3. Carbon Fiber Monocoque (estimated cost: $682,000)
Tragic happened to many F1 legends on the race track, including Niki Lauda and the late Ayrton Senna. Surely, we don’t want that to happen ever again. So, even though the formula 1 research is aimed to produce the best fast car, the drivers’ safety has never been put aside.
“Monocoque” is the French word for “single shell”. Monocoque in F1 is a survival capsule surrounding the driver’s cockpit. It is made of sixty layers of carbon fiber. This strong material is surprisingly five times thinner than a human hair.
Monocoque protects F1 driver during a crash. In the recent years, you have seen many crashes. Yet, the drivers managed to walk away unharmed. For this crucial technology, a $682,000 estimated cost is generated for each car.
Monocoque has been proven effective in protecting a driver. In 2007, Robert Kubica was going on 28 times acceleration of gravity when he crashed. Yet, he walked out with a few bruises only.
