F1 F1 - 2013

Crashton · Jul 9, 2013

ScottinBend said: ↑

Steve M on the F1 pre-race coverage explained why some teams were swapping tires side to side, they found that they could get about half again as many laps on the tires. This allowed them to qualify on a set and then use them in the race and still get about the same number of laps as the stickered tires.
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Thanks Scott I'd missed that. Pretty good advantage if that would worked for them. Another loop hole closed. Wonder who will open the next one?

Steve · Jul 9, 2013

For all we know, Hulkenberg could be going to Ferrari next year...or he could be out of a ride altogether. I think his status is up in the air right now and he just wanted to make it crystal clear to all and sundry that he's officially on the market, and do it as early as possible so he'll be considered by everyone looking to make a change for 2014. Who knows, maybe he thinks he even has a shot at that RB seat.

Steve · Jul 9, 2013

A couple surprises here for me, particularly how much lower noses have to be. It's a much more dramatic drop than I remember reading about in the past.

Formula 1's updated 2014 technical regulations: analysis (autosport.com)

By Craig Scarborough | Tuesday, July 9th 2013, 08:30 GMT

An updated version of Formula 1's 2014 technical regulations has now been issued.

While the original rules were published over 18 months ago, the new amendments incorporate rule changes approved by the FIA World Motor Sport Council before the British Grand Prix.

Outlined below are the most significant changes, which could influence both the performance and the look of the new breed of grand prix cars when they hit the track next year.

ARTICLE 5.8.2: EXHAUST POSITIONING

The new regulations for the 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engine era mandate a single tailpipe of fixed dimensions, which must exit 170-185mm behind the rear axle line and 350-500mm above the floor.

With the circular end of the final 150mm of tailpipe having to point upwards at an angle of five degrees, any aero effect from the exhaust will be hugely restricted.

Bodywork is also banned in the area behind the tailpipe's axis, preventing vanes or winglets from diverting the plume towards the rear wing or diffuser.

One dispensation is that the exhaust can be offset from the car's centre-line by 100mm, which could allow the retention of the monkey seat winglet.

While current exhaust positioning rules, introduced at the start of last year, are strict, teams still gain a huge amount of downforce from the blowing effect.

With both the Coanda and downwash effects, the diffuser is effectively sealed at its sides by the exhaust, giving around two seconds per lap in performance.

ARTICLE 3.7.9/15.4.3: NOSE SHAPE

As the second phase of the FIA's move to lower the nose tip to prevent disastrous t-bone or nose-to-wheel crashes, the whole nose box will now be bound by the restricted height rules of 2014.

This year, the nose tip can be 550mm high and the chassis 625mm high, with a vanity panel allowed to hide the unsightly bump created by the step.

Under the new rules, the nose tip must be centred at 185mm, which is not much higher than the front wing, so noses will be very low.

This will impact aerodynamics as the flow under the nose and chassis will be obstructed.

The regulations also prevent the nose structure arching up too high and although vanity panels will be permitted, it is possible some very odd shapes will be created to maintain the highest possible chassis/nose combination.

ARTICLE 12.6.3: TYRES

Following recent tyre problems, the FIA has inserted a line into the regulations that allows it to change the tyre specification without notice or delay.

ARTICLE 11.7: REAR BRAKE CONTROL

As part of the new powertrain regulations, a large part of the cars' power will be provided by energy recovery systems.

What was termed KERS is now ERS-K and has effectively double the power output, for five times longer, than current systems.

Harvesting this much energy under braking will affect the braking effect at the rear wheels, so an electronic rear brake control system will be allowed.

This will be used to offset the ERS-K effect by aiding the braking effort at the rear, negating the need for the driver to constantly alter the brake bias.

ARTICLE 15.5.2: SIDE IMPACT

Following a project lead by the FIA Institute and the teams, a new side impact structure is to be introduced.

This is more resistant to angled side impacts, which might previously have torn off the outward projecting impact structures.

These new structures are specified in an appendix to the regulations and teams have some degree of freedom in their design to suit their specific requirements.

