Formula One is often one of the earliest adopters of new technologies and materials, driven as it is by the teams’ perpetual search for any performance advantage. A prime example here is the commercial advent of additive layer manufacturing (ALM) more than a decade ago. The original process is called SLA (Stereo Lithography Apparatus) and soon became known as Rapid Prototyping (RP). The early materials had limited stiffness and stability, so their applications were predominantly...
Since launch control was banned for 2008, it’s been down to the driver to manipulate the clutch and throttle to gain the perfect start – albeit along the way being aided by a number of passive electronic systems. With the clutch controlled via two paddles on rotary sensors behind the steering wheel and the fly-by-wire throttle pedal, there can be no active intervention on the part of the ECU, simply a linear response between the driver controls and the clutch/throttle....
Within the tight confines of a Formula One car, the need to record thousands of channels of data from hundreds of sensors means packaging instrumentation needs careful forethought. A case in point would be the need to place sensors around the wheel hubs, as various aspects of wheel, brake and suspension data need to be recorded. This area inside the wheel is only reached through slim wishbones, and with the limited volume available inside the 13 in wheels, space for packaging is at a...
First introduced in 2009 and then after a year’s absence again in 2011, energy efficiency in Formula One is set to take a further step forward in 2014. Initially called KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) the concept of energy recovery is being widened to the more generic description of ERS (Energy Recovery System). Thus, and seemingly at a stroke, the new regulations will improve the image of Formula One from simply an irrelevant ‘waste of time’ to a much-needed r&d...
Formula One cars are probably the most definitive example of detail engineering taken to the nth degree anywhere in the world. This is not through choice for the engineers involved in designing the cars but a necessity in order to remain competitive under a stable regulation regime. Without the scope to introduce big changes to components, they instead have to optimise the areas they can develop in pursuit of tiny percentage gains. A close look at the floor of cars such as the 2013 Red...