Jealous much? Don't be. I had to
sacrifice my ears to the roaring engines at Silverstone last Friday, just for you lovely people. While the
Formula One teams were taking a break from the Grand Prix practice sessions, I was able to sneak into the pit area and get up close to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes' shiny stallions -- no touching allowed, naturally, but I did learn a thing or two about their pre-race preparation. And to top things off, legendary driver Jenson Button also popped by to share some thoughts on McLaren's F-duct system (a cunning and legal trickery that lets the driver's left leg redirect airflow over the rear wing in order to stall the flap, thus reducing drag when doing straights), as well as a few grumbles about the sharp corners on the recently renovated circuit. Video's after the break, and be sure to crank up your speakers for maximum sensation.
Full Jenson Button interview:
F-duct explained:
posted July 13th 2010 7:58PM
That is not what the F-Duct does. The object of the F-Duct is to "stall" the rear wing on the straights to reduce the drag generated by the car by allowing the air to bypass the wing itself. The driver only engages the F-Duct on the straights because it eliminates the majority of the downforce of the car, and they certainly don't use it in the corner, it does nothing to increase downforce.
@Alex M
Agreed, although its purpose isn't to eliminate "the majority of the downforce", if it did that the car would take off :p
It simply reduces the downforce marginally, providing an extra ~5 Kmph along the straights.
As an aside, its only known as the "f-duct" in McLaren as a nickname, because it is positioned over the "f" in "Vodafone" :D
@Alex M I stand corrected -- I got the wrong gist from Jenson's explanation. Thanks!
@mattpez
I think i heard Steve Slater say that it is F-shaped, and that's why it's called the F-Duct.
i will have to look it up, now, though. your explanation sounds interesting
@boxieblue No, mattpez is correct, it is called the "f-duct" because of the "f" in vodafone, the inlet is actually just an oval. The entire sport is now calling the ducts on the cars "f-ducts" even though this was simply a nickname for the device made by McLaren, something the McLaren engineers find very amusing.
@mattpez
Ok I does get ride of the Downforce most of it from the Rear Wing.
The F-duct is pointed to the rear wing ONLY.
And if you tak the rear wing off the car wont become airborne, don't U worry.
The Floor of the F1 generates a lot more of downforce too and combined with the rear Diffuser sucks tha car against the track, all the bodywork is designed to Hold the car to the ground not to make it airborne so, wrong example there.
@Alex M
Your explanation is partly correct but it doesn't direct air away from the rear wing, that would be impossible as air is always acting upon it. What the RW80 does is redirect additional air to a different area of the wing to upset the wing's native tendancy to create low pressure on the bottom and high pressure on the top - thus normalling producing downforce. By increasing the pressure on the bottom, the wing becomes less effective at producing downforce and so reduces the total drag upon the car.
Nice post for engadget alt. Don't know what has this got to do with technology?
@ongadget
Its got everything to do with technology! The Formula 1 cars are basically concept cars - the manufacturers use the sport to showcase their technological innovations to the general public.
Take the engines for example - they are among the most efficient engines ever designed, and within the next 2 years are to be quadrupled in efficiency! This leads to a trickle-down of technology to consumer-level cars over time :)
@mattpez
F1 cars are nothing like "concept cars" and manufacturers showcase few technologies related to road cars in this sport. They used to showcase technology, but that was many years ago. It's one of many reasons (though not the main reason) so many manufacturers have dropped out of the sport in the past few years: much of the technology used in F1 are only useful in the rarified world of motor sport racing and not that applicable to road cars for a variety of reasons.
In fact, "showcasing" any technology in F1 is closely regulated by the FIA which gets the final say on what manufacturers can use on their cars. Case in point: the F-duct will apparently be banned next year.
Your example of engine efficiency is another example. These cars average about 3-4 miles per hour during a race. Not very efficient. If you're talking about the fact that these engines are supposedly more efficient in turning fuel into power, I doubt anyone has figured out a way to quadruple that any time soon. Even if the engine manufacturers are required to increase fuel efficiency in terms of fuel consumption rate, that will most likely come at the price of power output, thereby not significantly affecting power efficiency.
F1 is chock full of technology. But let's not kid ourselves that it has anything more than passing, and mostly accidental, relevance for "consumers". I for one love all the technology in F1, but I don't expect to see most of it in road cars any time soon, even the expensive ones.
