street Circuit [6]. Talk about being loud. 

F1s can travel 34.1km from Jurong East MRT to Jewel (Changi Airport) in a short span of around 6 minutes (via the PIE route, without traffic and other restrictions). 

FYI, our typical MRT (East-West Line) move at 42 -90km/h (although some parts are at 0km/h now…), and for planes, eg a typical Boeing 737 (eg SIA planes), their cruising speed (in air) goes to 912 - 975km/h [7][8][9].  

Zero to Hero

Speeding ahead to the finish line requires acceleration, and F1 cars move from 0 to 100km/h in 3 seconds. How much of this speed is purchasable in Singapore? Turns out, you can get pretty close to the feeling of being in an F1 with supercars.

Porsche’s 911 Carrera reaches the top speed of 294km/h in 4.1s [10]; Ferraris can go neck to neck or even beat an F1’s performance, with the SF90 XX Stradale reaching 100km/h in 2.3 seconds [11], and Maserati does not disappoint as well, with its Granturismo Trofeo hitting the hundredth km/h mark in 3.5 seconds [12].

Ah yes, this is all done with god-sent designs. 🤤

Porsche 911 Carrera

Ferrari SF90 XX Stradale

2024 Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo

Weight

It’s not that a heavier object moves slower because it's heavier. Rather, if you digested this particular formula from your Physics class - you will know that a lighter weight also means lower resistance: Momentum = mass • velocity (p = m • v).

Because mass increases an object’s inertia, doing work at a faster rate requires a greater input of energy [13]. 

No surprise here as well, F1 cars are around 590kg. This is half of a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla - Compact Car’s, which weighs around 1300kg. For Sedans (Toyota Camry or Honda Accord), they can go up to around 1500kg). A typical Ferrari 488 is similar, at 1470kg. If you’re curious, a typical 250cc motorcycle is around 130 - 160kg [14].

2025 Honda Civic

2024 Toyota Corolla

2024 Toyota Camry

2024 Honda Accord

Ferrari 488

Wrapping up

Enough ranting - now you know the secret force behind F1’s cars zoom. Please be safely inspired and keep in mind LTA’s compliance limits (or you will have to bid farewell to $5000 and at least 3 months, in the most ideal scenario) [16].

And for all our road cars (and super cars), you can head down to Teo Hin Tyres for engine maintenance and tyre repairs.

See you at our workshop :)

While we might not be like these power rangers pit-crew at work, our team will speak to you and work together to fix your car based on its needs.

All images are linked to their original source.