F1 for beginners

[Tommy_F]

F1 for beginners (Part 1)

30/07/2007

Formula 1 is a highly complex sport, where many elements of man and machine combine to strive for peak performance. But what is the story behind these details?

In the first part of Panasonic Toyota Racing's 'Formula 1 for Beginners' series, Chief Engineer Race and Test Dieter Gass explains the role of the steering wheel, brakes, driver's seat and tyres.

Even to the least technically-minded observer, the main role of the steering wheel is obvious – it is the outlet for a driver's split-second reactions, a high-tech paint brush for a Formula 1 artist. But there is much more to the steering wheel's function than simply changing direction.

Unlike a road car, which has a dashboard dotted with switches and levers, a Formula 1 car has only the steering wheel, so any option the driver needs to use while at the wheel must, literally, be at the touch of a button.

Dieter explains: "The steering wheel is a very important element of a car. Basically the steering wheel, apart from brake and throttle pedals, is everything the driver needs to control the car. Therefore on the front we have a lot of switches which the driver is using while he is driving, for example the pit speed limiter, or he can influence the traction control.

"But this is not everything because on the other side we have levers which the driver is operating to shift gears and as well the clutch because we don't have a foot-operated clutch pedal in the car."

With drivers using it to change gear up to 3,000 times a race, negotiate every turn of a 300km race, as well as change car settings, communicate with their team on the radio, and even operate their drinking system the steering wheel is a vital piece of equipment.

With all that high-speed action to deal with, a driver needs to be sitting comfortably, especially given the fearsome forces exerted on their bodies by the fastest racing cars in the world.

For that reason, Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli have seats custom made to exactly fit the shape of their bodies, as Dieter explains: "The driver's seat is made onto the driver so it is the perfect shape in order to give him the best stability while he is driving. He has to be able to cope with an enormous amount of force when he is accelerating, braking or cornering."

Under such extremes, even the most minor discomfort is amplified and can become a real problem, affecting a driver's concentration and, ultimately, his wellbeing, so Panasonic Toyota Racing leaves nothing to chance and ensures a perfect fit for its drivers.

As well as comfort, safety is of critical importance and the driver's seat is enclosed in a carbon fibre monocoque – an extremely strong safety cell which protects the driver in case of an accident by absorbing an impact. Dieter adds: "It is very important to highlight to use of carbon fibre because this has increased the level of safety for the driver over the last 20 years so it is now very high."

With impressive acceleration and the ability to hit 160kmph in under six seconds, a Formula 1 car needs some serious stopping power, delivered by high-performance carbon brakes which, from that speed, can bring the car back to a stop in six seconds.

This is possible only by using carbon brakes, which have an operating temperature, on average, of 650°C and can get as hot as 900°C.

"The brakes are one of the elements which offer the biggest difference between a Formula 1 car and road car," Dieter says. "It starts with the material. We are using exclusively carbon brakes which offer very, very good performance in braking but carbon is a very sensitive material.

"The carbon brakes only work in the right temperature window - if you are below 300°C there is almost no braking at all so it is important to heat up the brakes. On the other hand it is important not to have the temperature too high. This is why we have big cooling ducts on all four brakes. In this way the temperature is controlled and we have the optimum brake temperature for the optimum braking performance."

Brakes are a crucial factor but, as with everything on a Formula 1 car, performance has to be transferred to the race track, and this is where tyres come in. As well as the two compounds of dry-weather tyres at each weekend, the softer of which is marked by a white line in one of the grooves, all teams also have wet and extreme wet tyres in case of rain.

All the energy produced by a Formula 1 car is transmitted to the track through a small contact patch on each of the four tyres, making grip levels and tyre wear rates critical to overall performance.

In 2007, Panasonic Toyota Racing is using Bridgestone Potenza tyres for the second successive season, but the overall situation changed from 2006, as Dieter explains: "This season is the first year since 2000 that everyone is using Bridgestone tyres exclusively and we have a total of four different compounds available over the season, two for every race weekend.

"The different compounds give different grip levels but what is similar is the working temperature. All the tyres work best on average at around 80°C, this is when they offer their best grip to the car. What we need to determine is what compound to use in which conditions, therefore we have four compounds available.

"If you have a surface with a very abrasive surface, for example Barcelona, it is difficult for the tyres so you would use a hard compound. On other circuits which are not so demanding, for example Monaco, you would use the softer compound."

