Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2022 i Racecar Engineering

The consensus throughout the Formula 1 paddock is that the 2022 technical regulations see the most significant changes to any rule set in the sport’s history. At time of writing, the 2022 season was about to get underway, with both pre-season tests complete and teams carrying out final engineering on the cars ahead of the first race in Bahrain. The journey into the new era of the sport has been a bumpy one so far, in every sense of the word, as teams faced a plethora of technical challenges throughout the testing weeks, primarily revolving around so-called porpoising – a bouncing phenomenon caused by the car’s inability to control its platform, stemming from extreme swings in downforce generated by the ground-effect aerodynamics. However, the chances for teams to explore how…

NASCAR’s Next Generation Stock Car will race at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2023 if plans by Hendrick Motorsport, Chevrolet and Goodyear come to fruition. The go ahead to race still needs to be given by the ACO’s selection committee, but the idea is to run a Gen 7 car fitted with a hybrid system taken from the manufacturer’s LMDh platform as a Garage 56 entry. The plan was hatched in 2020 between NASCAR president, Jim France, and ACO president, Pierre Fillon, and unveiled at Sebring. If it goes ahead, it would be the first time a Stock Car has competed in the great endurance race in nearly 50 years. The last time was in 1976, when the Grand International category was formulated specifically for such cars, following a…

When Radical first put a superbike engine in the back of a pretty Sports Prototype 25 years ago, at first glance there was little actually radical about it. Motorcycle-engine racecars had already been around for decades. In the 1950s, they were the lifeblood of grass roots British motorsport in the then Formula 3, and there had been many variations on the theme, few of which were particularly successful. But where Radical got it so right was in its execution. It was the engineering, rather than the concept, that made the car work, and its focus on performance, useability and aesthetics was, indeed, quite radical. Consequently, that car, and the many that followed it, proved hugely popular. To the point that today, the Peterborough UKbased company is the second largest racecar…

This car, in its various guises, has been around since 2002, but the most up-to-date version, the SR3 XX, has benefited from some close cooperation with Radical’s long-term data partner, AiM Technologies. Consequently, it boasts a state-of-the-art data package and the sort of steering wheel technology you would usually associate with an LMP car. Beyond the trick electronics, the £71,900 (approx. $93,900 / €85,750) car packs either a 1500cc (226bhp) or a 1340cc (195bhp) RPE-Suzuki four-cylinder motor, the former capable of 0-60mph in 3.1 seconds and a top speed of 147mph. The SR3 also has Radical’s Nik-Link suspension, a six-speed sequential ’box and Quaife LSD, plus an aero package that includes a dramatic, high-downforce bi-plane rear wing and diffuser.…

Like it or not, traction batteries – those which help propel a vehicle, rather than just power its electronics – are an ever-growing part of the motorsport landscape. From the fully electric drivetrains found in Formula E and Extreme E, to the hybrid systems of Formula 1, the WEC, WRC and BTCC, to name but a few. Consequently, development of motorsportspecific battery systems is on the rise. All this should come as little surprise, given the momentum behind both the political and industrial drive towards electric vehicles (EVs), with manufacturers keen to bestow some degree of environmental credence on their motorsport activities. It is also the case that increasing electrification provides racing with an opportunity to retain technological relevance as a proving ground for next generation technologies. It would be…

The 2022 Formula 1 cars adorned with the long-awaited, and then Covid-19 postponed, technical regulation changes finally arrived at the Circuit de Barcelona-Cataluña for pre-season testing at the end of February. At the initial test came the first glimpses of the challenges the teams face in this new era of the sport, and for the teams, the first chance to explore the potential of their radically re-designed machines. With the regulations being a case of revolution rather than evolution, designers started from a clean sheet of paper, working with rules that have simplified the aerodynamics, emphasising the underside of the car, and accounting for larger diameter, low-profile tyres. The only carryover from the previous seasons is a team’s ability to produce a competitive car. This was no different for Scuderia…

Raceability is not a real word, but what I mean by the term is the ability of cars to race each other. When all cars are the same, or at least within the same class, I am referring to following each other on track, and being able to set up and execute passes. The idea is similar to when cars from different classes are on track together, although in that case passing, or being passed, are givens, so raceability in that sense refers more to the cars’ ability to deal with traffic between disparate classes. With respect to Balance of Performance, it is one thing to balance lap time performance, but ensuring balanced cars can properly race against each other is a much more difficult thing to achieve correctly. Let’s…

The entry-level Radical is now into its second iteration, with the Generation 2 car sporting a new style body, improved aerodynamics and new electronics. For a car aimed at track days and club racing, it’s a pretty rapid machine, with a 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 138mph. The 490kg car costs £45,995 (approx. $60,050 / €54,850) and is powered by a 182bhp, 1340cc, RPE-Suzuki four-cylinder engine, based on a motorcycle unit. It comes with the ubiquitous (for Radical) Nik-Link suspension, with Avo dampers, a six-speed, paddle-shift gearbox and Quaife limited slip differential.…

