Sunday, December 29, 2019

A Report on the Body Shop - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1527 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Did you like this example? Summary of The Body Shop The Body Shop was found by Anita Roddick in the year of 1976 which she opened the first store in United Kingdom using only  £8000. In 1984, The Body Shop is floated on the London Stock Exchange. In 2006, The Body Shop won the PETAà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Proggy (progess) awards for its consistent commitment against animal testing. In the same year, Là ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢Oreal acquire The Body Shop for  £652m, thus The Body Shop was removed from the London Stock Exchange. Despite the acquisition, The Body Shop continues to be based in the UK. However in 2013, a CHOICE investigation triggered The Body Shop Australia CEO Mark Kindness to reinforce the company will not take exporting their products into China into consideration until Chinaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s laws changes. -Trouble faced- -how they got through it- conclusion External Environment External Environment meant that situations, objects, actions, and causes around an o rganisation that may affect its daily operations and varieties, and determine its prospects and probabilities. As for this report, it has been spilt into six external environment which are sociocultural component, technology component, demographic component, economic component, political component and lastly, global component. On top of that, the external environment of an organisation is also called operating environment. (Reference from:https://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/external-environment.html#ixzz3E4QnZsTq) SOCIOCULTURAL In every organisation, there will be something called values that the organisation will follow. As for The Body Shop, there are five core values that keeps the organisation in track. The Body Shop is against animal testing and also protects the planet. This value is very significant to Anita Roddick as her vision was to sell quality skin-care products that were made from natural components and packaged in environmentally friendly containers . It was also promoted worldwide to end the unnecessary sufferings of animals and also the dedication to find and obtain organic resources and components, setting ecological goals. The Body Shop is also one of the first to stand against animal testing. The Body Shop also supports community fair trade and defends human rights. Strives to treat everyone in a fair and open manner, to venerate and treasure their veracity. The Body Shop continues to fight for social justice and human rights, and have never been scared to fight for the weak and the underprivileged. The Body Shop also takes pride in the Community Trade programme, as the organisation makes a difference to the lives of the farmers, producers and their peoples. Lastly, The Body Shop activates self-esteem by trying to bring out the natural beauty of a person. To The Body Shop, beauty is a belief, a natural way of being, where character, self-esteem and humour are freely expressed and celebrated. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s t he soul of beauty. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not just about looking beautiful. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s about exuding a vibrant attitude to life. (Reference from https://www.thebodyshop.com.sg/en/our_values.aspx) TECHNOLOGY In 21st century, technology is advanced and many platforms of improving the business is through technology. Many consumers now does online shopping instead of in-shop shopping due to time constrain as they can save more time during their transaction. With lesser than spent on each transaction, consumers are able to make more transactions. Ecommerce is also much more helpful as consumers can easily access to the catalogues without any difficulty, analyse prices between products, purchasing from other foreign countries, and above that, consumers can make transactions at home or at work. With online shopping, the consumers will not need to bother with the opening hours, pushy sales staff, or any other factors that may hinder the shopping trip. (Source from http s://webdesign.vinsign.com/what-is-ecommerce-importance.html) The Body Shop isvery behind in terms of technology as their system were not automated but manual instead. However, their products can be found onvarious online shopping platforms such asRakutenand Qoo10 (previously known asGmarket) as there may be a middleperson that brought The Body Shop products into Ecommerce.The Body Shop advertises via social network such as Facebook and Twitter, to more traditional way of advertising such as posters or in-shop promotions. As shown below, The Body Shop does not provide online shopping. (Source from https://www.thebodyshop.com.sg/en/faq.aspx) In Diagram 2.1 below, is the proportion of online shoppers by age group in 2012. Diagram 2.1 (Source from https://www.johnnykoh.sg/2013/01/online-shopping-is-a-growing-trend-in-singapore) In 2012, ages 15 to 34 years are the ones that does more online shopping as compared to the rest. Students or young adults that are studying thinks that it is more convenient to do online shopping as they can afford to wait for the products to reach the destination. The highest percentage are those in the age group 25 to 34 years old, which is mainly the working adults. Online shopping is convenient to them as they can beat the queue and with a credit card, transactions are made simpler. Diagram 2.2 (Source from https://az598155.vo.msecnd.net/wp-uploads/2014/07/1.png) In diagram 2.2, it was predicted that retail e-commerce in Singapore will have a climatic climb to $4.4 billion in 2015 despite global economic crisis. Lastly, online shopping will become a necessity in our lives as they become more practical with each passing year. DEMOGRAPHIC The Body Shop definitely has many regular consumers or even new consumers. However with different geographic locations, there were bound to be many consumers from different ages,income,raceand marital status usingWismaAtria(Singapore)asthegeographic loc ation. Diagram 3.1 As shown in Diagram 3.1, many consumers come from the age group of 40-44 years and 65 years and above, whichcould meant that The Body Shopismore popular for the stated age groups. Diagram 3.2 As shown in Diagram 3.2, there is a