Innehållsförteckning för December 2020 från Racecar Engineering

‘We are working on another spec for 2021, which we are confident can produce a notable percentage improvement in performance’Toyoharu Tanabe, Honda Formula 1 technical director As Formula 1 settles into the final third of the 2020 season, it does so in the knowledge that power unit supplier, Honda, will conclude its participation in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship at the end of the 2021 season. The Japanese firm returned to the series in 2015 after a seven-year hiatus, before which it was a full works constructor. Its first few seasons of the current stint as a power unit supplier under F1’s 1.6-litre V6, turbo-hybrid regulations were a struggle as the manufacturer caught up to the other engine suppliers who had several more years of development under their belts…

A racecar’s monocoque is one of its single most complex components, a blending of advanced engineering and artisan skills Under the skin of any modern racecar, at least of the Sports Prototype or formula variety, is the tub, or monocoque. A multi-functional component that must fulfil many design requirements, some of which are diametrically opposed. Its primary role is to fill the void between the front suspension and the engine, providing sufficient structural stiffness for said suspension to operate correctly. At the same time, it must safely house the driver (to varying degrees of comfort, depending on the application), the fuel cell and, as is increasingly the case, an energy storage system (ESS) for either an electric or hybrid drivetrain. Additionally, the tub must be as light as possible, while…

As the Covid pandemic continues to escalate, motorsport trade shows have had to be postponed. Yet, despite the global challenges of 2020, racing companies have continued to do what they do best; innovating new ways to maximise racecar performance. As the shows are not going ahead this year, we thought it apt to highlight some of the new products that would have been on display. From composites and simulation to sensors and manufacturing, there are a whole host of new technologies out there. Here are some that caught Racecar’s eye. AVL Bearing friction rig With regulations continuing to restrict the amount of fuel or battery capacity, the more energy you can effectively transfer from the ICE or battery to the wheels, the further and faster your racecar will go. This…

The innovative Aeroscreen that was designed and developed to campaign in the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series has, by all accounts, been a success, garnering positive reviews from drivers, officials and fans alike. The system of components that make up the Red Bull Advanced Technologies (RBAT)-designed Aeroscreen comprises a 3D printed titanium upper frame, laminated polycarbonate windscreen and a structural carbon fibre lower frame. Combined, these are designed to provide driver protection from the wide range of (potential) projectiles associated with American-style open-wheel racing on a variety of tracks, including superspeedways where debris fields can be rather large. As the frame and polycarbonate transparency are the most visible change to the 2020 IndyCar, it is easy to overlook the lower frame assembly that serves as the foundation of the entire system,…

A poor handling racecar seems an impossible occurrence these days, considering the access to gigabytes of logged data, tyre modelling and simulation tools, including CFD and lap time optimisation. It seems that with a small amount of testing and the huge array of information available, a car’s set-up and handling can be optimised in minutes, rather than the weeks or even months it used to take. However, despite all the information we gather and analyse, it’s still easy to lose your way in the minefield of set-up options, and convince ourselves we still don’t have enough information. I know, because I’ve been there and done exactly that, thankfully more so earlier in my career than recently. It is not difficult to imagine how a last-minute adjustment in pit lane during…

Formula 1 is governed by the Concorde Agreement, which outlines the mutual obligations of the sport’s governing body (FIA), its commercial rights holder (Liberty Media, trading as F1) and all competing teams. As such, the agreement provides F1’s commercial structures and its regulatory framework, last named having the powers to supersede the FIA’s International Sporting Code on all matters save for safety provisions. The Concorde Agreement is effectively F1’s constitution, and renewing (or extending) the document can be long-winded. The 1998-2007 Concorde was replaced on 1 January 2010, but only after F1 had been pushed to the edge of breakaway threats. That consensus is not readily forthcoming is no surprise. The 12 signatories have disparate agendas and differing business models. Having been introduced in 2013, the current Concorde expires at…

We were looking to improve the performance model with actual data While low-speed testing (200mph) on the runway at Newquay airport in 2017 was all about demonstrating that we could operate the car, and to gather data on the installation and integration of the Eurojet EJ200, South Africa was all about gathering the data for the whole operation. Everything from logistics, planning and operations to how well the air brakes work, to drinking water and laundry. In fact, everything we need to understand before embarking on the Land Speed Record attempt. Hakskeen Pan (HKP) is remote, incredibly beautiful and the finest place on the planet to go fast. However, that remoteness brings with it its own challenges. Twice a week we needed to go and collect drinking water from the…

Now we have a basic relationship of this car set-up to the handling categories, we can consider the VHM in a case study. Imagine the following situation: the car is a 911 GT3 Cup at a high quality European circuit with the set-up described in Table 1, except the rear ride height is +10mm (10mm above minimum allowed), front is at minimum and the wing is in position four. During the practice session, using a good set of used tyres on target with pressure, the driver complains the car cannot get to the apex on the corners while trail braking and becomes unstable at the rear on corner exit. This doesn’t happen for corners that don’t require braking. In fast corners the car can be placed well but the driver…