E-Paper
Grandstand cacophony: 'Ear' comes F1
Fans flock to sporting venues across the world with a sole purpose - to be heard. They cheer, they jeer, they shout… they make the most noise. At an F1 circuit, however, it's payback time.
Fans flock to sporting venues across the world with a sole purpose - to be heard. They cheer, they jeer, they shout… they make the most noise. At an F1 circuit, however, it's payback time.
Sitting in the grandstand for the Malaysian GP, one experiences the eardrum-shattering screech of an F1 car going full throttle.
You don't need the decibel count, or understand the decibel scale, to know it's loud. The reverberations stay on long after the car has passed you by.
During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the cacophony of the vuvuzela infuriated as many fans as it charmed. A journalist likened the din of the plastic trumpet to a mating call of an elephant. The screech of an F1 car at over 300kmph could well be likened to the mating call of an elephant on steroids.
Doctors warn that prolonged exposure to a noisy-environment could take a toll as the years pass on. Exposure to the cacophony of an F1 car takes a toll on each passing lap.
There are quite a few sounds in the world of sport that leave a lasting impression. The echo when a ball hits the sweet spot of Sachin Tendulkar's bat, the squish of a 'nothing but net' Michael Jordan jumper, or the thump of a Mike Tyson left-hook. But, none of the above makes the impact of 24 F1 cars going all out when the five red lights go off and the race begins.