@mattpez I'm not sure everyone will be driving engines derived from F1 cars any time soon. The only thing I can think of that F1 has brought to the consumer world is the paddle shifters. Which are awful - give me a sequential manual.
F1 engines have to be meticulously warmed with hot oil before they can start on a cold day because the tolerances are so tight. They are CNC machined aluminum works of engineering art that cost millions of dollars, and are rebuilt after every race. Same with the transmissions - rebuilt constantly.
I'd be surprised if my Ford Focus has any technology developed in F1 20-30 years ago.
@Tommy Five Traction control is another
@speed10
Though the technical regulations are governed by the FIA, several key F1 technologies have filtered there way into consumer products.
-Variable valve timing > VTEC, VVT, etc.
-Active Suspension > Infiniti Q45, Ferrari 360, F430, etc.
-Variable ration steering > BMW
-Drive and Brake by wire
-Carbon fiber body parts > Corvette Z06 & ZR1, M3, M6, etc.
-Ceramic & Carbon brakes > All major performance exotics
-Active Aerodynamics
-Active Diagnostics
-Tire Pressure Monitoring
These are only a few examples and they are used by nearly every automotive manufacturer on the planet in some way.
@speed10
I don't know what your saying but the latest Ferrari 599 accommodates a lot of technology used in F1 as said by Ferrari themselves. In fact when it comes to consumer sport cars, manufacturers every year are adding new tech from F1 into their cars. Most of the tech tend to be small or not seen so you get the idea the tech in F1 does not pay any part in consumer goods.
@P2
I just wish F1 could go further. Right now the tech isn't as relevant to road cars - making tweaks on the chassis and wings to get that extra second isn't making technological leaps.
The regulations are too tight - the engine size issue is a good example. When they moved from various engines to a standard V10 (and V8 later) took some of the variance in the teams - previously you could do a Ferrari and go with a powerful V12 but compromise on having to hold more fuel, or go with a V8 with less fuel onboard but less power. Now, everyone is using the same size, it just brought the teams really close to each other, and inadvertedly caused the problem with the lack of overtaking.
The regulations restrict the technological leap - and all it did was redirect the dollars to things that only get you less than a second per lap. What F1 needs is to open the regulation, but have broader goals. For example, to encourage fuel efficiency fuel tanks are fixed in volume, every team gets X litres of fuel for the whole weekend and refuelling is reintroduced - the teams are free to build or buy a powerplant. What this will do is give teams an option to either go with a powerplant that's powerful but they have to compromise on practice to save fuel, or build an efficient powerplant so that they can spend more time on track to tune their cars. It could have a team introduce a fuel cell powered engine to avoid the frequency of refuelling - that are all tech that could revolutionise road cars.
@Tommy Five
Engines have to last 3 races and are not rebuilt after every race.
Many teams are trying to design carbon engine blocks, try to keep up.
@speed10
Car manufacturers pulled out because of a little thing called the global recession you idiot !
Here is some road car tech that came from F1
Ground effect aerodynamics
Anti-lock brakes
Traction control
Fuel injection
Turbos
Active suspension
Power steering
More like this please!
You don't get much closer to the bleeding edge of automotive technology than Formula 1!
Great Stuff!
@mattpez Agreed.
@mattpez
F1 hasn't been the bleeding edge of automotive technology in years. (since 1994 IMO when they banned active suspension, anti-lock brakes, traction control etc...) In fact in many aspects they have been behind road-car technology.
F1 engine technology and aerodynamics continued to be on the edge until most of those too were banned a couple of seasons ago. Now fully automatic transmissions are banned, almost all aerodynamic devices other than front and rear wing are banned and wind tunnel testing is limited. Cars use control tyres, standard ECUs and 8 rev limited engines for a season. far from bleeding edge
@ChrisSsk
You make great points, but with a horrible global economy and no current Grand Prix in the world's largest automotive market, it would be hard to justify spending upwards of $100 million a season on a race team like they did in those days. Besides, great tech is always expensive and there is never a guarantee that it will see in enough numbers to justify the expenditure.
Don't get me wrong, I fondly remember those days of F1 with active suspension, braking, aero and automatic gearboxes. Hell, Ferrari even used a four wheel drive system in the last season of technological excess in F1. I will say that they need to bring back KERS and allow the teams more than a 80 bhp boost for six seconds a lap.
@P2 I dont think that more technology makes F1 better. I don't mind all the restrictions as long as the racing is entertaining.
