Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2025 i Racecar Engineering

The last time pit stops occurred in the FIA Formula E World Championship, drivers had to swap their energy-limited cars mid-race to ensure they made the distance. Six seasons and 89 races later, pit stops are finally back, though this time drivers are spared the indignity of hopping between vehicles. Now, the emphasis is on quickly charging a single car, which opens new power deployment options. It is a feature brought in for reasons of road relevance, as fast charging continues to develop and mould our perceptions of what electric vehicles (EVs) are capable of. Formula E and the FIA want to showcase this technology through competition, using a system that is much more powerful than what is widely available. The so-called ‘Pit Boost’ made its debut at round three…

Audi is one of the most successful car companies at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, having won 13 of the 25 editions held this century. Making that statistic all the more incredible is the fact the German manufacturer withdrew after 2016, leaving it with a 72 per cent success rate at the famous endurance race. Only Porsche has won more, but its count of 19 started much earlier in 1970. Audi’s era of achievement at Le Mans began in 2000, with the first iteration of the R8. That win was the first of three in succession, while customer teams then added two more before the now legendary car was replaced by the diesel-powered R10 in 2006. The German manufacturer ran through several phases with its endurance programme, starting with…

It is well documented that burning hydrogen, either as a gas or a liquid, to power racecars produces minimal emissions at the tailpipe, and that the emissions that are produced are less harmful to the environment than those from fossil fuels. What is less clear is how to create that hydrogen, the environmental impact of doing so, and then storing it safely and cheaply in order to be able to use it in a vehicle. Even ignoring all the impact of creating hydrogen in the first place, storing it as a gas in a chamber suitable for cars requires extreme levels of pressure, which then need to be contained. Put a high-pressure gas tank in a racecar and immediately there are some obvious concerns. Hang any such tanks outside…

The DS Penske Formula E team has expanded its simulation infrastructure with a set of four Theta Seat Sport sim rigs from Ansible Motion. It enables the person in the team’s driver-in-the-loop (DiL) simulator, which was installed at Penske Autosport last year, to interact with those using the facility’s four ancillary rigs. The idea is to replicate multi-vehicle racing scenarios away from the racetrack. Despite being at the cutting edge of vehicle dynamics simulation, a DiL rig has the disadvantage of only running one human-driven car. The Theta Seat Sport it has been paired with is much smaller than the main, 360-degree DiL structure, resembling the type of rig used in esports competitions. AVL Racetech was brought in to establish a smooth connection between the two simulator types. ‘DS Penske’s…

The use of torque sensors in motor racing will continue to expand this year as the devices will be run in the FIA GT World Cup for the first time. The FIA announced that GT3 cars competing in the annual Macau street race will have sensors fitted on their driveshafts to measure power output at the wheels. This will form part of the BoP in a race where manufacturers often provide increased support to their customer teams. ‘As always with competitions relying on Balance of Performance, our goal as the regulator is to ensure a level playing field for all participants,’ says Fabrice Van Ertvelde, FIA technical circuit sport manager. ‘The implementation of torque sensors is a very effective tool to achieve that target, allowing us to realign all the…

The 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May 2025 will be one of the most technically challenging yet, as teams get to grips with running a hybrid system at the race for the first time. Hybrid technology was introduced to IndyCar midway through 2024 as part of the series’ move towards more relevant technology that suited its competing OEMs, Honda and Chevrolet. However, it only made its debut after the showpiece event, as the final specification of the system was delayed due to a change of supplier. The hybrid system was originally due to arrive in 2022, alongside a new engine formula that would see capacity increased from 2.2-litres to 2.4, and the introduction of Shell’s 100 per cent renewable fuel, which reduced greenhouse gases by 60 per cent.…

When the new Super Formula season kicked off in early March at Suzuka, the drivers and engineers were greeted with yet another new technical hurdle. In 2023, it was the switch to the current aerodynamic package that saw the Dallarabuilt SF19 chassis re-named the SF23. Last year, it was the switch to common Öhlins corner dampers as the championship abandoned open damper development. This year, the focus has shifted to the tyres, as sole supplier, Yokohama, has updated its offerings, specifically by increasing the percentage of renewable materials used. When sustainable tyres were first introduced to the series in 2023, the rubber featured 33 per cent sustainable content. That figure has gone up to 46 per cent for this season. Championship promoter, JRP, is keen to highlight that this figure…

The ability to accurately and reliably measure torque on a moving racecar has become a hot topic across racing series, concurrent with the rise of Balance of Performance (BoP). With defined power curves now fiercely enforced, sensing technology capable of providing the high levels of accuracy required, repeatably, without the need to be constantly recalibrated is critical. Meanwhile, those teams and racers subject to the edicts of BoP need to be confident that the tools used to determine whether they are within the regulatory bounds are reliable. Of course, accurate determination of torque has been an important matter since long before BoP’s presence was felt, but it is the arrival of true, contactless torque measurement that has made its on-car use feasible. In the past, powertrain torque was measured on…

At last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, organisers in charge of the LMP2 sportscar formula announced plans to tear up original plans and contracts and instead introduce a new generation of car in 2028. Crucially, this signified the abandonment of the previous plan to base future LMP2s on the current LMDh architecture. The announcement effectively wiped the slate clean, putting planning on the new rule set back to square one. It also ensured the current cars, which made their debut in 2017, will reach a decade old before being replaced. Fast forward to now, and the blank canvas of the 2028 technical blueprint is starting to be filled in. In March, the FIA invited companies to tender for contracts to supply the spec engine, transmission and electronics package, as…

