Innehållsförteckning för November 2022 från Racecar Engineering

OUT LAP Earlier this year, Honda tested its all new, E85 biofuelled, 2.4-litre, twin-turbo V6 internal combustion engine that will power its IndyCars from 2024 onwards. The new motor has been built to similar specifications as the company’s 2.2-litre, twin-turbo V6 engines IndyCar currently runs. However, unlike the existing cars, the new PUs will form part of a hybrid system with a total output around 700bhp. Honda’s development programme for the 2024 engine seems to be running smoothly but, despite the manufacturer’s recent successes in IndyCar, it struggled initially with the series. The company’s investigations into IndyCar began in Japan in 1989. At that point, Honda was confident it could tackle the challenge using its wealth of experience with high performance race engines in Formula 1. At the time, Honda…

In the last article about the BoP process, we discussed the concept of raceability, or the ability of cars in the same class to race each other. We saw how a sanctioning body (the FIA) proactively promotes raceability with defined performance targets in the homologation regulations, and reactively addresses raceability with Balance of Performance. That said, sanctioning bodies are not the ones who invest huge quantities of money to put racecars on track and vie for race wins and championships. So, let’s look at raceability through the lens of some other stakeholders who, arguably, have more to lose if the issue is not properly addressed – manufacturers and teams. To understand how manufacturers address the topic of raceability, I spoke with the person responsible for BoP management at BMW Motorsport,…

TECHNOLOGY – SIMULATION If you have been in the motorsport business for any length of time, you will have heard the term the magic number. This refers to the percentage of front lateral load transfer distribution at which the car produces the most grip. Like with many things in this business, it’s a term that tends to get thrown around like a football, with some people swearing by it and others thinking it is totally irrelevant. However, if you ever have to construct a simulation model, you are in a very strong position to put some numbers to the discussion. This is the focus of this article. Here, using a fantastic case study of one of the by products of racecar simulation, we will show how we can use a…

Porsche has pulled the plug on its deal with Red Bull GmbH to partner in Formula 1. The German manufacturer, part of the Volkswagen Group, had intended to buy into the Advanced Powertrains division of the company, taking over from where Honda leaves off for the new powertrain regulations that come into force in 2026. In a statement, Porsche indicated that it expected parity in both the powertrain and team departments of the Formula 1 team, but that seems to have been the sticking point. ‘The premise was always that a partnership would be based on an equal footing, which would include not only an engine partnership but also the team,’ read Porsche’s statement. ‘This could not be achieved. With the finalised rule changes, the racing series nevertheless remains an…

Racecar Engineering was saddened to learn of the passing of our contributor, Mike Blanchet, on September 7. Mike died shortly after his wife, Pat, whom he cared for in the later stages of her life, giving up his regular monthly column in this magazine to do so. Mike claimed not to have been a writer, and was unsure about how many columns he could turn out in a year. We agreed to start him off with a relatively easy schedule, but he wrote reliably and well pretty much every month since the December 2012 edition. His columns for Racecar Engineering were insightful, and often ahead of their time, his view of racing born from years of passionate involvement in the sport. He was as comfortable putting a literary arm around…

The FIA has appointed Natalie Robyn, a former senior manager at Volvo, Nissan and DaimlerChrysler, as its first ever CEO. Robyn will be responsible for the successful operation and financial performance of the FIA administration, as well as driving the overall strategy to deliver the leadership’s vision of reform for the Federation. Robyn will also develop new commercial growth plans to increase and diversify the FIA’s revenue streams. ‘The appointment of Natalie Robyn as our first ever CEO is a transformative moment for our Federation,’ says FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem. ‘Her extensive experience and leadership will be crucial to improving our finances, governance and operations. She has a proven track record of delivering diversification and growth, as well as developing executive leadership capabilities.’…

TECHNOLOGY – SLIP ANGLE Continuing our study of perspectives on suspension kinematics, and how the design of the front upright influences many aspects of a car’s performance, this month we look at camber variation in steering. This cannot be studied without first looking at camber variation in heave and roll. Trying to ensure the right camber for each tyre at the right place at the right time is not that different to trying to achieve the ideal slip angle on each tyre, or the ideal front and rear ride heights at each position of each corner. Wheel camber can be changed either statically on the set-up pad (most of the time with shims) or dynamically with the suspension kinematics. And different pick-up points will give you different camber variations in…

Lamborghini has confirmed its LMDh engine will be a 90-degree, twin-turbo V8 that is being developed in house at Squadra Corse. Lamborghini’s LMDh car will make its race debut at Daytona in 2024, with the spine of the car built by French company, Ligier. ExtremeE has announced it will allow a sixth member to join teams on event, provided they have less than one year’s experience in professional motorsport in order to help young team members learn the ropes. The change comes following the Hamilton Commission report that aims to accelerate the employment of under-represented minorities in motor racing. Ginetta has reached a deal with the SRO to support the British GT series in 2023. The British-based constructor will run three championships on the schedule, the Ginetta Junior Championship, GT…

A few months ago I wrote about my objection to the FIA dictating whether or not teams had to link with motor manufacturers to enter the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Teams took on the challenge and linked with the most spurious of companies in order to gain an entry, for no apparent reason than the FIA demanded it. Meanwhile, in IMSA, teams have been denied entry into the series because the motor manufacturer is not considered worthy of an entry. This, I said at the time, is over reaching the governing bodies’ remit in motor racing. Who are they to judge whether or not a competitor is ready to race? Their remit is to ensure the regulations are competent, and that the cars are safe. That…