whoopingpercentage of 41.7% of consumers whose monthly income are above 6000 SGD. Diagram 3.3 Diagram 3.4 For both Diagram 3.3 and 3.4, its shown that races also affects the culture as a wide percentage of both Chinese males and females were seen to be the biggest consumers in the geographic location specified. Diagram 3.5 Diagram 3.6 Despite being married, bothmales and females has the highest percentage as compared to widowed, divorced and single males and females. However, theres a lesser percentage of widowed males and divorced males as compared to widowed females and divorced females. (Sources fromhttps://sg.shownearby.com/place/The-Body-Shop-Wisma-Atria/533908/demographics/marit al-status) ECONOMIC The Body Shops stock started on Londons Unlisted Securities Market in 1984, with a stock price of 95 pounds. After given a full listing, the stock increased by more than 500%, thus was given the nickname Shares that defy gravity. An international controversy happened that whirred up stories in the international media that led to a temporary drop in the market value of 50% of the stock of The Body Shop. Profit was lowalsodue to the consistent sales that kept ongoing all over the 61 countries. With thatconsistentongoing sales, their products became even cheaper yet they would still need to pay their staff as well as payment for bringing in more products or even to do research for new products.Thus, bringing the profit expectedly low.As profit hits expectedly low, there will be a higher risk thatlabourturnover will occur especially negatively. Other than the low profit, there was a financial crisis in 2007-2008, which also named as Global Financial Cr isis, stock markets dropped worldwide, bringing problems such as prolonged unemployment. (Reference from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_crisis_of_2007%E2%80%9308#Global_effects) In 10 October 2008, Singaporeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s economy shrank by 6.3% in the third quarter after an updated 5.7% recession in the second quarter, the first recession since 2002. Growth has wavered in Singapore as a result of lesser needs for exports, greatly affecting the income of businesses in Singapore. (Reference from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Great_Recession) As stated in Diagram 4.1 below, the diagram shows how much in general beauty products sales grow over the years. Diagram 4.1 It is clear that skin care products has the biggest growth over the years as compared to the other products as people are becoming more beauty conscience especially the females. Diagram 4.2 However according to diagram 4.2, in 2011, there was a growth of 4.4% of t he worldwide cosmetics market. Although the highest percentage was before the 2008 recession, it is considered as positive after the lowest growth rate of 1% in 2009 as they managed to recover the growth rate quickly. POLITICAL The Body Shop was stuck in a controversy with China after being told all foreign-manufacturedcosmetics are required to undergo animal testing before it could be made available to the consumersin order to sell their products in China. Some Chinese insiders provided information that cosmetics sold in duty-free stores were not required to undergo a compulsory test before its released in the market. However, after the products are released in the market, the Chinese government carried out testingwithout any given warnings. Definitely, according to the Chinese insiders, they were unable to guarantee that animal testing will not occur when the test is being conducted.After being informed about the possible animal testing that may be done by the Chinese author ities secretly, The Body Shop announced that they would withdraw their products from the China market if any risks of animal testing were to be done.(elaborate more) (Reference: 11th March 2014, byZoyaSheftalovich.https://www.choice.com.au/reviews-and-tests/food-and-health/beauty-and-personal-care/cosmetics/the-body-shop-sells-out-on-animal-testing.aspx#ixzz3Dfu93XsR) Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "A Report on the Body Shop" essay for you Create order

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Descartes Mind Over Matter - 1331 Words

1018 Professor Crowell Phil 21 22 April 2016 Mind over Matter In his meditations Descartes supposed there was two fundamentally different sorts of substances in the universe, physical stuff, which bodies and chairs etc. are made up of; which is extended in space, hence he called it res extensa, but there’s also mind stuff which isn’t in space at all thinking stuff or, res cogitans. Bodies are made of res extensa and minds are made of res cogitans and the two are separate. To understand why he thought this we must go back to his mission statement, which was to doubt everything he could in order to find something indubitable which he thought would be certain knowledge. Descartes found that he could doubt everything except that he was thinking since doubt was a kind of thinking, and since thinking requires a thinker he knew that he must exist hence the famous I think therefore I am syllogism known as the cogito. Descartes goes on to say that he can doubt the existence of his body and all other physical things but he cannot doubt his mind exists because of the cogito. Descartes’ flaw is his liberal use of Leibniz’s law, the identity of indiscernibles. The ontological principle states that there cannot be separate objects or entities that have all of their properties in common. That is to say, if you have two things and they have all the same properties, including their position in space, you don’t really have two things because they are identical; by the same token if twoShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Elisabeth s Criticism Of Descartes Mind Body Dualism1398 Words   |  6 PagesPrincess Elisabeth’s Criticism of Descartes’ Mind-Body Dualism Renà © Descartes’ seventeenth century philosophy receives much of the credit for the basis of modern philosophy, specifically his argument that the body and the mind are completely separate substances, each with its own independence from the other, also known as dualism. Descartes was educated in the Aristotelian and Greek tradition, and those ideas influenced his dualist thought. In Meditations, Descartes focused on dualism in the contextRead MoreDescartes’ Arguments for the Existence of Body as Distinct from the Mind and His Justifications to Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia 