Physics & Technology behind the F1 Car

We all have our favourite sport to watch on the Television, but when you add speed and cars to sports, only F1 attracts most viewers. The Grand Prix (race days) weekends take places across the globe, gathering the celebrities, famous people, CEO's of the sponsors or construction teams, making it a glamorous sporting event. That's what we love to watch on the TV anyway. We see all these happenings and for some of us, we tend to find it a bit difficult when they mention these words: Drag, Downforce, Traction Control, Gear box failure, Front/Rear wings, suspension system failure…etc etc!! I do understand there is a fault somewhere in the car, but why are the so common and what is it actually? I don't drive, and have no clue about car parts even having watched a few Grand Prix seasons. I'll wish I had paid more attention in my Physics class back in school so I'd be able to understand a little more why did my favourite racer has been disqualified and feel guttered. With this, I did a research and found out the following 3 areas to understand this amazing sport a step deeper.

The Aerodynamics

The most important aspect of F1 car design is the Aerodynamics (the way air flows around the moving car). Aerodynamics defines the shape of the car and also the positioning of all the items within it, such as the engine, gearbox and the driver. By controlling the airflow over the car, it maximises the downforce (force applied in a downwards direction as the car moves forwards). A race car traveling at 200 mph can generate downforce that is approximately twice its own weight. Downforce is generated in three specific areas of the car front wing, chassis, and rear wing. The front wing is the first part of the car that comes into contact with air mass. It affects the airflow down the full length of the car and tiny changes can have huge effects on the overall performance. Front wing is designed to produce downforce and guide the air as it moves toward the body and rear of the car. The chassis is designed to produce maximum downforce, while at the same time minimizing drag (resistance force as a car moves forwards). Downforce produced allows maximum speed through the corners. To accomplish this, the top of the car is designed to slice through the air to ensure the smoothest exit for the air. The rear wing helps glue the rear wheels to the track and is configured based on type of circuit the race is on. It's objective is to achieve the best downforce and less drag. In conclusion, the more downforce the car generates and the faster it will be with minimum drag.

The Mechanism & Technology

They say F1 engine is a miracle of modern engineering or the most stressed piece of machinery on the planet. Since 2006, the regulations have required the use of 2.4 litre V8 engines. Revving to 19,000 RPM (unit used to measure Torque - the turning or twisting force of an engine, torque is generally used as a measure of an engine's flexibility), F1 engine will consume a phenomenal 650 litres of air every second, with race fuel consumption typically around the 75l/100 km mark. Revving at such massive speeds equates to an accelerative force on the pistons of nearly 9000 times gravity. It demands to be light, compact and with its mass in as low a position as possible, to help reduce the car's centre of gravity and to enable the height of rear bodywork to be minimised. In summary, an engine with little torque than power (hp: Horsepower) may only be available over a limited rev range, making it of limited use to the driver. An engine with more torque - even if it has less power - may actually prove quicker on many tracks, as the power is available over a far wider rev range and hence more accessible. Good torque is particularly vital on circuits with a number of mid- to slow-speed turns, where acceleration out of the corners is essential to a good lap time.

The gearboxes (Transmission control) have six or seven gears which change in milliseconds. The gearboxes are automated with drivers selecting gears via paddles fitted behind the steering wheel. The electrically operated gearboxes used are very similar in principle to those of motorbikes, allowing gear changes to be made far faster than with the traditional 'H' gate selector. Despite such high levels of technology, fully automatic transmission systems, and gearbox-related wizardry such as launch control, are illegal - a measure designed to keep costs down and place more emphasis on driver skill. The clutch paddle, which is usually on the steering wheel, is used by the drivers only at the start as part of the automatic starting procedure. It can also be activated to prevent the car stalling if the driver spins. Once the car is in motion, the clutch is operated electronically by the complicated gearbox software. So when the engine stalls during the race, it is the electronic systems failure.

The suspension forms the critical interface between the different elements that work together to produce its performance. Suspension controls the power of the engine, the downforce created by the wings and aerodynamic pack and the grip of the tyres, and allows them all to be combined effectively and translated into a fast on-track package. Close control of the suspension is vital, with the wheel travel less than 5cm and a dipping of the car by 1mm is more than ideal under braking or acceleration can disrupt airflow and make the car difficult to handle. The suspension parts are aerodynamically sculpted to reduce drag.

Braking is extremely powerful. High-tech carbon-fibre discs glow red hot at operating temperatures of up to 1,300 degrees Celsius. They can slow a car from 180mph to 50mph in less than two seconds while the Tyres can have a bigger impact on an F1 car's speed than any other single element. They have four grooves to keep cornering speeds under control and are mounted on lightweight aluminium wheel rims.

An F1 fuel tank is a crushable yet bullet-proof structure, housed inside the chassis behind the driver. It is made of Kevlar (strong para-aramid synthetic fiber) to prevent it being punctured in an accident. Size is not governed by rules, and designers have to decide whether to go for a small tank, which may improve ultimate performance, or have a larger one which provides greater tactical freedom in races.

F1 cars are managed by state-of-the art, computer-controlled electronic systems. These control most parts of the car, including the engine, gearbox and driver-aid systems like traction (spinning) control system. Traction control is electronically-controlled to aid the driver that stops the rear wheels spinning, ensuring maximum acceleration. The steering wheel is one of the most complex pieces of equipment on a F1 car. Through it, the driver controls many of the systems of the car. The cockpit is far more than just the place the driver sits and drives. It is also a super-strong survival cell that minimises the chances of injury in accidents and also an operations centre from which the driver can control many of the car's control systems. The chassis must pass a series of extremely tough "crash tests" before it is allowed to race. One of the areas checked most rigorously is the roll-over bar, which protects the driver's head and neck in case the car overturns.

Lastly,

Understeer is where the front end of the car doesn't want to turn into a corner and slides wide as the driver tries to turn in towards the apex and oversteer is when a car's rear end doesn't want to go around a corner and tries to overtake the front end as the driver turns in towards the apex. This often requires opposite-lock to correct, whereby the driver turns the front wheels into the skid.

I've consolidated the above from mainly researching around 3 sites, http://www.mad4f1.com, http://news.bbc.co.uk/
www.f1.com hope it helps!