INNOVATION BRIEFING
Posted on January 10, 2013
Yesterday the new FIA Formula E series announced its first team entry, following up on recent announcements on race venues in Rio and Rome. Lord Drayson’s team is the first... More...
Posted on December 27, 2012
On a technical level there were some interesting innovations on the cars this year as the F1 teams and engineers worked hard to get around regulation changes. The most significant... More...
Posted on December 3, 2012
Two innovators were honoured at the Autosport Awards last night as recipients of the Pioneering and Innovation Awards, sponsored by Tata Communications. Professor Sid Watkins, who passed away earlier this... More...
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
25 Images in this gallery | 1 of 25
INNOVATION GALLERY
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
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 practice.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 on the previous version were replaced by an additional vertical fin, with further curved tweaks to the endplate and main profile.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 down to the highly sensitive areas of the floor.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 terms of front brake duct corner and rear wing endplate we’ve been running previously and have some new bodywork and new exhaust bits and pieces as well.”
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 vents either side of the airbox to help further stall the rear wing for improved top speed even when the DRS is not engaged.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 was positioned at the bottom under the Santander branding.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 coincided with one of its least competitive race weekends of the whole season as both cars finished outside the points.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 exhaust gasses is provided while there are also knock-on double DRS benefits.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 to go in optimising the system’s performance, but were encouraged by its initial showing. The upgrade helped Raikkonen record the team’s best result since Spa, fifth place.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 weekend.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 Kamui Kobayashi qualifying and finishing third.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 introducing their second new front wing in as many races with the same end result: race victory.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 however taken off the car for FP3 onwards after inconclusive results, with both Alonso and Felipe Massa reverting to the Hungary-spec rear wing instead.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 season. The package allowed the team to challenge McLaren all weekend.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 practice sessions.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 Lewis Hamilton in the race and then inherit the lead and win after his rival retired.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 top and down the side of the sidepod with a gap in between the two surfaces.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 appeared to do the tick as Kimi Raikkonen finished a close second to Lewis Hamilton in the race, with Romain Grosjean third.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 next season, before transferring to the new generation 1.6 litre V6 Turbo Hybrid F1 engines in 2014.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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, by chanelling air taken in from the side of the engine air intake through a channel to the top element of the rear wing, giving a "DRS boost".
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 diffuser section which transformed the car's performance in Valencia. The exhaust is channeled under the exhaust tunnel and into the floor as well as through the starter motor hole.
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INNOVATION GALLERY
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 extensively, as all teams look to recover downforce lost from the banning of blown diffusers this season. In McLaren's case improving rear downforce is also vital in getting their tyre temperatures to balance front and rear, which has been causing them problems.
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Tata Communications Group CEO Blog
Vinod Kumar Managing Director & Group CEO
Posted 30th May 2012
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