Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2023 i Racecar Engineering

Having left Eddie Jordan, it was a matter of out of the frying pan and into the fire, as I joined Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) soon after. The company was different, but there were still some stories to tell. At TWR, all the drivers were being paid to drive so the performance of the car in a racing situation was the major criteria. It was incredibly hard work, but the success it could bring became almost addictive. I was fortunate to be surrounded by a really hungry team and some great drivers. In Tom’s eyes, wins were what mattered, and consequently I was given a bonus with each one of them, but absolutely nothing for any minor placings. That suited me just fine, and I was able to return the…

Formula 1 team, Red Bull, has been awarded a financial and technical penalty for breaching the new cost cap regulations that were in place for the 2021 season. The British team was found to have overspent the $114m budget cap by $1.8m, termed a ‘minor breach’ by the sport’s governing body. The FIA found that Red Bull did not fraudulently overspend and were at all times open and transparent, accepting an equitable settlement over the breach. Alongside the financial penalty, the team will also lose 10 per cent of its aerodynamic testing ability and CFD allowances for next year’s grand prix campaign.…

Carless Racing Fuels has been confirmed as the supplier to the TCR UK series. The company will be the official fuel provider to the championship, with the on-track distribution service being provided by Vital Equipment, its official UK service partner. ‘We are delighted to have signed a multi-year agreement that will see us supply our control fuel to TCR-UK,’ says Carless sales executive, Adrian Stewart. ‘The championship has certainly gone from strength to strength over the last few years and boasts a very competitive grid.’ One of the worst-kept secrets in endurance racing was finally confirmed when Iron Lynx was named as the official Lamborghini team, starting in 2023. The team will take part in GT racing in the US and Europe, starting at the Daytona 24 hours in January,…

Ahead of the 2023 Autosport International show, Europe’s largest motorsport exhibition, fans will be asked to vote for their greatest Motorsport Memories. The Motorsport Memories poll will highlight the magical moments that led to fans falling in love with the sport, and signed prints will be raffled to raise funds for the Race Against Dementia charity. The top ten memories will be displayed as prints in an art gallery zone. Memories collected range from Stirling Moss winning the Mille Miglia in 1955 to Toyota’s last-minute heartbreak at Le Mans in 2016. Race Against Dementia is a global charity, founded by Sir Jackie Stewart OBE, to fund pioneering research into the prevention and cure of dementia. The three-time Formula 1 World Champion explains: ‘Working faster and smarter, and harnessing the mindset…

As the curtain comes down on the 2022 season, it is a good time to look back on some of what has been achieved this year. The World Rally Championship has completed its first season with hybrid powertrains and, while development is ongoing, the formula has been a lot more successful than many had predicted ahead of the season. Peugeot has introduced its 9X8 to the FIA World Endurance Championship, taking on Toyota with a rear wing-less car, proving that the Hypercar regulations do in fact offer alternative solutions to traditional racecars. Porsche, Cadillac and Acura have all pushed on with track testing their LMDh cars, not without issues. They seem to be getting on top of them, though, and the hybrid system is becoming more reliable. These cars will…

In Formula 1, nearly every team has an engineering-grade simulator, and in the past few years NASCAR teams have also started to adopt the technology. For some time, it was thought there was little benefit to be gained from driver simulators in Stock Car racing, but now there are multiple set-ups around NASCAR’s North Carolina hub. Teams in the WEC, Formula E and other series also make use of DIL, while many vehicle manufacturers now have in-house DIL capabilities that share duties between road car and racecar development. BMW, for example, recently opened its FIZ research and innovation centre in Munich, containing no less than 14 DILs of different types. When linked to a team’s vehicle physics model, a properly designed DIL can be used by engineers to work on…

Plans to eliminate tyre heaters are expected to become reality in the FIA World Endurance Championship for 2023, with Michelin and Goodyear both pushing for the tyre ovens to be removed from the paddock, along with the FIA. Michelin has long campaigned for the abolition of the ovens, saying they are not necessary and encourage teams to change tyres more often during the race. The French company says it can easily produce a compound that will heat up quicker on leaving the pits to reduce the chance of accidents on the opening laps on cold tyres. Goodyear, which supplies the LMP2 class in the championship, has been tasked with bringing harder compounds into an arena that has seen performance levels reduced by removing downforce from its cars. The company completed…

