Innehållsförteckning för June 2023 från Racecar Engineering

While no one can refute that the only all-electric world championship in existence so far has been something of an acquired taste, in a traditional racing sense, no one is denying it is ambitious. ‘This really nice, but tricky innovation isn’t just about changes to the braking system, it required other changes to make the overall vehicle more efficient, and improvements in the battery’ Formula E’s commercial make up, while steadied by Liberty Global, relies on a city racing model that is yet to reap the glittering profits its ownership hoped. Meanwhile, its political management is split into two factions – the old ‘Spanish’ guard of its founders, Alejandro Agag and Alberto Longo, and the new, shiny, ex-Manchester United Football Club commercial tsar, Jamie Reigle, and his ‘administration’. But technically…

TECHNOLOGY – THERMAL MANAGEMENT The motorsport industry, like automotive in general, is trying to do more with the same, or less, input. In other words, it is aiming to improve efficiency in the overall vehicle system. Whatever the chosen energy solution, be it fuel cells, internal combustion engines, hybrids or full electric, there must be sufficient management of the system’s thermal physics in operation to be efficient. The work powertrain engineers do around thermal management for high-performance power units is enabling higher deployment and charge rates than ever, thanks to sufficient overall heat rejection from low-temperature deltas to ambient. In high-end motorsport applications, power units (which consist of the engine, traction battery, transmission and other components responsible for generating and transmitting power) are subjected to a range of extreme conditions,…

Formula 1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali, has suggested that the grand prix weekends could change format with fewer practice sessions, leading to teams needing to spend less time at the race track. The idea garnered support from drivers, but others pushed back against the proposal. The proposal to cut practice sessions and reduce running mileage for each car is not new – Racecar Engineering columnist, Leena Gade, suggested this two years ago in her column in RE V31N3, going even further and saying there could be no practice sessions at all. However, while it is clear this would introduce a randomness to race results, teams would invest even more heavily in simulation tools and arrive at the circuit more prepared than ever before. ‘I think we just need one practice session,…

Audi presented its Formula 1 show car at the Auto Shanghai motor show under the motto ‘F1 Power made in Germany.’ The first full hybrid drivetrain unit, comprising the combustion engine, electric motor, battery and electronic control unit, is scheduled to run on the test bench before the end of 2023 and, says the German manufacturer, will form the basis for future vehicle development. Meanwhile, the company’s dynamic development simulator in Neuburg will be brought up to Formula 1 standards, while more than 260 staff have been recruited to the project.…

RALLY – RENAULT CLIO RALLY3 The FIA’s Rally2 (the category formerly known as R5) has been a resounding success, with manufacturers such as M-Sport and Skoda selling hundreds, if not thousands, of cars to customers since the cost-capped rule set arrived in 2012. However, at one step down from the top of the current rally pyramid, Rally2 can hardly be described as accessible, with contemporary machines coming in north of €200,000 (approx. $219,500) after tax. A bargain for what they are, but a significant jump from the 2WD vehicles present in the Rally4 class. Since the effective demise of Group N4 (think Evos and Imprezas) there hasn’t been a logical stepping stone into 4WD competition. Enter Rally3, the new middle rung of the FIA’s much-vaunted progression pyramid. Rally3 cars are…

‘We’ve successfully kept competitors at bay by being proactive, investing and always developing’ Giles Dawson, group CEO at ATL There are very few companies that supply every Formula 1 team and, of those there are, the majority do so as part of a controlled component deal with F1 itself. ATL, however, is different. UK-based Aero Tec Laboratories, to give the company its full name, not only provides every car on the grid with its fuel cells, but each one is a bespoke design, handmade for the purpose. This isn’t a deal it has with the series, Formula 1 teams are free to go elsewhere if they can find a better option, or even make the cells themselves. The fact they don’t speaks volumes for ATL’s products. ATL has been in…