As with everything In Formula 1, it is these details which combine to produce the ultimate performance.

from pitpass.com

[coysht]

Panasonic Toyota Racing's 'Formula 1 for Beginners'

Oh the irony!

[Ste]

Oh the irony!

[Tommy_F]

F1 for beginners (Part 2)

20/08/2007

Aerodynamics in Formula 1 is often described as a black art, the real secret to success on the track. In the second part of Panasonic Toyota Racing's 'Inside a Formula 1 Car' series, Head of Aerodynamics Mark Gillan explains that the answer is blowing in the wind.

First and foremost, aerodynamics is the science of manipulating and making use of air flow. In Formula 1, high speeds mean the air is a formidable force and it can be used to the car's advantage, as well as presenting an obstacle to speed.

Put simply, the bigger the frontal area of an object, the more wind resistance it will encounter, so a bigger object will travel slower than a smaller object with the same amount of power to propel it.

As always in Formula 1, things are not that simple. Downforce complicates matters, because wind resistance can be used to improve a car's performance, if the forces are transferred in the right way to provide extra grip around corners.

Mark explains: "Downforce is simply the force acting down on the ground. If you think of an aircraft, it has lift - a force acting upwards. On our car we have wings which work in the opposite direction to those on an aeroplane. On our car we have a force which acts down on the ground to keep the car fixed to the track as it is going around corners."

Maximising the positive effects of the air and minimising the negative effects is the aerodynamicist's challenge. The first attempts to harness aerodynamics in Formula 1 were relatively crude and dangerous, but the technology and knowledge has evolved into a fine art, which literally dictates who succeeds and who doesn't in Formula 1.

"Aerodynamics in Formula 1 has been around a long time," Mark says. "Way back in the late 1960s the first aerodynamic wings were sprouted and then, in the 1970s, understanding of aerodynamics on racing cars became more apparent. But it's really in the last 10 years that Formula 1 aerodynamics has progressed beyond all recognition. It is really very impressive.

"Aerodynamics is now the most important item on the car which a team can actually change, because if you look at the tyres, everyone has the same tyres and the engine is homologated. So aerodynamics is the single biggest item we can change - the biggest performance item on the car."

Although every part on the outside of Panasonic Toyota Racing's TF107 car is designed with aerodynamics in mind, the most obvious aerodynamic elements are at the very front and rear of the car.

As the first part of the car to encounter air resistance, the front wing is a key to the aerodynamic puzzle. It channels the air around and over the car, ensuring it reaches the right areas to generate downforce but avoids places where it has a negative effect.

Mark explains: "The front wing is one of the more efficient areas on the car. It basically provides the downforce at the front of the car, to provide stability and increase grip. But it is also a mechanism for directing the air away from the tyres. The tyres are one of the main items which generate drag. From a legality point of view, we cannot cover the tyres so we have to find a way to move the air around and over them.

"To get the perfect set-up, we typically start at the front and work our way back because each item at the front, for example the front suspension, will have a knock on effect on the rest of the car."

But that does not diminish the importance of aerodynamics at the other end of the TF107, as Mark adds: "The rear wing, like the front, generates downforce. It is the balance between downforce at the front and the downforce at the rear which provides stability."

Because Formula 1 cars are incredibly sensitive to small changes in set-up, the TF107s are built to allow fine-tuning to maximise the useful effect of the wings. "If you look at the rear wing, you can see various hole positions," Mark says. "What we can do is change the angle of the wing elements which generates less or more downforce as required."

Of course, with aerodynamics being such a pivotal factor in determining performance on the track, Panasonic Toyota Racing leaves no stone unturned as it searches for the small improvements which combine to deliver success.

At its headquarters in Cologne, Germany, the team uses the latest technology to put designs to the test before they even make it on to a race track with a two-pronged approach. Powerful computers are able to simulate the effect of air flow over the car without it even needing to be built, while in the wind tunnel, an exact scale model of the TF107 is subjected to a wind flow which replicates driving at speed.

"Basically we spend roughly 8,000-9,000hours a year just to develop the car in the wind tunnel," says Mark. "That is in addition to a similar amount of time in CFD, computational fluid dynamics, which is a computer programme which models the air flow over the car."

The comprehensive data from these tests shows the team how the car behaves at racing speed, giving Mark and his colleagues the information they need to constantly improve the aerodynamics.

