In the entire history of the world Grand Prix, no engineer has implemented as many engineering solutions into formula cars as Colin Champin did. Ideas poured from the chief engineer and head of Lotus like a cornucopia. Rear wing, ground effect, wedge-shaped bodies instead of the usual once cigar-shaped, advertising on board, in the end - all this came to the "royal motorsport" with his submission. But not all of Champen's ideas were so successful ...
The world has never seen a car like the Lotus 56B before, and it will never see it again. Champin even surpassed himself in some way. Judge for yourself, a helicopter gas turbine engine with a capacity of 450 hp was used as a power plant, the torque from which, without any gearboxes, was transmitted directly to all four wheels. Four-wheel drive cars were not an innovation on formula tracks, before Lotus all-wheel drive was used by McLaren, Cosworth and Fergusson, but only Colin Champen thought of putting an aircraft turbine into a monocoque.
Four-wheel drive transmissions, in principle, have not proven themselves in the best way in Formula 1: they increased weight, fuel consumption and were famous for their unreliability. And the gas turbine engine completely negated all the advantages of the 4x4 scheme. The turbine rotated up to 40,000 rpm and produced the necessary thrust only at the very top, which radically affected the piloting technique: the rider always had to work ahead of time, since the delay in manipulating the gas pedal reached three seconds. Lotus 56B saw only three stages of the world championship, after which it was abandoned in favor of the simpler and more reliable Lotus 72. Best result Emerson Fittipaldi drove this undoubtedly remarkable car in 1971, finishing eighth, one lap back.
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Photo: Lotus 56B, which raced "Indy 500"
2. Vacuum cleaners on the track
In 1977, Colin Champen revolutionized aerodynamics by introducing ground effect technology in the Lotus 78. Competitors simply refused to understand how Mario Andretti at the wheel of a heavy and far from the most powerful "78" demonstrates crazy speed in corners, despite the fact that on the straight sections Lotus was frankly slower than many. If Enzo Ferrari believed that only those who do not know how to build powerful motors soar over aerodynamics, then Champpen's approach to the issue was diametrically opposite.
Lotus 78 was equipped with a profiled bottom and elastic curtains along the edges of the body, preventing the ingress of air under the car, which created a vacuum, which at the output almost doubled downforce. Thanks to this, Lotus excellently kept the road and, as a result, in 1978, won the Constructors' Cup and the first place in the individual competition for Mario Andretti.
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In response, the Parmalat Racing Team rolled out the Brabham BT46C, in which the idea of creating low pressure under the bottom was solved in a completely different way - by installing a fan designed to evacuate air from under the car. In the very first race in Sweden, Niki Lauda came to the finish line first, saying that it was the easiest race in his entire career, while Andretti noted that "this car stays on the track like a sewn one." The invention fully justified itself, but the pilots of competitors immediately hated it, nicknamed Brabham "Vacuum Cleaner" (Fan Car), because, firstly, it was indecently fast, and secondly, together with the air, the "Vacuum cleaner" collected sand, dirt and stones off the road surface, and then threw all this rubbish right in the faces of the pursuers.
The legality of this innovation was immediately called into question. Despite the fact that Brabham swore and swore that the fan serves only to cool the engine, all their arguments crashed about Colin Champin's proposal to install it on top of the car - what, they say, the difference from where to pump air to ventilate the engine. As a result, the Brabham BT46C went down in history as the only car that demonstrated 100% efficiency: one race - one victory.
3.6 Formula Wheels
In truth, when I was about 8 years old, I was sure that four wheels for a really cool car was too damn enough. When the understanding of all the stupidity of this thesis overtook me, I stumbled upon Tyrell P34 in the magazine "Behind the Wheel" (we wrote about Tyrell and other multi-wheeled cars in) higher education and without youthful maximalism.
The 70s were far from the best for Tyrell, and once designer Derek Gardner approached the team chief, Ken Tyrell, with a proposal to build something completely different that would help solve all the problems of the "stable" in one fell swoop. The idea was as simple as five kopecks: to reduce the drag coefficient by reducing the diameter of the front wheels. Well, so that this does not affect traction, the number of 10-inch front wheels was decided to be increased to four.