The RXC comes in four guises: Spyder; GT3 (homologated for that category); GT Road (part of a long tradition of street driven Radicals) and the RXC 600R. The latter is marketed as a ‘high performance track day and race car for the gentleman driver’ and, with 650bhp on tap, this 1130kg projectile can reach 60mph in 2.7 seconds and go on to a top speed of 180mph. The engine is a 3.5-litre, twin-turbocharged, Ford EcoBoost V6, mated to a bespoke, six-speed Hewland sequential gearbox. The car’s design is based on a modern LMP car, so comes with a roof, and costs £147,500 (approx. $192,600 / €175,900).…

‘If we could get into clear air we would be away, and so we did an aggressive stop to undercut’Earl Bamber, driver 02 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac The second round of IMSA’s WeatherTech Sportscar Championship was the 12 Hours of Sebring, held in March during Spring Break. College students from across the country come together to party and, in doing so, many of them head to mid-Florida to watch Sportscar racing at its finest. One of the key features of the 12-hour race is the changing temperature, and one of the main points of interest is how the cars perform in the different conditions, when the heat of the day is replaced by much cooler air as the sun sets, until the race finishes in darkness. For the two manufacturers…

Despite at least four years of collective research by some of the best brains in Formula 1, using the most sophisticated tools at their disposal, the overriding reactions as the sport’s ‘new era’ cars got up to speed during pre-season shakedowns in Barcelona (full-blown test sessions followed a week later in Bahrain) were of sheer nervousness – about both teams’ own performances, and those of their peers. Much has been written about the methodologies and research that went into the 2022 regulations, designed to reduce ‘dirty’ air, thereby (theoretically, at least) upping the chances of running closely enough to overtake, but the acid test came in Bahrain, rather than Barcelona, where teams spent three days checking systems, rather than indulging in close proximity running. Pre-shakedown, there had been widespread fears…

Toyota may have had a dominant season in the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship, having won every round, but that did not mean that the team could stand still for 2022. Having completed the first season of the Hypercar era against opposition from Alpine and Glickenhaus, there were a few issues with the team’s GR010 that needed to be addressed for the forthcoming campaign. Upgrades to the aerodynamic kit were introduced over the winter in order to accommodate the rapidly changing regulations, designed to bring the cars into line through Balance of Performance. The team introduced a new tyre size, changing from 31in tyres all round to a narrower 29 at the front and 34 at the rear, similar to LMDh tyre sizes, to accommodate the change in weight distribution…

One of the first people I heard back from was Nicolas Aubourg, the head of performance for the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA). I have known Nico for about eight years now and have always been impressed by his knowledge and skills. I have no idea how he handles all the responsibilities he has, especially when you consider the sheer number of racing series that fall under the FIA umbrella, but somehow he does it, and does a very good job of it. When I first approached Nico about the topic of raceability, he said, ‘Very good topic. Raceability and BoP are discussed a lot with manufacturers. Balancing lap time is one thing, but not enough to get good BoP.’ Good. At least I am not alone in thinking about…

Engine: RPE-Ford EcoBoost; 2261cc; custom Garrett turbocharger; direct injection; twin-independent variable cam timing; drive-by-wire throttle; forged motorsport pistons; bespoke dry sump system; Life Racing ECU; high flow racing exhaust system Power: 425bhp (at flywheel) Torque: 380ft.lbs Transmission: six-speed Hewland sequential transaxle; Radical-developed, paddle-activated gearshift system with auto-blipper; automatic torque-biasing limited slip differential Chassis: Radical spaceframe constructed with CDS steel tube with T45 safety devices; aluminium honeycomb crash structure Body: High downforce, lightweight glass fibre Suspension: Fully adjustable Nik-Link system; front and rear unequal length top and bottom wishbones; front and rear adjustable pushrods; lightweight cast aluminium uprights; interchangeable roll bars; Intrax triple-adjustable dampers Brakes: four-piston calipers; 315mm x 35mm front and rear discs Cockpit:Twin or single-seat options; AiM Formula Wheel with integral LCD display; lightweight shift paddles and on-wheel switching…

IndyCar delays hybrid introduction The IndyCar series has taken the decision to delay the introduction of its hybrid powertrain until 2024 following supply chain issues. The series had planned to introduce the hybrid system in 2022, but that has been pushed back after Covid-related delays. Following a discussion with teams and suppliers it has been agreed to retain the 2.2-litre, twin-turbo V6 engines for the 2023 season, while the 2.4-litre engines are developed for a further year through its suppliers, Honda and Chevrolet. Some elements of the engine and hybrid system are unique to IndyCar and so, although the long lead time components are already in build, ready for testing later this year, the decision had to be taken early regarding the timing of the new engines. ‘We are pleased…