On monday the test drives for the new formula 1 season started. The teams have presented their new cars – and they are full of exciting technology. But the innovations are quite different from road cars.
This is how the clean ferrari C36 looks for this year
A Formula 1 steering wheel reminds many people at first of a game console: there is a confusing array of buttons, switches and controls. In the middle is a large display – almost like a tablet computer.
So it’s easy to imagine that more and more automation is making its way into Formula 1 as well – technology that we’re already familiar with on the road: automatic support systems for drivers, for example, i.e. distance sensors, cruise control, lane departure warning systems, emergency braking systems, etc.
But in fact, the many buttons are the expression of a completely different design philosophy: while the trend for cars on the road is moving more and more toward automated or at least partially automated driving, the driver always retains control in Formula 1. And that’s also why it needs so many buttons.
Similarities between cars and racing cars
There are some basic parallels between formula 1 cars and normal cars – for example in the way the control signals come from the cockpit to the wheels, brakes and all other components.
Nowadays, this is done exclusively via electronic data links – so-called bus systems. This principle is also known as drive-by-wire.
It’s not just networked cars that receive and send more and more data to and from the outside world – Formula 1 cars do the same. Only here it’s about transmitting information about the car’s condition to the technical teams in the pit lane, who are thus informed in real time about all the details – such as engine temperature, fuel and oil levels, tire pressure, and much more.
Electronic control is now the norm
Drive-by-wire actually came from aircraft construction to road vehicles via the formula 1 detour. This innovation also brought electronic gear shifting (tip-tronic) and cruise control into regular vehicle construction.
At least one function that is remotely comparable with cruise control also exists in Formula 1: a limiter button. It ensures that the race car does not go faster than 100 km/h. The driver presses it just before entering the pit lane. Because there is a strictly controlled maximum speed there. If you get a speeding ticket, you get a point deduction in the overall ranking – almost like in real life.
What do heavy construction machines have in common with racing cars??
And there’s another function that’s very important in race cars, and which can also be found in road traffic – but almost only in trucks, off-road vehicles and construction machinery: the differential lock. It controls how power is transmitted from the engine and the central drive shaft to the individual wheels.
In rough terrain, this is important so that the driver of a car with all-wheel drive can transmit his engine power to the four wheels in a well-dosed manner – without them slipping. On the other hand, when driving on the road, truck drivers tend to disengage all-wheel drive because they use less fuel and can drive faster.
This williams FW40 will be running in the test races for the new Formula 1 season starting on Monday
Formula 1 cars don’t have all-wheel drive, but because they don’t have electronic anti-slip control, the differential lock plays a role here as well. It is intended to prevent the tires from spinning or locking up. This is especially important in curves. Whether it is perfectly adjusted determines, among other things, how good the grip of the tires is.
It is also intended to prevent individual wheels from lifting off the ground. How the engineers achieve this is a science in itself. Even the formula 1 drivers have the settings made before the race. And it’s complicated: each curve is divided into three sections from the entry to the exit. For each section, the differential gear should react differently. Therefore, there are also different controls on the steering wheel for the settings.
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More than just four disc brakes
Brake settings can also improve cornering characteristics: the car recognizes which cornering situation it is in via the position of the steering wheel and various sensors. The ceramic disc brakes of the bolides react a little differently to this. If, for example, the rear wheel brakes more than the other wheels on the inside of the corner, understeer in the corner can be reduced. In return, the steering wheel has various settings for braking balance. The driver can also change these if the car consumes fuel in the course of a race and becomes significantly lighter.
The kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) is another special feature of the formula 1. During braking, energy is stored electrically and later released – for example during an overtaking maneuver – by a boost button. This allows the car to accelerate even faster for a short time.
In the meantime, excess heat from the exhaust tract can also be converted into electricity and used for boosting the engine. Then it is called only energy recovery system (ERS). Formula 1 rules, however, set strict limits on the voltage that the KERS can release (1000 volts) and on the situations in the race where drivers are allowed to push the boost button.
By the way, this type of energy recovery is also used in commercial vehicles, such as buses or trains, which often have to brake at stops and then start up again. The "williams" Formula 1 racing team has founded a new company for such applications in the energy sector: "williams advanced engineering".
Different programs for changing conditions
At pit stops, not only are the tires changed, but completely different tires are fitted because the regulations require it or because it suddenly starts raining. For this the formula 1 pilot has a switch button: different tires, different program.
It is similar with the engine settings. Here the driver can choose between different programs optimized for different conditions. Above all, different engine settings are designed to help save fuel or fuel consumption in certain sections of the race. Save weight.
Also, the driver can choose a different setting if the weather suddenly changes and the road became wet. For example, the engine reacts more smoothly when the driver presses the accelerator pedal. This prevents the wheels from spinning. .
Downforce also brings air resistance: the wing between the rear wheels ensures good road grip
Windy is not desired
Formula 1 race cars may look streamlined, but their real air resistance is far from low. The cw value is about 1.2. That, too, is a big difference from road cars. Even a ford model T-oldtimer has a better value: 0.9. Modern passenger cars achieve cd values of about 0.25, commercial aircraft of 0.08 and a penguin is almost unbeatable with 0.03.
The main reason for the poor value: the race cars have wings. They are mounted the other way round than on an airplane. They are designed to prevent the car from taking off by pushing it onto the asphalt from above. In fact, all these vehicles are designed to generate downforce.
Especially during overtaking maneuvers, however, the associated higher air resistance is a nuisance. That’s why there’s a DRS button on the steering wheel. It activates the drag-reduction-system and opens the rear wing in a way that it becomes more streamlined. It is used when overtaking in a straight line.
This is similar to a commercial airliner that retracts the flaps on the wings after reaching cruising altitude. According to formula 1 rules, the DRS button may only be pressed when overtaking.
No two steering wheels are the same
The exact design of formula 1 cars and also their steering wheels and functions is constantly changing. In renowned racing teams, the Formula 1 drivers design their steering wheels themselves – with the support of the engineers, of course.
Once the steering wheel is finished, it can take weeks or even months for all the functions to become second nature. And in this respect, it may be true that formula 1 steering wheels are similar to a game console. Because in order to internalize all the functions, but also to avoid real test drives for reasons of environmental protection, the racing drivers also spend a lot of time in simulators – very similar to a computer game. There you can reach the next level only after endless repetition and practice.