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In words, it sounds very tempting and attractive, but the six-wheel scheme immediately gives rise to a lot of problems: an increase in size, complication of the suspension and steering mechanism, which in turn will inevitably lead to an increase in the mass of the car. Nevertheless, in 1976, the P34 appeared on the Grand Prix tracks, and, surprisingly to many, turned out to be quite competitive: Jody Scheckter's third place in the 1976 championship and the "golden double" (the team's pilots took the first and second steps of the podium) at the stage in Sweden. the same year. And this is a very good result for the first season of a rather "raw" car of such an innovative layout. And perhaps in the future Tyrell engineers could solve all the existing problems by squeezing everything out of the 6-wheel scheme, but fate turned out to be not favorable: the P34 took part in only two seasons, because The main supplier of Formula 1 tires, Goodyear, has refused to produce exclusive 10-inch tires for the only team in the championship.
In addition to Tyrell, the March team in the same years developed a 2-4-0 model with a 6x4 wheel arrangement, but unresolved handling problems, despite the amazing dynamics, put an end to the six-wheeled project at the stage of test drives. Formula 1 tracks March 2-4-0 never saw, and in 1982 the regulations completely banned race cars with the number of wheels not equal to four.
What's the bottom line?
Of course, the list of innovative and even somewhat crazy decisions in Formula 1 is not limited to this, and in the next issue we will continue the story about technical innovations that could change the course of the history of "Queen of Motorsport", but did not change.
So the next season of Formula 1 has come to an end. And, despite the very interesting championship The Grand Prizes still have many unresolved issues. We will talk about them today ...
Anamnesis
“I can right now paint the first 15 places of the next race - only a couple of positions will not match,” explained Fernando Alonso his departure from Formula 1. - Formula 1 gives a weak show, we argue much more and discuss radio communications, and not events on the track. It's hard to accept how predictable Formula 1 has become. " And the Spaniard, whatever moved him during this interview, is right.
In modern Formula 1, only three teams are able to fight for the podium, and regularly fight for victories - only two of them. The championship is de facto divided into two leagues: top teams and all the rest. A similar state of affairs had arisen in the “Grand Prix” before, but the gap was not so great, and the “others” from time to time got a chance to reach the “tops” and ruin their lives.
Pastor Maldonado's victory. Spanish Grand Prix. 2012 Photo: Pirelli
Many remember well the 2012 season, when the first seven races were won by seven different drivers, but in 2013, for example, four were won different teams... In the same 2008, on the eve of major changes in the regulations, representatives of eight (!) Teams, including Honda and Williams, who were considered outsiders, visited the podium.
It was at a time when the paddock was complaining about the low number of overtaking and boring races. It was assumed that in 2009 the situation will be corrected by an aerodynamic reform - a sharp reduction in downforce will force pilots to work more at the wheel, provoke them to make mistakes and make races unpredictable. What came of this?
Several years of incredibly ugly cars with steps on the nose and the return of downforce as early as 2017. Did this help solve the problems? Alonso believes that things have only gotten worse. Of course, one cannot say that in modern Formula 1 everything is generally bad, but a lot - a lot - can be done much better.
Training for those who cannot ride
The key to an exciting race is an unexpected starting grid. The whole world with bated breath was waiting for the start of the Mexican Grand Prix, which the racers Red bull started with the first row, and the stage in Austin turned out to be exciting, where Vettel was forced to start behind Raikkonen, Bottas and Riccardo. And if in Mexico City the unexpected results of qualification were explained by the peculiarities of the track and the thin air of the highlands, then in Austin the Friday rain played a key role.
United States Grand Prix. 2018 year Photo: Red Bull Contentpool
Before the US Grand Prix, the teams did not have the opportunity to work for three hours on a clean track and bring the settings to the ideal, and therefore in qualification the racers drove almost blindly - relying not on the decisions of engineers, but on their own feelings and intuition. This played a role in the race as well, since the pits did not know how the car would behave in a given situation, and had to improvise during the race.