1468 Words   |  6 PagesDescartes Two years after Descartes published his meditations on first philosophy, Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia wrote with questions concerning the relationship between the immaterial soul and the corporeal body- specifically how anything immaterial could produce physical effects. She was neither the first nor the last to question this practical application of Descartes’ dualism, but her questions elicited the most comprehensive attempt to answer the question. In this paper I will examine Descartes’Read MoreEssay about Rene Descartes Faith and Reason1292 Words   |  6 PagesRene Descartes Faith and Reason The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries witnessed a colossal transition in the scientific view of the universe. During this period a profound rethinking of scientific theory as well as moral and religious matters took place. Traditional ideas were reconsidered by religious thinkers. Philosophers began applying rational scientific thought to problems that they considered. The main concept of the Scientific Revolution was to question everything. The ScientificRead MoreThe Theory Of The Mind And Matter1023 Words   |  5 PagesMind Matter Gilbert Ryle’s writing Descartes Myth provides a challenge to the â€Å"official theory† of the mind. The â€Å"official theory† of the mind is defined as the separation of the mind and body. Ryle describes the separation of the mind and body as the mind existing apart from the physical world and the body existing in the world. He writes that the two entities, the mind and body, combine to create a person. The â€Å"official theory† of the mind views the mind as private to the individual, meaningRead MoreDescartes: Knowledge is Truth Essay1202 Words   |  5 PagesDescartes: Knowledge is Truth With the emergence of the scientific revolution in the 17th century, views of society and nature were transformed throughout Europe. There were great developments in mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, and chemistry. The world and its views were changing, and with that change, came a new change in thought, a new change in philosophy. Apart from ancient Greek philosophy, which was centered on finding order in a vast variety of things by searching for a fundamentalRead Moresituation in ethic Essay1383 Words   |  6 Pagesand living matter according to (Webster Merriam) Physiology is the processes and function of all or part of an organ. According to (Webster) Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind and language.The influences of philosophy and physiology are discover by ancient Greeks such as Aristotle and Plato. In the seventeenth century, Rene Descartes suggested the concept of dualism in which the mind and bodyRead More Descartes Meditations Essay1316 Words   |  6 Pagestrue reality. Descartes starts by looking at our usual sources for truth. Authority, which is churches, parents, and schools, he says, are not reliable sources for truth because time shows we all die, and that we are eventually proved wrong, much in the same way the accepted truths of science have changed dramatically over the course of history. Also, he considers the generally excepted view that our senses dependably report the absolute nature of reality. Simiar to authority, Descartes discards theRead MoreA Brief Biography of Rene Descartes1580 Words   |  6 Pagesof philosopher Rene Descartes, who had endorsed the mechanistic conception of the world and the human body by coining notions such as mind, substance, and the knowledge argument; although his notions were not always accepted, he managed to provide valid support. Born in France, Rene Descartes, dubbed The Father of Modern Philosophy was, in a way, a Renaissance man having contributed influence amongst subjects such science, mathematics, psychology, and philosophy. Descartes was the medium of theRead MoreRene Descartes’s Trademark Argument States that God is the Center of the World875 Words   |  3 PagesDescartes’s â€Å"Trademark Argument† everything, mind and matter, has a cause in God’s respect. He believes that God exists due to the inference that if something is the cause of something else, that something exists. In the passage from page 25, part 5 of Renà © Descartes’s â€Å"Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy,† the author attempts to explain the meaning behind the way God decided to: create the world as we know it, and maintain it. Descartes uses logic-based reasoning to explain 3 things:Read MoreHow Successful Are Descartes Arguments for the Real Distinction of Mind fro m Body?1659 Words   |  7 PagesHow successful are Descartes arguments for the real distinction of mind from body? Upon which problem would you put the most weight? Descartes says the mind is distinct from the body, or anything physical for that matter. He says, a thinking substance is nonphysical or spiritual in nature (mind), and an extended substance is physical, but not capable of consciousness or thought (body). However, this very claim is also his biggest problem as his mind Ââ€" body interaction has many critics and to

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Whistle Blowers for Investigating Business - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theWhistle Blowersfor Investigating Business Communication. Answer: Introduction Business communication is the sharing of information between certain people either inside an organisation or outside which is done for the commercial benefit of an organisation. On this particular report, it views whistleblowing which is when an individual exposes an illegal activity or information that is carried out in an unethical way in regards to the organisation. The information that is regarded as corrupted in terms of being interfered with thus acts as a violation of company policies and acts as a threat to public interest and also in some occasions national security (Rasmussen, et al., 2012). The objective of the presentation is to empower people on the aspect of whistleblowers and how they affect the running of an organisation. In the review of the whistle blower aspect, we see that they act as mediums in which organisations are able to get information concerning its workers by having an informant to some sort. Their protection when they offer information that Is required by the whistleblowers is offered by the Australian securities and investment commission act as they have the mantra that