Racecar Engineering January 2020

One of the things that are part of the racing scene are the passes to get into the track. There are many different types of these – paddock and pit passes, brassards, wrist ribbons and differentiated hot pass, paddock passes with pit-lane, grid or track access. And then there are car passes; a source of never-ending bickering, the pit crew always grumbling about getting the farthest parking from the pits, as the more convenient ones were nicked by drivers and marketing, of course. Let us establish that team passes are allocated for the year and delivered by the series organiser. By necessity they are of a limited number and are part of a lot of horse-trading between manufacturers and the organiser as to the amount available. Nowadays they are individually numbered…

While I understand Liberty and the FIA’s reluctance to accept any new entrants before 2022, it should be realised that F1 is not in as settled a state as it might appear. This is only partly due to the 2021 regulation changes. Twenty cars, as now, is surely the minimum needed to present a grid that deserves the title of World Championship for drivers and constructors, and justifies the loyalty of the fan base, the TV and media coverage and all the effort and commitment required of the whole shooting-match. Should Dietrich Mateschitz decide any time in the near future that he no longer has the ability (he is now aged 75, after all) or desire to continue funding Red Bull and Toro Rosso (soon to be Alpha Tauri), the numbers…

‘We don’t think that speed is a key parameter for the spectacle, race-ability is the main target’ The time for speculation is over. The F1 2021 technical, sporting and financial regulations have now been released and include some of the biggest changes seen in F1’s recent history. The objectives behind this new batch of rules was to create a competitive grid filled with financially sustainable teams whose cars could battle out on track, whilst showcasing road relevant and eco-friendly technologies. A tough ask for the FIA, but one that has been supported by a wealth of research and experience from both F1 and the teams. In fact, this collaborative effort has made the research into the 2021 regulations the most in-depth to date. crucial thing about the financial regulations now is that…

‘It’s part science and part art, in the sense of understanding how the differences will react in the combustion chamber’ Formula 1’s increasingly restrictive regulations have effectively blocked off loopholes of the type that once enabled engineers to find two seconds per lap (or even more) simply by varying the shape of underbody venturis. Thus, improvements are eked out in incremental steps measured in tenths (or even hundredths) of a second, with virtually every area of a car coming under constant scrutiny in the hope of finding a number of tiny improvements that collectively deliver that elusive magic second. Over a season teams generally improve by around two seconds, equating to 20 or so of these tiny steps. Although the historic focus has primarily been on aerodynamics, a new battle front has recently…

The next big challenge that awaits ExxonMobil’s fuel formulators is delivering on Formula 1’s recently stated objective of 100 per cent bio-fuels by 2030. This is all part of F1’s new sustainability project, one of the pillars of this being net zero carbon racecars powered by hybrid engines running on fully sustainable, second-generation bio-fuels that do not divert farmland or crops to the detriment of the food supply. Thus, Formula 1 will phase in bio-fuels over the next decade, having given power unit manufacturers a commitment that they will not be required to substantially modify their existing internal combustion engines until 2025. The first step will be an almost-doubling of the existing bio-fuel content from 5.75 per cent – achieved through the use of iso-octanes – to a 10 per cent…

Everything about the design of the batteries and the car has been focussed on sustainability, recyclability and serviceability Since its inception in the autumn of 2014 Formula E has grown rapidly. But while it has been an engineering challenge and has led to great advances in battery and motor technology, the series misses the history that established racing series have. What Formula E has done, however, is to normalise electric racing. Now, though, is the time to build the back-story, and there are a few proposals out there to do so. One is Stephane Ratel’s idea to go back to the grass roots of racing and compete in rallies from town to town with exotic electric vehicles. The other is rather more radical; to take electric cars to remote locations and rally…