So maybe this is the solution? Complete refusal from Friday's practice would lead to pilots having to go to qualification every time, like in Austin. The responsibility of the pilot and the pressure on him would become even higher, and the role of engineers in the final results of qualifications would be sharply reduced. An hour's workout on Saturday morning is enough for the world's best pilots to check the track and the engineers to make sure the car is on track. If you wish, you can even set aside ten minutes for a one-time update test.
The freed up time on Friday should be given to young pilots who are sorely lacking in "roll-over". Formula 1 drivers have four hours of training before qualifying, while support racers have only 30 minutes. But it is precisely young pilots who need to spend more time on the track, study the configuration and hone their skills.
Daniel Riccardo. Sochi Autodrom Photo: Twitter
At the same time, Formula 1 drivers could devote Friday to marketing activities, meetings with fans and interviews with local TV channels - this will provide much more coverage than three hours of monotonous races without any sporting intrigue. In addition, for several years now there have been talks about reforming the racing weekend schedule to make it more eventful and interesting for the fans - the audience is unlikely to value free races so much, because the stands are often empty at that moment.
Ground effect is the key to track fighting
The main problem in today's races is the loss of downforce when chasing an opponent. It is felt even if the car in front takes off for 5-6 seconds. In previous years - in the 80s and 90s - it was also very difficult to overtake, but there was an opportunity to chase and "warm up" the opponent, prepare the attack and choose the right moment for it. Now the pilots prefer to stay a little behind, so as not to overheat the tires and the engine, and try to win back the position at the expense of pit stops or wait for someone else's mistake. In such a situation, on some race tracks, races are held with a single overtaking. And therefore, neither a spectacular opening ceremony, nor entertainment programs, nor concerts of superstars are able to attract fans to the stands.
The problem is not new and they have been trying to solve it for many years. For this very purpose - to facilitate overtaking - aerodynamics was simplified in 2009. For the sake of overtaking, DRS appeared on cars, and Pirelli made tires that fell apart after five laps, so that the difference in pace was large and the riders could overtake. True, there was no talk of wrestling anymore, and it was not overtaking - a car with fresh tires simply drove past a car whose tires were destroyed. This did not add entertainment to the races, but the chaos on the track became much more.
Red Bull Racing rear wing Photo: Red Bull Contentpool
In 2017, the level of downforce returned to its previous level, but from the next season the front wings will become much simpler and will lose their multi-level structures, which means that they will "press" the cars weaker. It is assumed that due to the decrease in aerodynamic efficiency, the loss of downforce behind the opponent will be less, but the problem itself will remain.
In other words, if the front wing is not receiving air already lifted by the vehicle in front, then there will be no downforce anywhere - neither on the rear axle, nor in front. This means that it will still be difficult to prepare the attack and closely follow the opponent for two or three circles.
European Grand Prix. 1983 Photo: Archive
It is strange that the FIA and Ross Brown in this situation do not turn to a ready-made solution, which has proven itself well back in the 80s, - the ground effect. This is a concept in which, at minimum ground clearance, the air under the vehicle's underbody becomes so rarefied that the car actually sticks to the ground. The main part of the downforce during the ground effect is generated by the bottom of the car, which means that when pursuing an opponent, the loss of "down pressure" will be much less noticeable.
In Formula 1, the ground effect is prohibited - in the 80s, due to the unevenness of the track, excess air got under the bottom, and the bottom as a result lost all efficiency. The car, in an instant, lost all downforce, often took off into the air, which led to very dangerous accidents.
But in the courtyard of 2018, the cars are equipped with "halos", the protective structures of the cockpit have become much stronger, the tracks have changed, the curbs have become safer ... At the moment there is not a single logical reason to prohibit the ground effect. Moreover, the ground effect was widely used this year in the IndyCar series, and, despite numerous bumps on the tracks, this did not cause any problems.
Belgian Grand Prix. 2018 Photo: Gettyimages
Yes, in order to realize the ground effect in Formula 1, the teams will have to completely rebuild the cars (read - to shell out a lot of money), but some of the costs can be compensated for by reducing the cost of other components. So, part of aerodynamics, especially in those areas where it does not play a decisive role, can be unified. Engineers, of course, will be against it, but it was in the face of severe constraints that geniuses like Adrian Newey found revolutionary solutions, paying attention to areas that previously did not play an important role.
