INNOVATION BRIEFING
All Articles in this section
- F1 insight: How to do the perfect Grand Prix start
- Formula E series targets reverse calendar for debut season in 2014
- Analysis: What Pirelli’s mid-season changes will mean
- Analysis of progress on track and in the pits
- Gillan: Mercedes will be hurt but the rest will benefit from Pirelli hard tyre change
- Fallout from Alonso’s DRS failure in Bahrain
- Analysis of Pirelli’s decision on crucial tyre change
- That perfect ride: The must-have technical device of 2013
- McLaren problems could take “quite some time” to fix
- Insight: Different ways Lotus and Red Bull find speed
- Innovation that helps mechanics in the heat
- London Olympic Park race a highlight as Formula E 2014 calendar and car outline are released
- Analysis of the final Barcelona F1 test
- Analysis: What we have learned from Barcelona test
- Why has Red Bull been the car to beat in recent seasons?
- Insight into the new technology which helps F1 stewards make key decisions
- Insight: How you can see a new F1 car is progressing well
- Caterham, Toro Rosso and Marussia reveal 2013 cars in Jerez
- F1 Testing kicks off in Jerez: Some key things to look out for
- Don’t write them off: New Mercedes W04 technical analysis
- Sauber launches new car and driver pairing: “Onwards and upwards”
- New Ferrari F1 technical analysis: Not as much change as expected
- Fastest car of 2012 made even better: Technical analysis of new McLaren
- A glimpse into how F1 will change in 2014
- Interview: The man with a plan to change motorsport
- The best technical innovations of 2012
- Innovators recognised at Autosport Awards
- Formula E launches in Europe
- Renault will sweat on alternators until chequered flag falls
- On Ferrari’s “tactical” gearbox penalty
- McLaren’s stunning light painting
- Ferrari updates fail to hit the qualifying mark in Abu Dhabi
- Australia wins F1 in Schools World Title 2012
- F1 teams using own cameras in ingenious ways
- Tyre Sensors the key as Red Bull hold on to open a gap in title race
- Lifting the lid on engine torque maps
- Red Bull double DRS revealed in Suzuka
- Newey regrets the lack of creativity under current F1 rules
- Marussia chief warns 2014 engines ‘threat to the sustainability of the F1 grid’
- Vettel back in the game as spotlight falls on reliability and development
- The two F1 teams leading the push for solar power in F1
- How Monza is helping to shape a revolution in automotive world
- Alonso’s lucky escape shows urgency for driver cockpit protection
- The importance of DRS at Spa
- How the “brain” of an F1 car is being adapted for use in children’s hospitals
- Welcome to new JA on F1 Innovation and technology section
- Renault break cover on Red Bull engine mapping intrigue
- How much will Red Bull lose with engine loophole closed?
- The Red Bull Renault engine map controversy
- How do Ferrari and Red Bull get the front tyres switched on in the wet?
- Abu Dhabi To Host F1 In Schools World Finals during GP weekend
- McLaren pit stops back on track
- Lotus’s solar-powered simulator and a look into the future
- JA on F1 Podcast #5 – How important is innovation to Formula 1?
- Red Bull allowed to keep Bahrain and Monaco wins but forced to modify car
- Sauber gives fascinating insight into how an F1 car is packaged
- FIA working to resolve latest technical row
- F1 Drivers: The helmet is now the medium for the message
- A quick look into the future
- Ferrari boosted by more powerful Shell fuel for Barcelona
- Lotus fails with protest against Mercedes front wing
- Your questions answered: F1 fuels and engines
- The deal that changes F1 forever
- Pirelli unveils F1 tyres to give strategists something to work with
- FIA sends note to teams: Reactive suspension system is not legal
- Patents in F1 explained
- Has Lotus Renault found this year’s must-have gizmo?
- Mercedes on target with 2014 engines
- What’s pushing Toro Rosso up the Formula 1 grid so quickly?
