Racing tires can grip with the force of a piano
At Turkey's Istanbul Park, the infamous Turn 8 subjects drivers to sustained forces so intense they must brace their necks against the cockpit to keep their heads upright.
To navigate the four apexes of Istanbul Park's Turn 8, a car must maintain a speed of 300 kilometers per hour while fighting to stay on the asphalt. At this velocity, the car's wings and underbody act like an inverted airplane, using air pressure to crush the vehicle into the track with the force of a 200-kilogram piano. This massive downward pressure allows the tires to achieve a level of friction that would be impossible for a stationary car, effectively gluing the machine to the road even as the driver endures a lateral pull five times the force of gravity.
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