Formula One is the pinnacle of automotive racing. NASCAR and truck racing are intense and have a great atmosphere but they get repetitive. Rally car races require a huge amount of skill and trust between driver and co-driver but they aren’t much of a spectator sport. Historical racing, drag racing and endurance racing all have devoted fans but don’t necessarily appeal to a wider audience.
Formula One combines the positive elements of these race types without the negatives of each – no wonder it’s the leading form of automotive racing around the world. Besides being incredibly exciting, having diverse tracks and engaging personalities behind the wheel, Formula One embraces innovation.
The nature of Formula One racing dictates that the bodies of the cars all have to meet certain design standards. The heads of the Formula One organization routinely meet with top engineers and designers to decide if and when the cars should be altered. The most recent major changes were put into place in 2022. At the start of each season, each team reveals their new cars for the season, in line with any regulatory changes that have been made.
The cars of Formula One are high tech machines that need to operate at peak level. They have reached that through decades of trial and error, sometimes with tragic results. In this article we’ll discuss five of the biggest technical innovations in Formula One.
The tires
Tires might not seem that interesting or high tech but Formula One tires are a very special tire. Actually, there are some very different tires, as the tires are designed for a range of weather, temperature and track conditions. At each Grand Prix, the drivers will have a selection of five sets of tires to work with – one set for wet weather, one for intermediate, and three sets of varying hardness.
The softest tires give the most grip, so they’re used for qualifying runs and moments when speed is all that matters. The harder tires last longer and can cope with the wear and tear caused by the track. Since 2022, Formula One tires have been 18 inches wide. They are made of specialized compounds that can withstand the heat generated by the friction of driving so fast for such long periods of time.
The halo
The halo is one of the most important innovations in Formula One history. It was made mandatory in 2018 and has already saved numerous lives. The most dramatic example of the halo’s value was in Romain Grosjean’s crash in 2020.
While it looks like a simple, curved metal bar, the halo is actually a super strong, three-point arc of titanium covered in carbon fiber. It is incredibly strong and able to withstand the impacts that Formula One drivers are constantly facing.
Front, rear and over wheel wings
Wings are one of the most interesting and aesthetically pleasing parts of a Formula One car. They also serve an important purpose – the wings funnel the air hitting the car away from the main body to prevent it slowing the car down. They can also be used to funnel that air outwards in the direction of the other cars on the track.
A major part of the 2022 redesign was changing the looks of the wings. The front wing now generates consistent downforce by directing air tightly along the sides of the car instead of out to the sides. This has the potential to make it easier to overtake, which will make races more exciting.
The over wheel wings, which are actually winglets because of their small size, have a similar purpose. These little wings help to control the wake that is generated by the front tires. This job used to be performed by the front wing but it made the cars more sensitive and harder to control. By dividing the jobs between the front wings and the wheels winglets, the driver has more control.
The redesign of the rear wing has also been done to make the sport more competitive. The old design used the rear wing to spread the air outwards, making it a problem for the following car to deal with. This new rear wing funnels the air into the same wake created by the car’s diffuser. Coupled with a steeper ramp, the new rear wing guides this turbulent air upwards and away from the track.
Final thoughts
There are plenty of high tech chips, sensors and more that contribute to the speed and precision of Formula One cars. In the final analysis, however, it is the physical and structural innovations that have the biggest impact.