But I think the idea that F1 is at the edge of automotive technology and things developed in F1 find there way into road cars is not true
The part of the car that creates downforce using the exhaust gases is called a "blown diffuser," essentially releasing the exhaust gases into the diffuser under the car to create more downforce. McLaren actually didn't end up using this piece on their car at Silverstone because it didn't work properly, although they did test it. All of the teams are adding this innovation after Red Bull pioneered it in the beginning on the season, this is not a McLaren innovation.
@Alex M Actually, the modern blown diffusers direct the exhaust gas around the diffuser instead of through it. They tried that trick in the 1980s and it created instabilities in the rear of the car when changing the revs of the engine - basically when slowing the car the downforce would suddenly drop away.
I think that's pedantic enough to warrant some serious comment abuse, so fire away.
I have a correction. The F-Duct is a driver operated device that channels air down a....channel to the rear wing thus reducing drag and increasing top speed in a straight line.
The device that channels exhaust gases through the rear diffuser to increase downforce is called a 'blown diffuser'
@andyhdsn1 Corrected. Thanks.
Crank up the speakers for what?
@SskyNnet
For the dulcet tones of Martin Brundel I guess.....
I sure wish the BBC and Speed coverage would get more technical. It seems as if drivers and announcers think they have to cater to new fans to the sport. As F1 is the most technically advanced racing worldwide alongside LeMans LMP cars, fans should be expected to have this beginners knowledge and the TV coverage go even more in depth with the racing packages. Unfortunately, teams do need to try to keep things under wraps to hold their advantages.
@Killyourprinter
Try ESPN/StarSports ....its way better.
@njsrikar
I have, still not satisfied at all. I have opted instead to subscribe to a couple magazines dedicated to racecar engineering.
@Killyourprinter
BBC does a great job of going technical, if the F1 programme itself is given enough time to do so. The F1 tends be low priority to BBC and they tend to shift it to the interactive channels (the red button on sky).
Personally I'm a Ferrari fan, but this has got to be the coolest video I've seen on Engadget. I love F1 and this video made it seem like I was the one walking around the paddock at Silverstone. TV tends to dull the sound of the engines as the cars scream by and this video made them seem more real. Thanks so much for it!!
@blackknighti30 Thanks!
The Honda motors these thing use rock
@DefPoet McLaren uses Mercedes engines, hence the team name Vodafone McLaren Mercedes.
McLaren haven't used Honda engines in nearly two decades, back in the days of Ayrton Senna when they were Honda Marlboro McLaren.
@DefPoet
"British Grand Prix: A rare glimpse behind the McLaren- [bold]Mercedes[/bold] F1 team"
Hahahaha, I had a Paddock Pass when F1 was in Montreal and I was in the McLaren section. They had the same guy interviewing Jenson.... I got yelled at by one of the mechanics when I got too close to the car while I was filming.
I even spotted the group that gave us the paddock tours. Hahaha thought I'd never see them again!
Oh man, I JUST CAUGHT HIM IN A LIE!!! When he was here he said that Montreal was special, along with Sao Paolo (4:03)
Playing up to the crowd Jenson??
I miss the Jordan team..........
Very cool feature, F1 rocks and they need to bring it to the US!
Registered for an account so I could say I appreciate this. Love F1 but it's been getting weak lately and I haven't been following this season. Still, post more cool stuff like this. And I really like Engadget Alt; sometimes it's really nice to have a break from "new android phone" and "new iphone app" (not that you shouldn't post those things, mind).
@emsqueezie This season has been awesome so far.
Redbull Renault FTW ! Christian Vettel.
@bufbarnaby
Sebatian Vettel.
@bufbarnaby
WOw does Sebastian Vettel has a borhter named Christian? LOL
@sirexilon Christian Klein LOL From Austria !
F1 is so ahead and yet they are too limited money-wise. Can't imagine where they would be without spend limits.
@EviLCuLT26 You must be kidding, right?
F1 technologies are very advanced, and that's why FIA need to regulate/control it :) If not, the F1 car might evolved to the extremes. Example, the 6 wheels F1 car.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrrell_P34
+ supercharged/turbocharged/NOS 2000 bhp V12 3.0 liter engine :), active suspensions, AWD and might able goes up to 500 km/h at long straight line. Imagine, in 1970-80's the 1.5 liter F1 engine can produce more than 1000bhp. Amazing!!