Someone may think that the unification of individual aerodynamic elements is a step towards a mono series, but this is not so, because with the appearance of the ground effect, a huge area will open up in which engineers can show all their imagination. In addition, if Formula 1 is going to keep the course on saving rubber and fuel, then let it be in this component that engineers compete - with simplified and similar aerodynamics, the qualification results will always be dense and unpredictable, but on the race distance, efficient use of fuel will come to the fore and work with rubber.
Otherwise, what's the point of leaving restrictions on, say, fuel? Ecology? With the emissions of hundreds of aircraft carrying fans, teams, their equipment, journalists, sponsors and VIP guests to the track, the fuel economy in the race seems hypocritical to say the least.
The top teams, which are more or less satisfied with the current state of affairs, will be against, because such a serious change in the regulations could jeopardize the dominance of the "big three", but for Ross Brown and Liberty it will be an excellent chance to show will. In the end, Ferrari will not leave Formula 1 because of the ground effect alone - it would be a huge blow to the reputation of the Italian brand.
It all comes down to money
Start of the Belgian Grand Prix. 2018 Photo: Twitter
Finally, the main problem of modern Formula 1 is the too uneven distribution of prize money between the teams. "Tops", which already have huge budgets and crowds of sponsors, receive a lot of money, and the middle peasants get a penny. So, in 2018, Ferrari will receive about $ 190 million from FOM - this is more than the entire budget of Haas in Formula 1. At the same time, Haas himself received only $ 19 million in prize money last season.
This is a huge gap, which leads to the fact that some teams have virtually unlimited resources, while others find it difficult to make ends meet. And the point here is not even that Haas has weak results - the same Force India has become the best team"Second league", but could not even hold out until the end of this season.
The gap between the first and last Constructors' Cup teams should be much smaller. For example, in the English Premier League, the last-placed underdog receives about two-thirds of the amount that is due to the champion (in the Premier League, the lion's share of the prize money, as in Formula 1, is money from the sale of TVs). And that is why Leicester City suddenly becomes the champion in the Premier League, and in Formula 1 Esteban Okon did not have a single podium chance for the whole year.
The current prize distribution system is tied to individual agreements with the teams. These agreements are valid until 2021, and therefore even Liberty will not be able to change the system in the next couple of years. However, it needs to be changed to provide teams such as Williams or Sauber, for which motorsport is their main business, at least some kind of financial stability. After all, it is on them that sport rests. Mercedes, Red Bull, Renault, Honda, Haas, Strolls - they all easily leave Formula 1 when they get tired of it (this has already happened), while Williams and McLaren are the pillars of these races, but their further fate depends on sponsors ...
Liberty goes out of its way to disown Bernie Ecclestone's legacy and argue that anything can be done better. Ecclestone himself at the dawn of the 80s reasoned about the same - and he really made Formula 1 better when compared with the times of the "garage". Now Liberty has such a chance, but the “window of opportunity” is not unlimited, decisions need to be made now in order to solve existing problems by 2021-2022, and by 2025 to attract new participants to the “Big Prizes”. In the meantime, Formula 1 stagnates and walks on the same rake.
McLaren. Abu Dhabi Photo: Twitter
Not all innovations in auto racing have been destined for a long and successful life... Some made history, turning it in a certain direction, some were not destined to even get to the start, while others were cleverly disposed of by competitors right in the course of the season. Within the framework of the special project “ Highlights in the history of racing ”presents a dozen technical ideas in“ Formula 1 ”, prohibited from use for safety reasons, as a result of political games or for the sake of increasing the entertainment of the Grand Prix.
10. Mass dampers
In 2006, Renault and Fernando Alonso had a successful campaign to defend their titles, but International
the automobile federation (FIA) has found a way to seriously slow down reigning champions... An apple of discord - and not only
between the team and the FIA, but also between the Federation and its own stewards, who considered the device legal, became so
called mass dampers, which are about a 9 kg disc sandwiched between two springs and
located in the bow of the R26 car. Its main function was to dampen the natural vibrations of the tires, and
the effect is in a uniform load on the nose, which, as it were, pressed the car to the track. However, the fundamental property of this
technology - a moving mass - and gave the FIA an excuse to ban the device right during the championship under the pretext of it
indirect aerodynamic effect and illegality of movable aerodynamic units. On the circle, the advantage of dampers
masses were estimated at 0.3 seconds, and after the French Grand Prix Alonso won only one race against five of his main
rival Michael Schumacher of Ferrari.