Constant improvement – kaizen - is a fundamental philosophy of Panasonic Toyota Racing and aerodynamics play a pivotal part in its challenge to reach the front in Formula 1.

pitpass.com


F1 for beginners (Part 3)

11/09/2007

Inside a Formula 1 Car – Engine, Gearbox, Exhaust and Radiator

For all the advanced aerodynamics and driving skill, a Formula 1 car would go nowhere without an engine, so in the third part of Panasonic Toyota Racing's Inside a Formula 1 Car feature, Senior General Manager Engine Luca Marmorini explains what lies under the skin of the TF107.

Think of Grand Prix racing and you think of passion, excitement, glamour – and noise. The roar of an engine has become a trademark of Formula 1 throughout the years, an unmistakable sign that the best in the business are in town.

To the expert ear, of course, that roar has changed several times over the decades, incorporating turbo engines and now the normally-aspirated (non-turbo), 2.4litre V8 engines in accordance with the latest regulations.

Unlike previous years, engine development is now restricted. Teams had to submit an engine at the end of the 2006 season to world governing body the FIA. For this season, engines must be of the same design as given to the FIA, with a limited number of changes allowed only to improve reliability – not performance.

But don't be fooled into thinking a Formula 1 engine is anything but a high-tech beast which can really pack a punch, producing over 700 horsepower for a top speed of around 360km/h at Monza, the fastest track on the calendar.

Luca explains: "In the engine we use almost every kind of material you can on a Formula 1 car, for example you can see aluminium made with complex casting techniques but you also see carbon material. It is very important to keep the centre of gravity of the engine very low so we tend to put the very light parts on the upper part and the heavy parts on the bottom."

But the engine cannot power a Formula 1 car on its own, it needs the help of a gearbox - and that's not your standard five-speed road car transmission with gear stick and clutch.

In Panasonic Toyota Racing's TF107, there is no clutch and no gear stick, instead the driver flicks a lever behind his steering wheel to change up or down and the gearbox makes the change.

A new development for the team's 2007 car is a ‘seamless shift' gearbox, which maintains constant acceleration even when the driver changes gear. This gets the car to top speed quicker than the previous technology.

Luca says: "Over 700hp has to be transferred from the engine in the right way to the wheels. In the Formula 1 car the gearbox lay-out is a bit different to a normal car. In a road car the engine and the gearbox is the same unit - the power train. But historically in Formula 1 the gearbox is part of the chassis, because the suspension wishbones are connected to the gearbox."

The quest for high performance does not stop with the engine and gearbox, as the exhaust system also plays a vital part in maximising power output. Any engine needs to breathe and the efficiency of an exhaust system has a direct influence on engine performance.

In principal, a Formula 1 exhaust behaves exactly as a road car's – it takes gases away from the engine and expels them safely at the back of the car. In practice, the intricate welding and precision design of the TF107 exhaust looks closer to a work of automotive art.

In order for the bodywork to be as aerodynamically-efficient as possible at the rear of the car, the exhaust system is designed to fit as tightly around the engine as possible. Therefore, a successful exhaust design serves two purposes – maximising engine performance and minimising aerodynamic compromises.

Luca says: "Engine people start with the details of the flow inside the exhaust. We are tuning it like a musical instrument, like an organ, to be sure the engine torque is the highest possible in all the rev ranges."

With all the power, performance and noise of a Formula 1 engine comes heat, so much so that the exhaust system glows orange at full throttle. As any driver knows, an overheating engine can be a serious problem, so a modern Formula 1 car has sophisticated radiators to keep the engine within safe temperature limits.

These radiators, produced by the team's official partner Denso, are located in the sidepods, to the right and left of the engine and contain around three litres of coolant. To fine-tune engine cooling, different air vent options are available on the bodywork, allowing more, or less, air to reach the radiators, depending on the cooling required.

Luca adds: "The radiator has a very important role in the speed of the car. It is not just the engine that makes a car fast – it is a partnership with other parts. The radiators have to be small because a smaller radiator makes it easier to design a fast car, when it comes to aerodynamics. We tend to have a very narrow engine cover, but the engine also has to run in a very narrow temperature window."

The heat of competition in Formula 1 is intense and Luca and his team are doing their bit to give Panasonic Toyota Racing the power to succeed.

pitpass.com

[vagos]

nice read thanks m8

[Tommy_F]

F1 for beginners (Part 4)

24/09/2007

Sponsorship

Panasonic Toyota Racing is one team with one aim – to succeed in Formula 1. But the team stretches beyond the dedicated staff at its technical centre in Cologne, Germany, to include its valued partners.