A new side impact test has been added to the regulations to test the structures' ability to withstand an angled impact.

ARTICLE 4.1: WEIGHT

As the weight of the new powertrain is greater than expected, the minimum weight has been further increased to 690kg, up from 642kg this year and the original 2014 mark of 685kg.

ARTICLE 20.3.4: DUMMY CAMERAS

Many teams have exploited the front-mounted FIA camera pods for aerodynamic benefit, often fitting them just behind the middle section of front wing.

This practice has now been outlawed by mandating the front cameras to be between 325-525mm above the floor.
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Jason Montague · Jul 9, 2013

:cornut: One cannot legislate good racing anymore than one can legislate morals.:frown2::frown2:

Jason

Steve · Jul 9, 2013

I knew they were going to force camera crews out of the pits to the pit wall but moving up the planned speed limit change(s) is news to me.

FIA announces F1 pitlane clampdown (racer.com)

Pablo Elizalde | July 09, 2013

The FIA has announced an immediate ban on anyone other than marshals and team personnel in the pitlane during Formula 1 qualifying and races following the incident that injured a cameraman during the German Grand Prix.

Formula One Management cameraman Paul Allen suffered broken ribs, a broken collarbone and concussion after he was hit by a loose tire from Mark Webber's car which fell off following a botched pit stop. He is expected to make a full recovery.

As well as the new personnel restrictions, with the only exception being approved members of the media allowed on the pit wall, the FIA is also fast-tracking a reduction in pitlane speed limits and the mandatory wearing of helmets for team members involved in pit stops.

A statement issued by the FIA said that its president Jean Todt had requested the World Motor Sport Council approve the changes, which had already been planned for 2014, immediately. The pitlane speed limit will be reduced from 100kph to 80kph, except in Australia, Monaco and Singapore, where it will be 60kph. The speed limit may be further amended by the stewards if the safety delegate recommends it.

The FIA said it is also expecting a written report from Red Bull about the causes of the pit lane incident to be submitted on Wednesday. The details of this will be shared with other teams in order to help improve safety.

This article originally appeared in Autosport.com
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Nathan · Jul 10, 2013

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOqAs6X05fM]Mark Webber's tyre hits cameraman (Lego Version) - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jul 10, 2013

Surprisingly funny!

Steve · Jul 10, 2013

Watch the real thing and you'll understand why they kept him in the hospital.

I'm sure it won't be long before this clip is pulled.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiFx4LGw3pU]F1 tire hits camera man HD - YouTube[/ame]

Crashton · Jul 10, 2013

Much funnier with Lego....

He was so incredibly lucky he was hit on the back. Can you imagine a hit coming from the front? :frown2:

mrntd · Jul 10, 2013

"Formula 1's updated 2014 technical regulations: analysis"

Is these changes just came out the teams are going to be pissed. They will have to redesign the entire car with the nose and side pod regs.

The only thing they missed on the exhaust reg was the degree of shine the metal will need to be puffed to.

Zapski · Jul 10, 2013

The teams were involved with the side pod structure development. They've been looking for a mounting structure that actually provides stopping power in the event of an angled impact.

Found a video that I'd seen about it.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leRP8qZAt8Q"]Formula 1 to use new side impact system in 2014 - YouTube[/ame]

mrntd · Jul 11, 2013

Cool. Thanks for the video.

It looks like just a change to the crash tube structure inside and not the design of the side pod itself.

Steve · Jul 11, 2013

If it's too long, just read the section on wheel nuts...wow! :eek6:

Analysis: the secrets of a two-second F1 pitstop (autosport.com)

By Craig Scarborough | Thursday, July 11th 2013, 13:34 GMT

Red Bull's pitstop incident in the German Grand Prix threw the spotlight on Formula 1's quest for ever-faster tyre changes.

Craig Scarborough examines the systems teams have developed in pursuit of two-second pitstops, and highlights some of the ways they can go awry.

Pit crew

With three people per wheel, two jack operators, and a handful of mechanics fulfilling other functions, each pit crew comprises nearly 20 people.

