McLaren Formula One: how to irritate competitors and leverage nature in one clever aerodynamic package

Top tier racing is hard. And expensive. And in order for a team to stay competitive, it requires that they employ some of the most incredible engineers on earth. Formula One racing is, arguably, where some of the planet’s most amazing engineering minds show their chops in the never ending quest for victory (which is sometimes decided by tenths of a second).

With each season, it becomes increasingly difficult for the teams to gain an edge on the competition, yet still comply with the rules. This year’s rule changes presented the teams with a few challenges worthy of a golden slide rule:

• There is a ban on refueling, so they need to complete the race with the fuel they started with. No pit stops for fuel = I expect some seriously roasted tires.

• No wheel fairings may be used (thereby removing their aerodynamic advantage)

• Wheel rim heaters have been disallowed (I didn’t even know they had these. Bummer).

• Removal of KERS. WHAT?!? No regenerative power boost? Crikey!

• No Driver may use more than eight engines during the Championship season. If a driver DOES happen to use more than eight engines during the season, he will drop ten places on the grid. Ouch. Glad I have KERS. Wait … WHAT? I DON’T?

So, what’s a poor Formula One team to do in the face of such adversity? Cheat. Or not, depending on who you ask. You could say it’s clever interpretation of the rules, outright trickery, or some very thoughtful manipulation of something absolutely critical to the handling of a Formula one car - downforce.

Downforce is basically what it sounds like - downward pressure created by the aerodynamics of the car that allows it to travel faster through corners than would otherwise be possible. It increases the pressure between the tire’s contact patch and the track surface, creating more grip. The wings of an airplane create lift, allowing it to fly; downforce is really lift in reverse and helps the car to remain on the track. Without it, this would be a flying sport, and there wouldn’t be too many old retired race drivers (but it would be pretty accurate to call them ‘pilots’).

Downforce, as you can imagine, is pretty important on the track. But it’s been tough to manage and optimize. A balance needs to be achieved … you need high levels of it for the corners, but not so much on the straight bits. Too much downforce in the straights creates excess drag, in turn slowing the car down. But this is racing, dammit, so that just won’t do. What McLaren seems to have done is create a system that allows them to leap over the traditional compromise of one setting, for what seems to be a driver-adjustable control of the amount of downforce applied in any scenario. Smart!

This year, the Mclaren team have devised something very imaginative, and although not everyone is ready to pat them on the back for their clever innovation, it’s a very neat idea.

It looks as though a small air scoop close to the nose of the car operates as an air intake for a tube that runs through the cockpit, then through the intake above and behind the driver’s head, and on to the rear wing. The (very) fast moving air then flows onto the wing and passes through small slots to the back side of the wing, increasing the airflow over the wing, and also (you guessed it) downforce. Since the driver can close the vent with his knee (or elbow, or some other appendage), he can vary the downforce for any condition - increasing it for corners, and reducing for straights. Some accounts state the increase in speed can be as much as 6 mph. Since there are (apparently) no moving parts on the car to control the system, the FIA has deemed it legal, and fit for battle. McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh expects that other teams will follow suit, and adopt similar systems.

What do you think? Thoughtful innovation or low down, dirty, sneaky cheating shenanigans?

[Source: Wired Autopia / Formula One]
[Image: Wikimedia Commons]

Comments

[fan]

I think that there is no problem with what the team is doing. with all of these rules piled on each season its good to see innovation in other areas. as the article states, some of the best engineers get to show their math crunching skills with f1 teams. but i bet this will be banned next year. cheers