The 2021 Formula One season-ending was ripe with controversy. Some considered Lewis Hamilton losing the title on the last lap to Max Verstappen, a manufactured farce that risked threatening the future of the sport. Others were of a different opinion, as they celebrated the overthrow of the British driver and his Mercedes team from their long domination of the sport. Nine races into the new season, Mercedes has yet to find their footing. Perhaps they haven't come to terms with the events at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021? But the reality is that their car isn't up to the level they could have hoped for starting the year.

So how much difference do the cars make? It makes all the difference, period. Yes, Hamilton is a great driver with numerous records no one will break anytime soon, and he proved that since his rookie days at McLaren. But his and Mercedes's dominance over the last eight seasons is mostly down to having a powerful and reliable car season after season. Some rivals, like Scuderia Ferrari, have shown up with a more powerful car that suffered reliability issues and cost them the competitive edge over a long season. Formula One cars are complex creations, and the tiniest details make the biggest difference. Read on to discover facts every F1 enthusiast should know about race cars.

10 Much Faster Than NASCAR Racing Cars

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Today's NASCAR cars make an excess of 750 horsepower, and most are capable of reaching over 200mph. But Formula One cars blow them out of the water in terms of outright speed. These cars can launch to 60mph in about 2.6 seconds and achieve a 235mph top speed.

While both sets of cars are technically more advanced than regular road cars, Formula One regulations allow engineers to push the boundaries constantly. The F1 produces more horsepower, over 800hp, with half the weight of NASCAR cars, which is a big advantage.

RELATED: This Is How Porsche And Audi Will Change Formula One

9 Modern F1 Car Costs About $20 Million

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Crashes in F1 are a common occurrence. In the 2020 season, there was at least one crash in 7 out of 10 races. While most are unavoidable, fans don't realize the amount of money that goes into the pits every time they see parts flying around in pieces after a crash. Total car costs vary depending on regulations each season, and in 2021, a Formula One car will cost over $20 million.

The engine takes the bulk of the money with over $18 million, chassis about $700k, and Gearbox about $350k. At $50k, the steering wheel alone costs more than many fast, affordable sports cars.

8 Teams Can Use Three Engines Throughout The Season

McLaren F1 MCL36 Saudi Arabia 2022
via McLaren

Per season, a Formula One engine can only be used for up to seven races. Teams are allowed a maximum of 3 engines, three motor generator units-heat, three turbochargers, two control electronics, and two energy stores. This includes qualifying and free practice season. Any team using more than the three will incur grid penalties. Last year Mercedes suffered reliability issues with Valtteri Bottas taking six engine changes. Hamilton had to drop five places at the Brazil Grand Prix after taking a new engine, less than a month after taking a ten grid places penalty at the Turkish GP for the same.

Also, the budget is capped at $140million, so the engineering team has little room for errors. It helps level the field by preventing the bigger teams from overspending.

7 Tires Supplied Exclusively By Pirelli

Ferrari f175 2022 F1 Car On Track Saudi Arabia GP
Via: @ScuderiaFerrari - Twitter

Since 2010, Pirelli and F1 entered an agreement to make them the sole supplier of tires, and all Formula One team have used Pirelli tires. This will continue until 2024, at the least. The sport has had ten supplies in its history, with as many as six different tires supplied simultaneously, when Pirelli, Firestone, Avon, Dunlop, Continental, and Englebert supplied the team for the 1958 season.

Why a single supplier? It is the requirement of the prevailing regulation. It helps curb a tire war last seen in 2005 when many manufacturers would compete between teams and negotiate to become their suppliers. Top teams would get the good tires that lower-ranking teams couldn't afford.

RELATED: 10 Facts Every Formula One Enthusiast Should Know About The McLaren F1 Team

6 Weather Impacts Both Car And Driver

Mercedes F1 2022 W13 Hamilton Barcelona Final Chicane
via Mercedes AMG F1

Formula One cars' performance and rainy weather are polar opposites. Drivers struggle to get the most out of the cars whenever showers fall. The rain brings many challenges like low visibility and a slippery and unpredictable track. Some sections of the circuit may get standing water, with water running in small streams in other sections.

F1 cars don't come with driver assistance technology like stability control, ABS, or traction control, making them extremely difficult to push in the rain. Also, they have to drop the sleek tires for the slower wet tires.

5 Left Foot Braking

Mercedes W13 F1 Car Shakedown George Russell
via Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

In modern cars, still keeping the manual spirit alive, the left leg is left to operate the clutch with every gear change. But with the auto cars, the left leg has no job to do, and if you are transitioning from a manual, you might have to tie it down until you get used to the changes. Formula One drives have it different, since the left leg is tasked with slowing down the car.

There isn't sufficient room in the car's footwell to allow for right foot braking, and most cars don't even have a footrest on the left side like your daily driver.

4 Brakes Get Really Hot During Hard Braking

Sergio Perez Ahead Of Charles Leclerc At 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
via Red Bull Content Pool

Formula One cars blast down the straights, but once they approach the corners, they slow down and go around corners at speeds between 31mph and 192mph. It takes plenty of stopping power to slow the car down from over 200mph to 50mph in under three seconds. This can get the brakes extremely hot, sometimes reaching 120 degrees Celsius. If you look keenly, you can see an orange glow through the wheels.

But in the hybrid era, regenerative braking does most of the stopping, and just letting off the pedal slows down the car faster than slamming on the brakes in regular cars.

RELATED: 10 Facts Formula One Enthusiasts Should Know About Scuderia Ferrari

3 F1 Cars Generate Up To 6Gs While Cornering

2021 Red Bull RB17 F1 Car
Via Red Bull Racing

Ever felt that sickening sensation you experience on a roller coaster? That is the G-force doing its thing. It is no different inside Formula One cars, where drivers are constantly experiencing g-forces that have drastic effects on the human body. They are hit by about 5g while braking, 2g while accelerating, and 4 to 6g while cornering.

That means during cornering, drivers can feel a force up to six times their body weight; if their neck muscles weren't properly trained, they could easily pass out. But these are well-trained and conditioned athletes, not just your regular drivers.

2 There Is A Minimum Combined Weight For Car And Driver

Sergio Perez During 2022 Miami Grand Prix
via Red Bull Content Pool 

Formula One cars and drivers must meet a minimum combined weight for safety and speed reasons. In 2022, they have to weigh at least 1759 pounds, and dead weights are added where the driver is too light. If you have stayed long enough after the race, you have seen drivers stand on a weighing scale to get their after-race measurements.

Also, the car and driver lose weight during the race. Each tire can shed off about a pound due to wear, and the cars use two to four sets of tires per race. In hot conditions, temperatures are high inside the cockpit, and drivers can shed between 4 and 6 pounds in lost fluids. If a driver loses more than expected, the medical team must step in.

RELATED: 10 Facts Formula One Enthusiasts Should Know About The Williams Team

1 Revs Three Times Higher Than Regular Cars

George Russell Vs Max Verstappen 2022 Spanish GP
via Mercedes-AMG F1

A typical engine has a maximum speed ranging between 6000 and 7000rpm. Any around 8k is considered a high-revving engine. The highest revving sports cars like Gordon Murray's T.50 can do as much as 12,000 rpm. This doesn't come close to Formula One cars.

F1 engines are built to rev up to 20,000rpm. In the past, they've been restricted to 18,000 rpm and 15,000rpm, but as of 2022, they are not unrestricted. They idle at 5,000rpm, close to many regular cars' red line.