The FIA World Rally Championship has been forced to switch fuel supplier from P1 Performance Fuels to TotalEnergies for the remainder of the 2025 season, starting at the end of April. According to documents filed in Germany’s company register, P1 entered insolvency in February. This led to it being no longer able to fulfil its commitment to supply the WRC with 100 per cent sustainable fuel. An insolvency administrator was put in charge of its assets, while the FIA had to find an alternative supplier quickly and so turned to TotalEnergies, which already provides the FIA World Endurance Championship and FIA European Truck Racing Championship. The French multinational company will supply sustainable racing fuel to the priority drivers at round four of the WRC season, held in the Canary Islands…

Three FIA Formula 2 teams have been fined €10,000 (approx. $10,890) and are set to have their in-season testing time curtailed for drilling holes in their cars’ diffusers to install air pressure sensors. The sanctions against DAMS, Rodin Motorsport and Trident were handed out ahead of the season opener in Melbourne, based on findings made during an earlier test at Barcelona. According to an FIA stewards’ report, the sensors were installed to measure external airflow, although the investigators could not determine how much data had been collected. F2 regulations prohibit modifying a part to fit a sensor. The stewards’ report stated: ‘The collection of this data from pressure sensors in the external airflow could be used to correlate with the data from the [spec] chassis manufacturer with the intention to…

The quest to improve driver safety continues as IndyCar’s medical team has begun a programme to monitor driver core temperature during a race through thermometers embedded in the silicone earpieces commonly used by drivers. Since 2003, custom-fitted silicone earpieces have served multiple functions during IndyCar races, including cancelling out engine noise and carrying the radio receiver to enable driver communication with the pit. They have also been developed to include accelerometers that advise if a driver has experienced significant deceleration (during a crash, for example). In some cases, on the 2025 grid, such earpieces will carry an extra sensor to monitor core temperature, as part of the ongoing pursuit of enhanced safety. The topic of driver cooling is a prevalent one. It was thrust into the spotlight at the 2023…

Sometimes it’s tempting to compare a racecar to a human being. After all, it has four ‘limbs’, a body and a thumping heart, which we call an engine. But a person is nothing without a brain and, in a racecar context, this is where the grey matter of the little black box and the twisting nerves in the wiring harness come into play. These electronic elements bring a modern racecar to life, and perhaps this was in Mike Lancaster’s mind when he named his then new venture, Life Racing, in 2002 – though he says he cannot recall how the name originated. What is for sure, though, is that Life has since become one of the UK’s most respected and successful motorsport electronics companies. Indeed, Life’s products are now at…

Robert Wickens’ return to top-flight motorsport following his devastating accident at Pocono Raceway in 2018 has been often told. The Canadian, who suffered a spinal cord injury, returned to racing in spectacular fashion in 2022, competing in the second-tier IMSA Sportscar Challenge with a Hyundai Elantra N TCR. Using the Hyundai with adapted hand controls, he won the drivers’ championship in 2023, alongside his co-driver, Harry Gottsacker. This year, Wickens has taken the next step and transitioned to running in the top-tier IMSA Sportscar Championship with DXDT Racing. Competing in the GTD class in a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, his season started at the Long Beach Grand Prix in April. It has been a long road for Wickens, and also the engineers developing his hand control system. The first iteration…

Bouncing over the sand dunes in Saudi Arabia on the 2025 Dakar Rally, Dacia Sandrider crews were testing in real-world conditions a new FIA safety initiative designed to prevent back injuries following heavy vertical impacts. Crews have, in the past, faced significant load and injury from the shock transmitted through the car and into the occupants during heavy, or sudden, impacts. Consequently, the FIA has invested in research to improve driver safety in off-road competition. Attaching seat attenuators to racecar seats is not a new idea. The University of Turin conducted a similar study in 2010 on a Formula Student car that complies to the 2008 regulations, with positive results. However, in the latest study, the FIA has taken real-world data and applied it in simulation to produce this improved…

The FIA has become the new owner and operator of the FIA World and European Rallycross Championships, with the aim of increasing the discipline’s popularity. Promotion of World RX was previously undertaken by Munich-based Rallycross Promoter, which in 2021 replaced IMG Motorsport, the company that had held the post since the inaugural season in 2014. Under the FIA’s ownership, World RX will continue to use the Battle of Technologies concept, whereby electric and internal combustion engine cars race against each other. Hoosier will remain the official tyre supplier and Volvo Construction Equipment is staying on as the official track builder. Free-to-air coverage will be pursued to get more eyes on rallycross. ‘The championship has huge potential to grow and develop at a global level, and I am confident that this…

This is the Alpine A110 GT4+, the latest version of the French brand’s SRO GT4 car. New supercharging and cooling systems have been brought over from its rally cousin. There is also a larger front radiator, a beefed-up natural fibre front splitter and enhanced traction control. The competition A110 was launched in 2018 and had its first Evo upgrade in 2022. The GT4+, which costs €220,000 (approx. $238,700) or €34,000 (approx. $36,700) upgraded and is homologated for seven years, made its unofficial debut in a six-hour race at Paul Ricard last November.…