Some of the coolest things in your everyday car started life on the grid. Paddle shifters, those quick-fire gear controls behind the steering wheel, were first seen in Formula 1 thanks to Ferrari back in 1989. Now they are everywhere, from city runabouts to supercars, making shifting smoother and faster.

Hybrid systems also began on the race track. In 2009, the KERS energy recovery system gave F1 cars a quick power boost. That same idea now powers some of the world’s fastest and most efficient road cars, like the Mercedes AMG One. F1 research made engines cleaner and more powerful, thanks to advanced fuel injection and engine management systems. The end result? Your daily drive is quicker and uses less fuel.

The impact of Formula 1 stretches way beyond cars. Williams Engineering took their aerodynamic tricks and made supermarket refrigerators more efficient, saving energy and money by keeping the cold air in. Hospitals now use McLaren’s race proven telemetry tech to monitor fragile newborns, alerting doctors to problems before they happen. Even public transport has benefited, with Williams’ flywheel tech making London buses burn up to thirty percent less fuel by recycling energy during stop and go traffic.

Lightweight carbon fiber, once exclusive to F1 chassis, now gives prosthetic limbs, bikes, and airplanes unbeatable strength with featherweight construction. And the same airflow simulation software that helps race cars slice through the wind is now used to design skyscrapers and optimize wind turbines for clean power.