1. A normal car engine does around 3,000 revolutions per minute when it accelerates. (Watch the tachometer - the dial next to the speedometer in front of the steering wheel - the next time you're in a car.) A Formula 1 car, however, roars at over 18,000 RPM.

2. The cockpit is where the driver sits. It has to be as strong as possible to protect the driver in case of a crash. But it must also be light. Like the rest of the car, it is made from carbon fibre.

3. The steering wheel isn't just used for steering. All the buttons and controls that the driver needs are on the steering wheel. The driver doesn't have to take his hands off the wheel to press a button. Another special feature of the steering wheel is that it snaps off easily. This is to allow the driver to jump out quickly in case of an accident.

4. Race tyres are very different from ordinary tyres. The rubber used is much softer. This gives the car better grip on the track. But the softer material also means that they don't last very long. Normal tyres are usually changed after a few years of driving. But Formula 1 tyres must be changed during the race. Cars make 'pit stops' to change tyres as well as refuel.

5. The shape of the car is designed to help air flow around it as smoothly as possible. If there is a part sticking out, it will act like a brake. The air will push against it, slowing down the car. This effect is called 'drag'. Engineers reduce drag by shaping the car like a knife that cuts through the air.

6. These 'wings' work like the opposite of aeroplane wings. An aiplane's wings help to lift it into the air. An F-1 car's wings create a 'downforce' keeping the car pressed down onto the track as it zooms around. Without the wings, the car would shoot off the road when it turns around bends at high speeds.