The FIA Formula E World Championship intends to introduce mid-race fast charging and has unveiled the equipment that will be used when the feature is finally a part of the series. Formula E started out with the drivers needing to change cars mid-race, meaning each driver required two cars for every weekend. From there, it progressed to completing the race on one charge, and this is the third phase of the development process. Designed by ABB, the partner for the series, the charger will be capable of delivering up to 160kW from one outlet, or 80kW when charging two vehicles at the same time. Frank Muhlon, CEO of ABB E-mobility, said: ‘We’re delighted to bring our innovative charging solutions to the biggest global e-mobility stage, continuing our drive to use…

Other key exhibitors who will be revealing new products and technologies at the show include Samsonas Motorsport’s latest racing transmission and suspension solutions, MSL showcasing its high-quality 3D scanning, 3D software and 3D metrology solutions and services and Intercomp, whose RFX wireless weighing technology is the most advanced of its kind. Another recently confirmed exhibitor is Hypermotive. With the show’s increased focus on electrification solutions, the company, with teams in the UK and Germany, will be demonstrating its wiring systems, EV and fuel cell solutions at the show. 3D scanning and additive manufacturing is accelerating across the industry, too. Central Scanning will show its industry-leading technology, including 3D printing and reverse engineering solutions. Bcomp, the Swiss cleantech company will be using the event to showcase its latest developments in sustainable…

TECHNOLOGY – SIMULATION In the first part of this series about the core of vehicle dynamics last month (RE V32N12) we talked about what drives a lot of the common misconceptions around the fundamentals of vehicle dynamics. Now it’s time to apply this knowledge and give you the numerical tools to put the correct theory into practice. The first spin of everything we discussed in part one is the concept of a neutral steer channel. I have mentioned this before in my articles, but it’s such a powerful concept that it is worth repeating here. The first port of call for using the following equations is to deduce the steer angle if the car was completely neutral. If we take the slip angle equations we discussed in part one and…

AP Racing has launched its latest round of industrial placement opportunities at its Coventry, UK-based factory. The placements are due to start in July 2023 and are available in design engineering, industrial engineering, advanced analysis engineering and mechatronics engineering. The deadline for applications is 8 January 2023. For more information, please visit https://apracing. com/about/vacancies Toyota has introduced an update to its Supra GT4 that competes in the Grand Sport class of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe, based in Cologne, has produced an evolution kit that includes revised dampers, a modified rear anti-roll bar and upgraded brakes that include recalibrated ABS software. The body gains front dive planes to improve aero stability and a modified rear wing that allows for mid-race set-up changes. Extreme E has confirmed…

Audi has claimed its RS Q e-tron will save more than 60 per cent carbon dioxide when it competes on the 2023 Dakar Rally. Three desert prototypes with electric drive and energy converter systems will line up at the start of the rally on 31 December 2022 and Audi says the tank contents of its contenders will comprise 80 per cent sustainable components, including ethanol to gas (ETG) and e-methanol. This fuel is required by the energy converter, the combustion engine part of which is taken from a DTM car, and operates with high compression and efficiency to supply electricity for the electric drive. ‘WIth this fuel mixture, the Audi RS Q e-tron saves more than 60 per cent in carbon dioxide emissions,’ says Dr Fabian Titus, application and thermodynamics…

The engineering sector plays a key role in the UK’s economy, accounting for 18 per cent of UK employment, and the demand for engineers is higher now than ever. In motorsport, this translates to seven of the 10 current Formula 1 teams being based in the UK, with dozens of national and international championships calling the UK home. Students will have the opportunity to attend Autosport International on both trade and public days to get a flavour of the industry. Whether it’s taking inspiration from the hundreds of displays, or seeking career advice, Autosport International is a fantastic opportunity to get ahead. One example of how the academic sector is using the show to attract students is the University of Wolverhampton Racing team (UWR). This innovative project immerses undergraduates in…