When the regulations for the new top-tier LMDh / GTP class cars were announced, they were confirmed to be for a new generation of hybrid car. After the eye-watering budgets of hybrid LMP1 cars, LMDh was designed to provide manufacturers with a low-cost alternative, while still meeting their requirement for a hybrid prototype. The cars are based on what governing bodies hope will become the new LMP2 chassis. The hybrid system is spec across all cars, comprising an Xtrac gearbox, Bosch MGU and WAE-supplied battery. However, while the cars are homologated for five years, drastically reducing the need for hardware development, there is complexity for the LMDh manufacturers in that the choice of electronic software that manages the power delivery is open, and less regulated than other comparable racing series.…

The FIA has announced it plans to limit the number of GT3s per manufacturer to just two cars next season, as the series is oversubscribed. The plan, which has to be ratified by the FIA World Motorsport Council before Le Mans in June, would see GT3 cars from Porsche, Ferrari, BMW, General Motors, Lamborghini, Acura and Toyota given priority, before opening the grid to other makes such as McLaren and Mercedes. The FIA World Endurance Championship expects to see a grid of more than 20 Hypercars next season, and therefore has limited space available for the remaining places, citing transport and garage limitations at the tracks as the reason. If the plan is approved and entries are submitted, it would confirm the elimination of LMP2 from the WEC, although the…

That the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) is based in Paris is well known. That global motorsport’s governing body has offices in Geneva equally so. Little known, though, is that the Federation operates a third facility, this time based in the hamlet of Valleiry (population 4500), which virtually straddles France and Switzerland. Indeed, so small is the village, its only taxi driver needed to be pre-booked to take me to Geneva. Opened in early 2014, the FIA’s double storey (4000m2 per floor) Centre of Excellence (CoE) is housed within the confines of a former fruit canning factory. Managed by Xavier Cahen, who has widespread experience in air freight and logistics, the state-of-the-art facility is a recognised freight consignor, meaning goods sealed in the building are accepted as having passed international…

The Formula Race Car Association (FRCA) runs a series called the Motorsport Australia AGI NSW Formula Car Championship. It competes at Wakefield Park, Sydney Motorsport Park and Philip Island circuits from February to November (with an enforced two month winter break in June and July). The majority of the cars competing in the current championship are pre-2012 Dallara F3s but another popular mount, following the demise of the Australian National F4 series, is the Mygale F4. The latter run in their own class, but the regulators have now allowed concessions on an increase in engine boost. Your writer was then asked to come up with an upgraded wing package design in an attempt to level the playing field with the Dallaras. This has spawned a new class to be called…

TECHNOLOGY – COATINGS Coating technology plays a vital role in ensuring the durability and performance of motorsport components, be they cast, machined, 3D printed or electronic. The technology helps to protect them from the harsh environments to which they are subjected and improves their durability and lifespan, reducing the need for frequent maintenance and replacement and aiding motorsport’s drive for sustainability. Moreover, coatings can enhance the performance of components by reducing friction and improving heat dissipation, helping to maintain an optimal operating temperature and consistent performance. Friction reduction, in particular, is critical in motorsport as it reduces the stress and energy lost in the form of heat, improving overall efficiency in a system. In this article, we’ll explore various coating technologies currently used in motorsport applications and how they are…

US tyre manufacturer, Goodyear, has secured the deal to produce tyres for the GT3 class in the World Endurance Championship, beating an offer from Hypercar supplier, Michelin, along with other interested parties. Goodyear currently supplies the LMP2 grid, but with the category likely to be shelved from the WEC in 2024 (see separate story), the FIA accepted the company’s bid and it was approved by the FIA World Motorsport Council by electronic vote. It is understood Goodyear will continue to supply LMP2 cars with tyres in the European and Asian Le Mans series as part of the GT3 deal. Development for the tyre is already underway, with several tests planned throughout 2023 in Europe and North America. Goodyear will use a variety of circuits to develop and evaluate the tyre…