information given is to be private and confidential. The ASIC they carry the information well and ensure its handled properly and offer them protection, they do so as to ensure they are not victimised by their workmates (Brown et al., 2014). Illustration on Process of Disclosure Their rewards are upholding public safety as they give important information which is helpful to the society, they get legal protection as the acts put in place is put in place thus ensure things flow well and are incorporated properly. This also adds up an increase in shareholder confidence which in a good way adds up support from them in organisation undertakings. Whistleblowers can be suppliers, clients and employees who at some stage get a hint of some wrong doings and due to them either being alerted by a person or either witnessing the action happening. They tend to expose the one on offence and also report them. It is a legal act to bring forth an offence as all employees working in an organisation have the rights to put to stop illegal actions and activities happening in an organisation. As carrying out the work of ensuring all aspects are catered for also to be noted are the disadvantages caused by the whistleblowers. This is a good aspect as it helps the audience differentiate on its major notes and also know what actions follow suit when a whistle blower carries out their deed. The disadvantages caused by this aspect is that it causes mistrust in organizations workplace as the other employees lose faith in the person who sets the others up to the human resource department this is so as the employees regard themselves as in brotherhood as they are one team so they are not to do such things as calling your workmates out and making them get fired in working environment. It also affects ones career as the one who gets fired loses his income to support ones family and also to be able to carry out ones agendas which mostly involve money. In a twist, also the whistleblower themselves can face depression as no one would want to interact with them as they know what they do to their fellow workmates. Another drawback is that it can spoil the companys name more so can also cause the company to lose profits this is due to the fact it can affect its employees determination to work hard thus loose speed and die off (Brown et al., 2014). My presentation strategies started off by noting the audience and locale this is in regards to knowing my audiences characteristics and by so doing it helps understand the nature of the audience as it plays a vital role in the preparation for the presentation so as not to present in a rude ill-mannered way. After this step, I ensured my contents are organized as it eases the nerves when one knows everything is set and ready to be tackled in a systematical order so as to have a direct flow and the audience to be able to fully grasp what youre talking about, this is segmented in three major parts introduction, main body and conclusion. When this is catered for I have a question session as these types of questions act as vital feedback points. During this session, I was prepared fully for any questions that I would be asked so as not to be caught off-guard thus ensuring I may answer the audience appropriately. There was also preparing an outline which acts as a guide to follow the prese ntation it is usually in the form of words and phrases, this is a good angle of doing this and helps the presentation work smoothly as it offers the introduction, product appearance, various parts, functioning, facilities and conclusions. All these strategies proved effective and aided in my presentation is smooth (Brown et al., 2014). The techniques used to optimise any visual aids were in terms of using a chalk board where I jotted down points that were of importance and also used handouts in some sections to help the audience have a clearer glimpse of the presentation I had going on. The other aspect that aided my visual aids was the use of a computer projecting the power point Cooper, (2013). The feedback I received was heartwarming as they commended my good use of visual aids mostly in which they were able to jot down important notes without having problems. The introduction was also commended as it put an understanding of the topic to the audience. The aspects that were deemed to have issues was the not giving proper disadvantages description as the explanations were given were seen to be quite shallow and not breaking down the information properly. Changes I would carry out if given a chance to present a second time is review fully the historical aspect of whistleblowers and be able to give a formative presentation and also including more wording where explaining the benefits and disadvantages of the aspect of whistle blowing (Driskill Brenton, 2010). Conclusion Whistleblowers are very vital in the industry in regards to organisation structure as they help kerb the looting of information from the business systems and help catch those who aid in gathering information for their own wants and to sell information to competing organisations so as to gain an added advantage. They are to also be given protection against their workers who would feel betrayed by the employees who reported them forward thus giving the whistleblowers at least a way to be safe and not get attacked by the other workers who would plot to hurt them. When protection is put in place and their welfare is guaranteed the whistleblowers can aid in getting even more information regarding activities that can be of disastrous nature to an organisation or a country as they shall inform the people in charge of what is happening or going to occur. With all these attributes put in place, the results are good management of departments, improved security levels in the handling of informa tion that is very sensitive and also a fitting lifestyle (Brown et al., 2014). References Rasmussen, R., Mylonas, A., Beck, H. (2012). Investigating Business Communication and Technologies. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. In Brown, A. J., In Moberly, R. E., In Lewis, D., In Vandekerckhove, W. (2014). International handbook on whistleblowing research. Driskill, G. W., Brenton, A. L. (2010). Organizational Culture in Action: A Cultural Analysis Workbook. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications. Cooper, C. (2013). Extraordinary circumstances: The journey of a corporate whistleblower. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.