Each is trained for a specific role and teams take their preparation as seriously as drivers', managing crewmen's fitness and diet.

They are drilled incessantly at both the factory and during race weekends, with hundreds of pitstop practices until the process is instinctive.

Although problems such as faulty guns are rehearsed, everyone focuses on their own job - in a two-second pitstop, there is no time to see what everyone else is doing. By the time an error has been alerted, the car has often already pulled away, as was the case at the Nurburgring.

Equally the man controlling the release of the car cannot see the wheelgun operators clearly in the melee as 20 people surround the pitstop. Often the overhead TV view shows a mechanic clearly having issues, yet at ground level this isn't visible to the team.

Wheel nuts

The wheels, axles and wheel nuts are unrecognisable compared to just a few years ago. Each wheel seats on drive pins on the axle, positioned to make the wheel a 'first time fit' with no wiggling required to seat the wheel on the hub.

Teams minimise the thread to reduce time required to spin the nut. Ferrari's wheelnuts have barely three turns of thread.

Fastidiously machined pockets ensure the wheelgun positively connects with the nut so that the torque can be transferred reliably to tighten the nut.

Wheelnuts themselves are now a loose fit inside the wheel; this means the nut is partially located on the axle as the wheel is fitted. They can be retained in the wheel with O rings or circlips. These expensive nuts are normally used just once.

Even when tightened, the rules demand the nut is retained on the axle by a locking mechanism. This used to be a plunger that when pulled by the mechanic extended retaining pins from the axle. This could lead to errors as the mechanic would raise his arm simultaneously with pulling the plunger and the car could exit without the retention mechanism engaged.

Nowadays nut retention is a hand-free sprung system; the wheelgun socket pushes the pins into the axle to allow the nut to be removed. When refitted the nut passes over the pins and they spring out when the nut is nearly fully seated. These pins will not truly retain the wheel - should the nut be loose, the weight of the car and the force of acceleration will eventually overcome the strength of the mechanism.

With this system, it's not until the wheelgun socket is pulled from the axle that the mechanic can visually confirm the nut is on and the retention mechanism is in place. Often we see mechanics signal their job is done and then frantically wave amid the realisation that the nut is not in fact on correctly.

Wheelguns

F1 uses pneumatic guns, with a hammer effect that sends pulses of torque to loosen and tighten the nut. Each is hand-assembled to a high standard and tight tolerances.

Last year Mercedes found running Helium gas in wheelguns beneficial. Although this practice is now banned, it shows the importance of the power of the wheelgun. Teams can now fit a torque sensor to the wheelgun, this will record what the tightening torque is, which can be reviewed later. As the rules currently stand, this sensor cannot be used in real time to confirm to the pitcrew that the correct torque was achieved.

Instead mechanics have a button on the wheelgun that signals to the pit light system that the mechanic is finished. A raised hand is the back-up to this electronic method. However the speed of the pitstop process can mean the mechanic prematurely raises his hand or hits the button, before he's fully sure the nut and retention mechanism are secure.

Jacks

Onboard jacks and powered jacks are banned, so teams need to rely on a mechanic pulling the car up.

Jacks feature quick release mechanisms, where the mechanic pulls a lever to unhinge the jack, which is quicker than lifting the entire jack back up.

At the front of the car, both the jack and mechanic need to get quickly out of the way. So the swivel jack is now commonplace.

It is possible to release the jacks early. As soon as the new wheel is seated on the axle, the nut simply secures the wheel to the car, so often the jacks are released not as the wheelgun man raises his arm, but as the wheelgun goes on. So the car being on the ground is not necessarily a signal that it is ready to leave.

Pitstop lights

Ferrari pioneered the pit light system, a partly automated process to signal when the car is ready to leave. The lights can be linked to the jacks' release system, but there is still a manually-operated over-ride mechanism.

Should these lights be allowed or equipped to take more inputs, they could systemise the process of the car's release, with inputs from the wheelguns, wheel retention mechanisms and even sensors detecting the proximity of another car approaching in the pitlane.