- Radical changes to engine maps for 2012 give power back to designers
- Why the 2012 season has already started
- Cockpit Canopies under discussion again after Wheldon accident
- How to keep F1 engines healthy as they do their 3rd race of the season
- McLaren takes F1 know how into business world
- Ex F1 aerodynamicist Migeot unveils vision for Electric racing future
- At speed around Spa in the latest Formula 1 simulator
- More rows over electric in F1 as Toyota go for record
- Technical update: How Ferrari and McLaren closed the gap and Red Bull are reacting
- F1 set for electric starts – literally!
- Blown diffusers – So what exactly is being banned?
- F1 set for electric only in the pit lane?
- McLaren take F1 technology into cycle racing
Posted on November 9, 2012
F1 fans will be familiar with the way that aerodynamicists explore air flow lines over a car, working with wind tunnels but also at circuits with flo-viz paint, to see how the air passes over a car.
But here is something which takes the exploration of aerodynamic lines to a new – almost artistic – level. It’s a ‘light painting’, done on the McLaren P1 and I have to say I’d love to see this treatment done on an F1 car.
Here is what the artists who did the light painting, MarshmallowLaserFeast, and James Medcraft, had to say about it.
“Light painting has been around for decades but has never been put into full motion. Until now.
“Working with McLaren we were able to process their wind tunnel airflow data and score out paths for individual trails of light. Each frame was then sliced into 650 frames that represent depths of 3D space and a plasma screen, mounted on a motion control rig, was used as a 3D light printer to play back the 650 slices as it moved through the space. We then repeated the move a thousand times for each frame of the animation and with each frame the camera, mounted on another motion control rig, moved a few millimeters so that over the course of the shoot we were able to create the effect of a moving camera.
The finished film merges photography, animation and sculpture and is a truly unique way of representing aerodynamics.”
Fernando Alonso goes into his home Grand Prix at Barcelona next weekend looking to bounce back from the disastrous Bahrain Grand Prix in which he lost a chance of victory... More...
Red Bull front brake drum in Melbourne is completely covered, allowing little heat to escape into the front tyres. This is one of the key areas with getting Pirellis to work
25 Images in this gallery | 1 of 25
For 2013, McLaren have switched to a pull rod front suspension. They wanted to raise the front section of the chassis, to improve the air flow under the car and between the chassis and the wheels.
25 Images in this gallery | 2 of 25
Mercedes spent the final few rounds of the season focusing on work for its 2013 car and in Brazil tried out a new rear wing on the W03. The part featured a new DRS control mechanism and Schumacher ran it on his car during Friday p...
25 Images in this gallery | 3 of 25
Having stayed on after the Abu Dhabi GP to complete their allocated young guns running, McLaren trialled a new front wing during the course of the three days which was then given the green light for Austin. What were two cascades...
25 Images in this gallery | 4 of 25
Ferrari's Abu Dhabi upgrade was targeted directly at improving the F2012's single-lap pace for the title run-in, the car's weak point all season. The new rear wing was designed to produce a more powerful DRS effect.
25 Images in this gallery | 5 of 25
Further tweaks to the F2012's front wing were also unveilved at Yas Marina with the main difference from India being a new main profile and different wing endplates, to channel the air more effectively around the front wheels and...
25 Images in this gallery | 6 of 25
In a bid for a late season step forward, Caterham introduced a number of significant changes to the CT01 in Abu Dhabi. John Iley explains: “We’ve modified the front wing and floor. We’ve brought some bits back to the car in...
25 Images in this gallery | 7 of 25
Mercedes completed some testing with a view to 2013 on Friday in Abu Dhabi with Rosberg trialling a 'passive' double DRS system, similar to that first developed, but not raced, by Lotus in recent months. The air travels through ve...
25 Images in this gallery | 8 of 25
After an aero test had allowed Ferrari the chance to understand the recent problems experienced with its wind tunnel, a new front wing was brought to the Indian GP. The changes centred around the endplate where an additional slot...
25 Images in this gallery | 9 of 25
The latest in a long line of detail changes to the front wing of Williams's FW34 was unveiled at Yeongam, with the revised part including a change to the endplate. Disappointingly for the team, however, was that the upgrade coinci...