Thursday, December 5, 2019

F1 Racing free essay sample

Formula racing  is a term that refers to various forms of  open wheeled  single seater  motorsport. Its origin lies in the nomenclature that was adopted by theFIA  for all of its post-World War II  single seater regulations, or  formulae. The best known of these formul? are  Formula One,  Formula Two, and  Formula Three. Common usage of formula racing encompasses other single seater series, including the  GP2 Series, which replaced  Formula 3000  (which had itself been the effective replacement for Formula Two). Categories such as Formula Three and GP2 are described as  feeder formul? which refers to their position below Formula One on the  career ladder  of single seater motor racing. There are two primary forms of racing formula: the open formula that allows a choice of chassis and/or engines; and the control or spec formula that relies on a single supplier for chassis and engines. Formula Three  is an example of an open formula, while  Formula B MW  is a control formula. There are also some exceptions on these two forms like  Formula Fordwhere there is an open chassis formula but a restricted single brand engine formula. Formula One Main article:  History of Formula One In the process of reviving  Grand Prix racing  after the end of World War II, the  Federation Internationale de lAutomobiles Commission Sportive Internationale was responsible for defining the standardised regulations of  Formula One  in 1946. The first race to be run to the early Formula One regulations was a non-championship Grand prix at  Turin  in September 1946. The first officially recognised  Drivers World Championshipwas held in 1947 and the  Formula One World Championship  was inaugurated in 1950. This was the first example of formula racing. A typical F3 chassis from the late 1960s [edit]Formula Two The  Formula Two  regulations were first defined in 1947 as a form of B-class below Formula One. [1]It was not unusual for some Formula One events to include a number of F2 entries in the same field and the entries in the World Championship seasons of 1952–53 comprised exclusively F2 cars for reasons of cost. F2 had a patchy history until the inauguration of the European Formula Two Championship in 1967. F2 was an open formula that allowed the use of any  chassis  that met the prescribed regulations; it was well supported during the 1970s, with chassis from  Tecno,March Engineering,  Toleman,  Ralt,  Matra  and others. The European championship ran continually until the creation of its successor,  Formula 3000, in 1985. [2]  In 2008 it was announced by the FIA that Formula Two would return in 2009 in the form of the  FIA Formula Two Championship. [edit]Formula Three Formula Three  has a longer history, with at least ten active championships around the world. It was created by the FIA in 1950 as the low cost entry point to single seater formula racing. In 1959, it was replaced by a technically similar formula called  Formula Junior, before Formula Three was reintroduced in 1964. [3]  Like the other FIA-derived formul? F3 is an open class that permits a choice of chassis and engines. Notable championships include the  Formula Three Euroseries, the  British Formula Three Championship, and the  Formel 3 Cup. [edit]Formula Four Lastly,  Formula Four  is a championship held in Great Britain; this championship is not very useful for gaining experience and success in the competition i s not helpful for drivers wishing to enter more prestigious Formula racing competitions. Formula Four cars are considerably less powerful than their Formula One counterparts. - Racing and strategy Main articles:  Formula One racing,  Racing flags, and  Formula One regulations Nick Heidfeld  and  Nico Rosberg  on the street circuit of  Albert Park  in the  2008 Australian Grand Prix. A Formula One Grand Prix event spans a weekend. It begins with two free practice sessions on Friday (except in Monaco, where Friday practices are moved to Thursday), and one free practice on Saturday. Additional drivers (commonly known as  third drivers) are allowed to run on Fridays, but only two cars may be used per team, requiring a race driver to give up his seat. A Qualifying session is held after the last free practice session. This session determines the starting order for the race. [43][44] [edit]Qualifying A typical pitwall control centre, from which the team managers and strategists communicate with their drivers and engineers over the course of a testing session or a race weekend. For much of the sports history, qualifying sessions differed little from practice sessions; drivers would have one or more entire sessions in which to attempt to set their fastest time, sometimes within a limited number of attempts, with the grid order determined by each drivers best single lap, fastest (on  pole position) to slowest. Grids were limited to the fastest 26 cars and drivers had to lap within 107% of the pole sitters time to qualify for the race; the 107% rule (as it is commonly known) was re-introduced for 2011. Other formats have included Friday pre-qualifying, and sessions in which each driver was allowed only one qualifying lap, run separately in a predetermined order. The current qualifying system was adopted for the 2006 season. Known as knock-out qualifying, it is split into three periods (or rounds). In each period, drivers run qualifying laps to attempt to advance to the next period, running as many laps as they wish, with the slowest drivers being knocked out at the end of the period and their grid positions set, based on their best lap times. Cars are eliminated in this manner until 10 cars remain