FORMULA 1 vs. Ancient CHARIOT Races | 🏁 HISTORY of SPORT 🏎️ |
Yes I know that the first car race and true origin of motorsport was in the 19-th century, but true origins of car racing go way back. And we can find them in Ancient Greece. No, they didn't have cars or motors or engines, but they had wheals and chariots and they had similar rules. So let's dive into the ancient Greek chariot racing competitions - history, technical regulations, racing rules tracks and winners. And we are going to show some of the similarities between chariot races and Formula 1, even Formula 2. This is the history of sport.
Officially, chariot races started as an Olympic sport, and were one of the most prestigious categories on the Olympic Games. However, there are indications that some form of chariot races or competitions or games existed even during the Greek Bronze Age. So, at the Olympic Games, there were 2 chariot disciplines - 4 horse chariot races and 2 horse chariot races - like F1 and F2. They raced at the hippodrome - oval tracks with 2 hairpin turns. Number of laps varied depending on the category.
Just like today, the start was the trickiest part, because of the crashes. Charioteers had to navigate their own horses and had to avoid other chariots. So it was even more trickier than it is today in motor sports. Charioteers were very competitive and as this was one of the most important categories, the stakes were extremely high. And these horses were basically engines, so if one refuses to cooperate, you can face an engine failure and all of a sudden you are in a Ferrari.
They drove chariots similar to war carts. The charioteers were slight of build and tall, but they had to be strong and poses a lot of stamina. They stood throughout the race right above the axle, so the ride was bumpy - picture 2022 Mercedes, but way worse. The horses were well trained as well, so that they would listen to the charioteer during the race, because the lack of their obedience could jeopardise the life of both the driver and the horse.
But the actual winners were not the charioteers, but the owners. The charioteers were either slaves or paid professionals, as this sport was extremely dangerous with a lot of fatalities. So there was only the Constructor's championship, not the drivers' one. There are accounts that Herodotus and Philip II competed as drivers, as well, but this was an exception, not the rule, they were like Enzo Ferrari.
Unmarried women could participate as well, but usually as owners. We do know that one woman - Cynisca, the daughter of the Spartan king, won the Olympic Games twice as an owner and trainer and at least once as a driver.
I hope you liked this video because I wanted to connect my two passions - history and F1. After all, there are so many similarities, minus the motor part. But I am sure that the people who are the motor sport fans, would have been chariot races fans if only they lived during antiquity. The energy is the same, the danger is the same and the chaos is, definitely, the same.
Hey @Formula1 , this is our audition to be a part of your team 🏎️ 🏁 We can do some history together. Still a lot of ground to cover 😉
At the end of the video, we had to give a subtle shoutout to our favourite F1 content creator @Rocketpoweredmohawk Lil Rocket, may the odds be ever in your favour 🚀 💥
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Camera, Directing and Editing: Danilo Mijatović
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Đura is the pseudonym of Ana Đuričić, Ph.D., an archaeologist from Belgrade, who is on a mission to introduce you to the past lifestyles. But here, we are doing things a bit differently.
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