25 Images in this gallery | 10 of 25
Red Bull introduced a new, shorter rear bodywork package onto the RB8 for the Korean GP, the latest sizeable change to the increasingly dominant car in recent weeks. With a shorter sidepod profile, a different route for the exhaus...
25 Images in this gallery | 11 of 25
In Korea Lotus became the latest team to run the in-vogue 2012 exhaust layout on its car, which optimises the Coanda effect. Running on only Kimi Raikkonen’s E20 across the weekend, the team admitted that they still had some way...
25 Images in this gallery | 12 of 25
Another revised rear wing arrived for Fernando Alonso to test in practice at Suzuka, but like at the previous round in Singapore, the part - which contained further tweaks to the endplate and grills - was again not raced come the...
25 Images in this gallery | 13 of 25
For Japan Sauber unveilved a new front wing on the C31 as part of the second phase of upgrades to the car first introduced in Singapore. The new wing featured an additional winglet and helped provide a clear step forward, with Kam...
25 Images in this gallery | 14 of 25
Following reports that Ferrari had approached the FIA with concerns over the apparent flexing of Red Bull and McLaren's front wings, the governing body introduced more stringent flex tests in Japan. This coincided with Red Bull in...
25 Images in this gallery | 15 of 25
Ferrari's major upgrade for Singapore was a new high downforce rear wing which Fernando Alonso trialled during Friday practice. The new design, which included an increased number of grilles on the bottom of the endplate, was howev...
25 Images in this gallery | 16 of 25
Red Bull firmly signalled its intent to hit back in the title battle at the Singapore GP by introducing several major upgrades, including a revised rear suspension – basically the fourth different iteration of the RB8 this seaso...
25 Images in this gallery | 17 of 25
The second addition for Red Bull at Marina Bay was a new high downforce rear wing, which included fewer vertical grills on its endplate. The upgrade showed its immediate worth as Sebastian Vettel set the pace in both Friday practi...
25 Images in this gallery | 18 of 25
Red Bull also introduced a new front wing for Saturday morning in Singapore to provide an additional downforce boost, and while qualifying ultimately proved a slight disappointment, Sebastian Vettel was able to stay with McLaren's...
25 Images in this gallery | 19 of 25
After running with three ‘fins’ on top of the MP4-27’s sidepods to manage air flow around that part of the car at previous races, McLaren at Spa unveiled a brand new concept with a D-shape deflector cover running over the to...
25 Images in this gallery | 20 of 25
Lotus ran with a 'bulging' higher-downforce nose on its E20 at the Hungaroring in at attempt to improve the car's performance and handling in the kind of slow to medium speed corners present around the circuit. The upgrade appeare...
25 Images in this gallery | 21 of 25
The new ECU will be the same size and weight as the existing one but will have five times the processing power of the existing units and will be able to log over 1,000 parameters. The new ECU will run on the existing V8 engines ne...
25 Images in this gallery | 22 of 25
At Hockenheim Lotus tested a clever innovation, a double DRS rear wing. Unlike the Mercedes system it does not channel air from the rear to the front wing to cut drag, instead it provides a double drag reduction on the rear wing,...
25 Images in this gallery | 23 of 25
Red Bull Diffuser: Red Bull has been refining the rear end aerodynamics all season, trying to compensate for the downforce lost with the banning of the exhaust blown diffuser. This is the major upgrade to the rear floor and diffu...
25 Images in this gallery | 24 of 25
McLaren's revised sidepods at Hockenheim July 2012. McLaren has done a lot of work on the sidepods and exhaust exits, channeling the air more effectively down to the diffuser. This is ground that Red Bull and Ferrari have covered...
25 Images in this gallery | 25 of 25
Guest Blog
Guest Blog: Junior Tech challenge F1 in Schools expands its reach
Posted April 29, 2013
F1 in Schools in the Middle East – Watch this Space! By Steve Nevey F1 technical business expert, formerly with Red Bull Racing As part of my Business Development role... More...