eligible to attempt to qualify for pole position in the third and final period. For each period, all previous times are reset, and only a drivers fastest lap in that period (barring infractions) counts. For all periods, any timed lap started before the chequered flag falls signalling the end of that period may be completed, and will count toward that drivers placement, even if they cross the finish line after the period has ended. [43][45]  In the first two periods, cars may run any tyre compound they wish, and drivers eliminated in these periods are allowed to change their choice of tyres prior to the race. Cars taking part in the final period, however, must start the race with the tyres used during their fastest lap (exactly the same tyres, not just the same compound), barring changes in weather that require usage of wet-weather tyres. With refuelling not allowed during races from 2010, the final session is run with low-fuel configuration and the cars are refuelled after qualifying. For example, for a 20-car grid, all 20 cars are permitted to take part in the first period. At the end of the period, the slowest five cars are eliminated and take up the last five grid positions (16 to 20). In the second period, the remaining fifteen cars take part, with five more cars eliminated at the end, taking the next five lowest grid positions (11 to 15). In the third and final period, the remaining 10 cars compete for pole position, and fill grid positions 1 through 10. The knock-out format has received minor updates since its inception, such as adjustments to the number of drivers eliminated in each period as the total number of cars entered has changed (from 20 drivers in 2009 to 24 in 2010). [46] [edit]The race The race begins with a warm-up lap, after which the cars assemble on the starting grid in the order they qualified. This lap is often referred to as the formation lap, as the cars lap in formation with no overtaking (although a driver who makes a mistake may regain lost ground provided he has not fallen to the back of the field). The warm-up lap allows drivers to check the condition of the track and their car, gives the tyres a chance to get some heat in them to get some much-needed traction, and gives the pit crews time to clear themselves and their equipment from the grid. Once all the cars have formed on the grid, a light system above the track indicates the start of the race: five red lights are illuminated at intervals of one second; they are all then extinguished simultaneously after an unspecified time (typically less than 3 seconds) to signal the start of the race. The start procedure may be abandoned if a driver stalls on the grid, signalled by raising his arm. If this happens the procedure restarts: a new formation lap begins with the offending car removed from the grid. The race may also be restarted in the event of a serious accident or dangerous conditions, with the original start voided. The race may be started from behind the Safety Car if officials feel a racing start would be excessively dangerous, such as extremely heavy rainfall. There is no formation lap when races start behind the Safety Car. [47] Under normal circumstances the winner of the race is the first driver to cross the finish line having completed a set number of laps, which added together should give a distance of approximately 305  km (190  mi) (260  km (160  mi) for  Monaco). Race officials may end the race early (putting out a red flag) due to unsafe conditions such as extreme rainfall, and it must finish within two hours, although races are only likely to last this long in the case of extreme weather. Drivers may overtake one another for position over the course of the race and are Classified in the order they finished the race. If a leader comes across a back marker (slower car) who has completed fewer laps, the back marker is shown a blue flag[48]  telling him he is obliged to allow the leader to overtake him. The slower car is said to be lapped and, once the leader finishes the race, is classified as finishing the race one lap down. A driver can be lapped numerous times, by any car in front of him. A driver who fails to finish a race, through mechanical problems, accident, or any other reason is said to have retired from the race and is Not Classified in the results. However, if driver has completed more than 90% of the race distance, he will be classified. When required, the  safety car  (above, driven by  Bernd Maylander) will lead the field around the circuit at reduced speed, until race officials deem the race safe to continue. Throughout the race drivers may make  pit stops  to change tyres and repair damage (until the 2010 season they could also refuel). Different teams and drivers employ different pit stop strategies in order to maximise their cars potential. Two tyre compounds, with different durability and adhesion characteristics, are available to drivers. Over the course of a race, drivers must use both. One compound will have a performance advantage over the other, and choosing when to use which compound is a key tactical decision to make. The softer of the available tyres are marked with a green stripe on the sidewall to help spectators to understand the strategies. Under wet conditions drivers may switch to one of two specialised wet weather tyres with additional grooves (one intermediate, for mild wet conditions, such as after recent rain, one full wet, for racing in or immediately after rain). If rain tyres are used, drivers are no longer obliged to use both types of dry tyres. A driver must make at least one stop to use both tyre compounds; up to three stops are typically made, although