Racing the equator

Formula One race cars travel at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour. So for our Geo Quiz, we wonder how long it would take to drive around the earth at that speed? How long would it take to drive one lap along the equator, if you could?

Now, the car on the right is going quite fast. It’s not exactly the speed of drivers weaving through traffic on the way home from work. It’s Formula One racing. The sport is governed by FIA or the International Automobile Federation. And today in Monaco, it announced a couple of new rules:

First: starting in 2013, Formula One engines must be 4 cylinder 1.6 litre direct injection engines. That may not mean much to you but the change could help cut fuel consumption by 35 percent.

Second: next year, Formula One race cars can have moveable rear wings. No Joke. The wings kick in when a driver is overtaking another car up ahead. The wings provide an aerodynamic boost.

These race cars travel at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour. So for our quiz, we wonder how long it would take to drive around the earth at that speed? How long would it take to drive one lap along the equator, if you could?
Geo Answer:

Well the answer is and I should say I’ve never driven that fast before, but if I did drive at top Formula One speed, once around the equator, not even stopping for red lights would take 4 days and 17 hours. Close to 5 days. That’s with or without the new moveable rear wings.