The Technology Behind Formula 1 Racing 175
swandives writes "The Australian Grand Prix F1 event is being held in Melbourne this weekend (27-28 March) and Computerworld Australia has interviewed the technology teams for BMW Sauber, McLaren Racing, Red Bull Racing, and Renault about how they run their IT systems and how technology has changed the sport. Each car has about 100 sensors which capture data and send anywhere up to 20GB back to the pits during a race. The tech guys arrive a week before a race to set everything up — the kit for BMW Sauber weighs close to 3200 kilograms — and when it's all over, they pack it all up and move on to the next event. Good pics too."
CFD (Score:3, Informative)
Lots of the teams use CFD to help design their cars but basically CFD doesn't work anywhere near as well as old fashioned wind tunnel testing and so all the top teams spend all year (24/7!) doing tunnel testing!
Re:Great! Now we can call it something else! (Score:3, Informative)
Why should technology not be in the sport of motor racing? It's technology that will push our passenger vehicles from 30-ish mpg to much more than that. Sure other vehicles can do more now, but lets take that ever popular SUV of USA. How do we get it making 75 mpg? Technology. The things that motor sports racing have done in the past have trickled down to passenger vehicles. If you want a damned flying car, it's going to need some technology! I say up with car geek competitions! Up in the air damnit!
Re:Great! Now we can call it something else! (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Great! Now we can call it something else! (Score:1, Informative)
Why not creating one which is determined by who can throw the most money at the best engineers?
Its called Robot Wars.
The best in the world (Score:5, Informative)
There was a point a few years ago (before the new regulations went into effect) where they were worried that the intake speed of the air into the engine was approaching supersonic. Nobody really knew what that would do to the engines (read: intake manifold).
Last year, on Speed channel, Steve Matchett was interviewing a Red Bull engineer, and the engineer basically said that the real life "Q" from British Intelligence had approached them with questions about their tech. That really says something about the level that F1 plays at.
Here is an interesting fact: Despite all the limiting regulations that have been put in place, including reduced aero packages, no refueling, no traction control, etc., this weekend at Melbourne a new lap record was set by Vettel. The old lap record was set in 2004 with a V10 engine revving to probably 21,000 rpms. Current engine is a 2.4L V8 probably revving to 18,000 rpms. So, despite all the restrictions, the teams are still able to move the technology forward so drastically that they are basically nullifying the FIA's (sport governing body) efforts to slow the cars down.
As an American working with technology, I would hope that more of my peers appreciated the extreme cutting edge that F1 dances on.
Re:US Participation (Score:3, Informative)
Why do they have a track that is pretty much a convex oval?
Ovals are much better for spectators attending the race. Road courses only work when televised.
But why would they set up these weird conditions that make it such an artificial competition?
NASCAR started manufacturing finishes to create drama and draw ratings.
Formula 1 is tedious. Dull dull dull dull dull (Score:3, Informative)
It is only beaten in levels of tedium by they Indy 500. I once watched that... WTF? What a bunch of pansies.
You want racing?
Moto GP
World Superbikes
British Superbikes
Isle of Man TT
Re:Formula 1 is tedious. Dull dull dull dull dull (Score:1, Informative)
There is still plent of good open wheel racing out there. Formula 1 has become dull, but the racers who get into it generally have to come from somewhere. Things like GP2/GP2 Asia, IFM, A1GP, Formula Renault, Formula BMW, Formula 2000, Formula 2, and there are more all have rulesets that allow for awesome racing. IFM in particular is one of my recent favorites.
On top of all that F1 no longer does refills with fuel and the Melbourne race was fun. But basically that was due to the rain and not the ruleset.
Re:Great! Now we can call it something else! (Score:1, Informative)
In every way... Formula One is a remarkable sport. It is a technologically astonishing, utterly cut-throat global circus of motorsport. It's fed by the best drivers in the world making their way up through brutally competitive open wheel formulas... it is genuinely the toughest motorsport in the world to win at. BTW, they recently axed a lot of technology to put the driver back in control more (traction control etc).
*BUT* the thing about F1... they long ago forgot about the humble spectator at the circuit itself. I've been to a NASCAR race, and quite a few F1 races. The NASCAR race was an awful lot more fun to attend... they treated the crowd better, a few dollars got you an infield pass and you get right next to drivers and teams... it was a mass of humanity gathered to watch an exciting spectacle. Fantastic stuff.
The F1 races - they've all felt like being treated with contempt. Creeping corporate hospitality, and moving further and further away from the masses ranks of fans. There is almost no chance you will get anywhere near a car - and you might see a driver occasionally through binoculars. And it costs a fortune even to sit on a patch of grass where you can't really see anything.
McLaren's technology for air-traffic control... (Score:3, Informative)