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Posted 30th May 2012
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1. Posted By: Merlinghnd
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 11:53 am
Is this how Adrian Newey sees his cars when he designs and looks at them??
[Reply]
Sebee Reply:
November 9th, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Yes. He’s also backward compatible with seeing F1 cars this way.
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/4047/thematrix500x375.png
[Reply]
Wayne Reply:
November 9th, 2012 at 4:48 pm
made me smile, thanks
[Reply]
MiG2009 Reply:
November 9th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
lol, good one. He is THE ONE.
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2. Posted By: ArJay
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 12:00 pm
I preferred ‘Tron’ (1982).
Such is 30yrs. worth of ‘progress’:-)
[Reply]
3. Posted By: Mr Bobby
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 12:08 pm
It’s a P1, not a 12C. The clip was a teaser for the launch of their new car.
[Reply]
4. Posted By: Paul Piggott
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 12:10 pm
Hi James,
Will this help the team to optimise the airflow around the car, or is it just for show.
[Reply]
none Reply:
November 13th, 2012 at 5:55 pm
srsly?
[Reply]
5. Posted By: jj
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 12:14 pm
I think that is the P1, not the 12C.
[Reply]
James Allen Reply:
November 9th, 2012 at 2:12 pm
Updated thanks
[Reply]
6. Posted By: db4tim
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 12:15 pm
That is so cool…..
[Reply]
7. Posted By: Rick
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 12:47 pm
Isn’t that the MP4-P1?
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8. Posted By: Cedricbaum
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 12:50 pm
Beautiful!
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9. Posted By: Stuart Brown
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 1:06 pm
WOW… now how do I set that as my desktop background
[Reply]
10. Posted By: Gary Naylor
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 1:12 pm
Wow!
I read the description several times – still don’t understand how they do it but – wow!
There is definately beauty in the artistic respresentation of the unseen elements that surrounds motorsport. Would love to see more if this!
[Reply]
Peppers Reply:
November 11th, 2012 at 7:22 am
Completely in the same boat Gary.
Have decided I don’t care how they do it, but it looks fantastic anyway.
[Reply]
11. Posted By: Nathan
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 1:46 pm
That’s the P18 James
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12. Posted By: Andrew Carter
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 1:52 pm
That looks great, but I doubt we’ll see it done with anything like a modern F1 car, the team would be worried that it’d give away too many secrets.
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13. Posted By: Wayne
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 2:07 pm
Breathtaking.
[Reply]
14. Posted By: Mike from Colombia
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 3:13 pm
James, on the subject of McLaren…will you be posting anything on Whitmarsh’s interview with F1.com
He seemed to have some rather frank and pointed things to say about Hamilton’s move to Mercedes. Seems that there is some nerves over Hamilton leaving and Perez joining.
Stated that Hamilton was dispassionate and implied that Hamilton moved not based on a rational though but more in terms of money.
Surprised to read these comments of this tone from McLaren.
[Reply]
15. Posted By: Tom Haythornthwaite
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 3:35 pm
I’m surprised this would not have been easier to render completely with software – but I’m sure there’s a good reason.
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16. Posted By: Jim Howell
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 6:04 pm
Tom H.–
As a retired IT guy, my guess (never had access to CFD software) is that the software most likely can do this and they tune their algorythms by comparing computed to reality. At least, that’s what I’d try to do.
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17. Posted By: Davexxx
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 7:19 pm
They wouldn’t do this for a new F1 car – would give away too many aerodynamic secrets to the opposition!
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18. Posted By: IgMi
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 7:49 pm
Beauty is all around us – we just have to learn to see it!
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19. Posted By: KRB
Date: November 9th, 2012 @ 11:53 pm
Is this before or after the car has ground to a halt midway thru its program?
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20. Posted By: Mike
Date: November 10th, 2012 @ 3:12 pm
Just more marketing clap trap.
Whose got the fastest computer again?
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21. Posted By: PaulD
Date: November 10th, 2012 @ 4:41 pm
That’s incredible, and from the description, it sounds like it was painstaking to produce. Really impressive.
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