Without sponsors, Formula 1 would look very different, not only in terms of the added resources they bring to associate themselves with motorsport's elite series, but also when it comes to the technology at the heart of the sport.

It is easy to assume a Formula 1 sponsorship deal starts and ends with a sticker on the car or a patch on a driver's overall, but there is much more to a successful partnership. For its partners, Panasonic Toyota Racing offers a package of benefits which allow them to draw maximum advantage out of their association with the team.

As well as logos in all the right places, partners get dedicated support to maximise their sponsorship deal, ranging from exclusive hospitality at races and tests, to events at the technical centre and personal appearances from drivers and team management at their events.

Formula 1 reaches almost 3billion viewers in over 180 countries and over 3.5million people at the race track every season, making it an immediate attraction to companies wanting to increase brand awareness or drive business objectives on a global level. But as well as having numbers which appeal to the head, it also has emotions to appeal to the heart.

Andy Fuchs, General Manager Marketing and Communications, explains: "From the coverage point of view Formula 1 is already unique, but don't forget the enormous benefit and value also associated with Formula 1 - it is engineering excellence, passion, glamour.

"All these values make Formula 1 a unique platform and therefore a wonderful opportunity for companies who share our passion to present themselves and talk to their fans through this great sponsor platform."

Panasonic Toyota Racing is proud to be associated with a loyal group of partners, led by title sponsor Matsu****a Electrical Industrial Co Ltd, which has used its Panasonic brand to support the team since its first season in 2002.

Panasonic has made good use of its association with Formula 1, including taking advantage of a dedicated filming day each year to emphasise its links to the team in television adverts, which strengthen not only Panasonic's brand, but also that of the team.

While brand-building is a clear advantage of a partnership with Panasonic Toyota Racing, some partnerships adopt a more hands-on approach. That is the case with Dassault Systemes, which specialises in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management tools and has partnered the team since the start of its Formula 1 era.

Dassault Systemes' products help the team design new car parts faster than ever but the partnership works both ways. President John Howett explains: "We look at all partnerships as a win-win opportunity and we are delighted with our partnership with Dassault Systemes.

"We need the know-how and technology they bring us in terms of system development to enable us to push the boundaries of our performance, and we hope we give them reciprocal challenge because of the high level of performance required in Formula 1."

A new partner for 2007 is Kingfisher Airlines, which has enthusiastically promoted its association in one of Formula 1's emerging new markets, India.

Kingfisher Airlines CEO Dr Vijay Mallya has become famous for holding extravagant parties in glamorous locations in Monaco and Istanbul, which have attracted celebrities and VIPs.

Dr Mallya says: "Kingfisher Airlines sponsors the Toyota Formula 1 team and so it adds to the Formula 1 glamour and experience, which will only enhance our sponsorship."

And by using images of the Panasonic Toyota Racing team in their advertising and promotion, as well as emphasising their connection even further with Formula 1-related competitions, Kingfisher Airlines is making the most of its partnership.

As Andy Fuchs says: "The beauty of Formula 1 is that while building a global platform, partners also have the opportunity to activate on a local basis, whether that is when a race is hosted or in the case of Kingfisher Airlines we see there is a multitude of creative ideas of how Formula 1, and especially their relationship with Panasonic Toyota Racing, is activated."

The attraction of Formula 1, of course, is in seeing the action live, and Panasonic Toyota Racing partners have the opportunity to get closer than ever before.

Exclusive hospitality at the race or test track can also be combined with access to the pit garage during practice sessions, or garage tours to see what really goes on behind the scenes. These exclusive offers are not available to the general public and make for a unique experience.

Partners are part of the team, and at the annual pre-season event, they share in the focus when the new car is revealed to the worldwide media, as well as thousands of fans who watch the action via webcast.

But to really understand what it takes to compete in Formula 1, what better place than the team's technical centre in Cologne? As one of only two teams to manufacture the entire car under one roof, a guided tour gives a rare insight into motorsport.

Guests can even arrive in true Formula 1 style on board the official team bus, as part of the team's partnership with MAN, and its bus division NEOMAN.