However this process would be prone to errors, failed sensors or false positive triggers and could mean cars stranded in the pit or released early.
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minimark · Jul 11, 2013

Wow..

Steve · Jul 11, 2013

Changing wheels shouldn't be so complicated...

Red Bull changes pit stop procedure (Racer.com)

Jonathan Noble | July 11, 2013

Red Bull will introduce immediate changes to its wheelgun design and pit stop procedures to prevent a repeat of the circumstances that led to Mark Webber's wheel flying off in Germany.

FOM cameraman Paul Allen suffered broken bones and concussion after being struck by the right rear wheel from Webber's car when a pit stop went wrong. The incident has led to a clampdown on personnel access to the pitlane during grand prix weekends, with all television crews now banned while track action is underway.

Following a detailed investigation into the incident, which has been shared with the FIA and other teams, Red Bull discovered that the problem arose when the right-rear wheel gun man's thumb accidentally triggered a "go" signal, which meant the car was released early.

NURBURGRING INCIDENT EXPLAINED

The sequence of events that led to that moment began when the right rear wheel nut cross-threaded as it was put on the car. With the nut not going onto the wheel, the gun man decided to remove it and replace it with another. However, after switching his gun into "undo" mode, the torque level was much higher than previously experienced, which led to the gun slipping in his hand as he removed the nut.

This slippage led to the "go" trigger â€“ which is sent to the jack men to indicate that that wheel is attached â€“ being accidentally depressed by the gun man's thumb. At this split second, the nut was fully unwound, so the car was released from the pits with nothing holding the right rear wheel on.

CHANGES TO BE MADE

To prevent a repeat problem in the future, Red Bull will revise the design of its wheelguns so that in the event of it accidentally rotating in an operator's hands, their thumbs will be moved away from the "go" signal button, rather than toward it.

Furthermore, Red Bull's pit controller has been instructed from now on that if there is any issue during a pit stop, that he must hold the car until he has been given a clear signal from the gun men that the wheels are attached. The team is also investigating ways of ensuring that the "go" signal cannot be activated while the trigger is depressed or the gun is in "undo" mode.

Red Bull's current system has been in place for more than one year now, and the use of independent signals from the wheel and jack men is still believed to be safer than basing a decision on the front jack man alone.

This article originally appeared in Autosport.com
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Zapski · Jul 11, 2013

Martin Brunlde explains the wheel nut - seeing it in action near the end of the video is clearer than that explanation above, methinks

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcAOlMHlA1A]BBC: Wheel Nut explained by Martin Brundle - YouTube[/ame]

Steve · Jul 12, 2013

A snip from Sniff Petrol "article":

New F1 pit lane ruling revealed

Sniff Petrol on Friday, July 12th, 2013

Following an accident at last weekendâ€™s German Grand Prix in which a cameraman was struck by a flying wheel, Formula One Management has announced that from now on cars will be banned from the pit lane.

â€˜It was assumed that we would ban camera crews from the pits,â€™ said an FOM spokesman â€˜But thatâ€™s ridiculous. F1 is a television sport. We have to have cameras. This is a much better solution since it allows those vital TV crews to roam around getting nice shots of tyres with warmers on and engineers dressed up in those fireproof helmets that make them look like aliens without any fear of being hit by a car or loose wheel.â€™
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Crashton · Jul 12, 2013

^^^ :lol::lol::lol:

Z06_Pilot · Jul 12, 2013

Steve said: ↑

A snip from Sniff Petrol "article":

New F1 pit lane ruling revealed
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"cars" will be banned from the pit lane? :biggrin5:

Steve · Jul 12, 2013

Should have included the next paragraph:

The new ruling may answer FOMâ€™s safety concerns but the move is sure to cause headaches for the teams; â€˜Itâ€™s certainly going to make the race a challenge,â€™ said one anonymous insider. â€˜Weâ€™re looking at getting the drivers to do wheel changes themselves out on the track by mounting four spare tyres on the back and bunging a jack in the boot. Yea, thatâ€™s right. Not many people know that F1 cars have a boot.â€™
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