further stops may be necessary to fix damage or if weather conditions change. Race director As of 2011 the race director in Formula One is  Charlie Whiting. This role involves him generally managing the logistics of each F1 Grand Prix, inspecting cars in  Parc ferme  before a race, enforcing FIA rules and controlling the lights which start each race. As the head of the race officials he also plays a large role in sorting disputes amongst teams and drivers. Penalties, such as drive-through penalties (and stop-and-go penalties), demotions on a pre-race start grid, race disqualifications, and fines can all be handed out should parties break regulations. Safety car In the event of an incident that risks the safety of competitors or trackside  race marshals, race officials may choose to deploy the  safety car. This in effect suspends the race, with drivers following the safety car around the track at its speed in race order, with overtaking not permitted. The safety car circulates until the danger is cleared; after it comes in the race restarts with a rolling start. Pit stops are permitted under the safety car. Mercedes-Benzsupplies  Mercedes-AMG  models to Formula One to use as the safety cars. Since 2000,[49]  the main safety car driver has been German ex-racing driver  Bernd Maylander. On the lap in which the safety car returns back into the pits the leading car takes over the role of the safety car until the first safety car line, which is usually a white line after the pit lane entrance. After crossing this line drivers are allowed to start racing for track position once more. Red flag In the event of a major incident or unsafe weather conditions, the race may be red-flagged. Then: * If under 3 laps have been completed when the red flag is displayed, the race is restarted from original grid positions. All drivers may restart, provided their car is in a fit state to do so. If between 3 laps and 75% of the race distance have been completed, the race may be restarted once it is safe to do so, maintaining the race order at the time of the red flag. The two-hour time limit still applies and the clock does not stop. * If more than 75% of the race distance has been completed then the race is terminated and the race result counted back to the second last completed lap be fore the red flag. The format of the race has changed little through Formula Ones history. The main changes have revolved around what is allowed at pit stops. In the early days of Grand Prix racing, a driver would be allowed to continue a race in his teammates car should his develop a problem; cars are now so carefully fitted to drivers this is now impossible. In recent years, the focus has been on changing refuelling and tyre change regulations. From the 2010 season, refuelling—which was reintroduced in 1994—is not allowed, to encourage less tactical racing following safety concerns. The rule requiring both compounds of tyre to be used during the race was introduced in 2007, again to encourage racing on the track. The safety car is another relatively recent innovation that reduced the need to deploy the red flag, allowing races to be completed on time for a growing international live television audience. - Circuits See also:  List of Formula One circuits Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace  in  Sao Paulo  hosts the  Brazilian Grand Prix The  Autodromo Nazionale Monza, home to the  Italian Grand Prix, is one of the oldest circuits still in use in Formula One A typical circuit usually features a stretch of straight road on which the starting grid is situated. The  pit lane, where the drivers stop for fuel, tyres, or minor repairs (such as changing the cars nose due to front wing damage) during the race, and where the teams work on the cars before the race, is normally located next to the starting grid. The layout of the rest of the circuit varies widely, although in most cases the circuit runs in a clockwise direction. Those few circuits that run anticlockwise (and therefore have predominantly left-handed corners) can cause drivers neck problems due to the enormous lateral forces generated by F1 cars pulling their heads in the opposite direction to normal. Most of the circuits currently in use are specially constructed for competition. The current street circuits are  Monaco,  Melbourne,  Valencia, and  Singapore, although races in other urban locations come and go (Las Vegas  and  Detroit, for example) and proposals for such races are often discussed–most recently London and Paris. Several other circuits are also completely or partially laid out on public roads, such as  Spa-Francorchamps. The glamour and history of the Monaco race are the primary reasons why the circuit is still in use, since it is thought not to meet the strict safety requirements imposed on other tracks. Three-time World champion  Nelson Piquet  famously described racing in Monaco as like riding a bicycle around your living room[citation needed]. Circuit design to protect the safety of drivers is becoming increasingly sophisticated, as exemplified by the new  Bahrain International Circuit, added in  2004  and designed—like most of F1s new circuits—by  Hermann Tilke. Several of the new circuits in F1, especially those designed by Tilke, have been criticised as lacking the flow of such classics as Spa-Francorchamps and Imola. His redesign of the Hockenheim circuit in Germany for example, while providing more capacity for grandstands and eliminating extremely long and dangerous straights, has been frowned upon by many who argue that part of the character of the Hockenheim circuits was the long and blinding straights into dark forest