For valuable contacts, deserving employees or competition winners, this visit is a truly memorable day, as Andy Fuchs explains: "This is what people want to see. They want to see where the car is made. You can touch and feel and get a better understanding of what it means really to build today's F1 car. This is what many of our partners utilise, they have a showcase to display their products and their association with our company."

These are just some examples of the valued partners associated with Panasonic Toyota Racing, and just a few of the benefits available to them. The challenge in Formula 1 is to excel in ever area, and for Panasonic Toyota Racing, that extends to all aspects of the team – including our partnerships.

from pitpass.com

[Tommy_F]

F1 for beginners (Part 5)

04/10/2007

Materials

What makes a modern Formula 1 car? The old days of cars built with everyday materials are long gone, with Panasonic Toyota Racing using space-age technology to optimise every part of its TF107.

To succeed in Formula 1, every element of the car and the team must be at the very highest level, and that applies to the materials which make up the car. Materials are chosen for their lightness, strength and durability, with careful consideration given not just to performance but also to reliability.

A perfect compromise is the key, with materials ideally being as light as possible to minimise the weight of the car, but also being durable and strong to ensure all parts perform to the limit without failure.

The technology of materials in Formula 1 has advanced at a fierce pace over the last decade, with specialist technicians required to truly design and manufacture a competitive Formula 1 car. Progress has been such that the sport's rules have been amended to restrict the use of certain alloys in order to keep costs at an acceptable level.

But even given the rule restrictions, there is plenty of work to do for those at Panasonic Toyota Racing who are living in a material world. With over 100 different alloys available at the team's factory in Cologne, Germany, the materials store is full of high-tech building blocks.

Of course, quality control is vital to ensure everything works as planned and the team demands high standards from every component, as Senior General Manager Engine Luca Marmorini explains: "We are using more than 100 different alloys, typically aluminium, titanium, copper, cobalt, tungsten are used. There is a standard, that is the aerospace standard but a lot of materials are developed with some suppliers and we can develop our own standards. Typically, if you have to mention a standard, it is aerospace standard."

The materials store has 360 square metres of space but stock levels are continually monitored and adjusted according to the Toyota Way principal of Just In Time, which means supply is closely linked to demand to eliminate excess stock.

Of course, with the variety of materials used by Panasonic Toyota Racing, the materials store is more than your traditional store room. Some of the materials require special storage, for example carbon fibres must be stored at -20°C.

Carbon fibre first appeared in Formula 1 in the 1980s and soon became the key to a successful car due to its lightness combined with great strength, as well as new possibilities to build different shaped components than previously possible. Carbon fibre has become so widespread in Formula 1 now that around 75% of a car is built from that material, including the safety cell which surrounds the driver.

The fabrication department is where the materials are transformed from basic elements to high-tech components for a Formula 1 car. Luca adds: "In the fabrication department, some very experienced, trained technicians are able to weld very difficult parts like the exhaust, and also apply some welding panels on a casted component.

"Together with this we have a lot of composite parts in the car and for this we are using carbon fibre compounds."

While new materials have been developed and added over the past few years, some have fallen out of use. For example, it is hard to imagine now that a wooden board was ever an essential component of a Formula 1 car, but when the 'plank' on the floor of the car was first introduced in 1994, to enforce a minimum ride height, wood was the chosen material.

The primary purpose of the 'plank' is to show when a car has run too low, which can be seen by wearing on the 'plank' itself. Wood was a good initial choice but the materials soon became more advanced says Luca: "In the past the 'plank' under the car was made of wood, now it is made from a composite material that is very light. The 'plank' of the car touches the ground so it has to be made from something that can be deformed."

Such major changes in materials are unusual in modern Formula 1 but gradual changes are regularly implemented as the team pursues its kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement. "We are not changing materials a lot, but we are developing them during the season. It is a continuous evolution, we are constantly developing materials to improve performance of future parts," adds Luca.

Formula 1 may now be focused on an evolution of materials, but a revolution has taken place in material usage since the first World Championship Formula 1 race in 1950.

As car design has advanced at pace, so too have the materials used to construct them – to the point now that a modern team needs a dedicated team of staff focused solely on material technology.

"The approach has completely changed," Luca says. "Fifty years ago no Formula 1 team had its own materials department but now we have a very advanced materials department and we can perform analysis in our own buildings. In the past every Formula 1 team relied on external labs to do mechanical calculations of material consistency. Now everything is done in house - you have to do it in house to have true quality standards."

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