sections. These newer circuits, however, are generally agreed to meet the safety standards of modern Formula One better than the older ones. The most recent additions to the F1 calendar are  Valencia,[58]  Singapore[63],  Abu Dhabi[64]  and Korea. A Formula One Grand Prix will be held in India for the first time in  2011. [65]  Tilke is designing the India circuit while Design Cell, a reputed landscape architectural firm based in India and US are designing the landscape for all the areas. A single race requires hotel rooms to accommodate at least 5000 visitors. [66] - Cars and technology Main articles:  Formula One car,  Formula One engines, and  Formula One tyres A topdown view of the rear of a  2006McLaren MP4-21 Modern Formula One cars are  mid-engined  open cockpit,  open wheel  single-seaters. The  chassisis made largely of  carbon-fibre composites, rendering it light but extremely stiff and strong. The whole car, including engine, fluids and driver, weighs only 640  kg (1411  lbs)—the minimum weight set by the regulations. The construction of the cars is typically lighter than the minimum and so they are ballasted up to the minimum weight. The race teams take advantage of this by placing this ballast at the extreme bottom of the chassis, thereby locating the centre of gravity as low as possible in order to improve handling and weight transfer. 67] The cornering speed of Formula One cars is largely determined by the aerodynamic  downforcethat they generate, which pushes the car down onto the track. This is provided by wings mounted at the front and rear of the vehicle, and by  ground effect  created by low pressure air under the flat bottom of the car. The aerodynamic design of the cars is very heavily constrained to limit performance and the current g eneration of cars sport a large number of small winglets, barge boards and turning vanes designed to closely control the flow of the air over, under and around the car. The other major factor controlling the cornering speed of the cars is the design of the  tyres. From1998  to  2008, the tyres in Formula One were not slicks (tyres with no tread pattern) as in most other circuit racing series. Instead, each tyre had four large circumferential grooves on its surface designed to limit the cornering speed of the cars. [68]  Slick tyres returned to Formula One in the2009  season. Suspension is  double wishbone  or  multilink  all round with pushrod operated springs and  dampers  on the chassis. The only exception being on that of the 2009 specification Red Bull Racing car (RB5) which uses pullrod suspension at the rear, the first car in over 20 years to do so. [69] Carbon-Carbon  disc brakes  are used for reduced weight and increased frictional performance. These provide a very high level of braking performance and are usually the element which provokes the greatest reaction from drivers new to the formula. A  BMW Sauber  P86 V8 engine, which powered their  2006  F1. 06. Engines must be 2.   litre naturally aspirated  V8s, with many other constraints on their design and the materials that may be used. Engines run on unleaded fuel closely resembling publicly available petrol. [70]  The oil which lubricates and protects the engine from overheating is very similar in viscosity to water. The 2006 generation of engines spun up to 20,000  RPM  and produced up to 780  bhp (580  kW). [71]  For  2007  engines were restricted to 19,000  rpm with limi ted development areas allowed, following the engine specification freeze from the end of  2006. 72]  For the 2009 Formula One season the engines have been further restricted to 18,000  rpm. [73] A wide variety of technologies—including active suspension, ground effect, and turbochargers—are banned under the current regulations. Despite this the current generation of cars can reach speeds up to 350  km/h (220  mph) at some circuits. [74]  The highest straight line speed recorded during a Grand Prix was 356. 5  km/h (221. 5  mph), set by  David Coulthard  during the  1998 German Grand Prix. 75]  A Honda Formula One car, running with minimum downforce on a runway in the  Mojave desert  achieved a top speed of 415  km/h (258  mph) in 2006. According to Honda, the car fully met the FIA Formula One regulations. [76]  Even with the limitations on aerodynamics, at 160  km/h (99  mph) aerodynamically generated downforce is equal to the weig ht of the car, and the oft-repeated claim that Formula One cars create enough downforce to drive on the ceiling, while possible in principle, has never been put to the test. Downforce of 2. times the cars weight can be achieved at full speed. The downforce means that the cars can achieve a lateral force with a magnitude of up to 3. 5 times that of the force of gravity (3. 5g) in cornering. [77]  Consequently, the drivers head is pulled sideways with a force equivalent to the weight of 20  kg in corners. Such high lateral forces are enough to make breathing difficult and the drivers need supreme concentration and fitness to maintain their focus for the one to two hours that it takes to complete the race. A high-performance road car like the  Ferrari Enzo  only achieves around 1g. [78] As of 2010 each team may have no more than two cars available for use at any time. Each driver can use no more than eight engines during a season; if more are used, he drops ten places on the starting grid of the event at which an additional engine is used. Each driver may use no more than one gearbox for four consecutive events; every unscheduled gearbox change requires the driver to drop five places on the grid unless he failed to finish the previous race due to reasons beyond the teams control. [79]