9. Beryllium
In the late 90s, "McLaren" and "Ferrari" fiercely fought not only on the tracks, but also behind the scenes - in the design
FIA bureau and lobbies. At this time, Scuderia noticed that the motors of "silver" at the same speed remove more
power, and soon the secret was revealed - "Mercedes" used lightweight and at the same time very durable
aluminum-beryllium alloy for pistons and as a material for cylinder walls. Exotic alloy, difficult in
processing, moreover, at the production stage, carcinogenic. Naturally, the Federation intervened, and from 2001 introduced
a complete ban on exotic materials, including beryllium alloys. The Silver is estimated to have lost 40-50 hp.
round sum of money, and rumored, and reliability of engines after a return to traditional metals.
8. Aerodynamic fantasies
By the second half of the 2000s, Formula 1 was firmly bogged down in optimizing every square centimeter of the body for
improving aerodynamic efficiency. And what else was there to do when the tire manufacturer is the Bridgestone monopoly, and
is the development of motors frozen for the next 10 years? Naturally, this did not go to the purity of the forms of the fireballs: they
began to overgrow "deflectors", "ears", "horns", "candelabra", "fins" and other elements that received
apt nicknames from fans. The cleanliness of the air bag behind the car too - and hence the direct relationship with the fall
the number of overtaking on the tracks. The Federation got down to business seriously, and in 2009 a new "Formula" was born with
simplified aerodynamics and new leaders "Brown" - yesterday's outsiders "Honda". Well, the apogee of the sophisticated
aerodynamics, in our opinion, became "BMW-Sauber" F1.08 - the third prize-winner of the 2008 season.
7. Lotus 88
In 1981, when Jean-Marie Balestre was struggling with the ground effect and banned miniskirts (see below), Colin Chapman
designed "Lotus 88", built on the idea of "double chassis". The first, most important and rigid chassis carried on itself
aerodynamic body and was intended to use the ground effect. Second suspension, soft, tied the wheels
with a monocoque and a motor and provided the rider with more comfortable conditions for piloting than traditional
"Cars-wings". The car appeared in Long Beach, but was removed with a black flag during Saturday practice. And despite
all the protests against the passing of the technical commission, this car was never allowed to enter the start of a single Grand Prix ...
6. Six-wheeled
Why does a racing car have to have only four wheels? At the start of the Spanish Grand Prix 1976 Patrick
DePaye brought out the six-wheeled Tyrrell P34, built by Derek Gardner. The idea was ingenious and simple: replacing
two large front tires with four small, 10-inch tires that were hidden behind a huge front fender, the team
achieved an increase in mechanical grip while reducing drag. "Six-legged" under
Jody Scheckter won her fourth Grand Prix in Sweden, with Depaye backing up the result with a runner-up and
at the end of the championship, the riders took third and fourth places. But the Tyrrell project stalled as quickly as
achieved success when Goodyear refused to develop unique front tires, the implementation of the idea with four rear
wheels "March" and "Ferrari" did not go beyond the tests, and in 1982, the abnormal number of wheels was completely prohibited -
the six-wheeled “Williams” FW08D drove too fast for testing in Donington.
5. "Vacuum cleaner"
The 1978 BT46B Brabham is an example of a 100% successful idea, one that won every race in which
participated. True, there was only one start, at the Swedish Grand Prix, but Niki Lauda smashed his rivals to smithereens.
Axial fan, which Gordon Murray installed in the rear of the car, following the example of the Can-Am Chaparral 2J
1970, was the answer to the "car-wing" (see below) - it sucked air from under the bottom of the car, creating that
by doing the vacuum zone and pressing the vehicle to the ground. In addition, the fan was designed to help cool the engine -
in fact, it was due to this that it was possible to bypass the ban on a movable aerodynamic device. The car received
the nickname "vacuum cleaner", but became a bargaining chip in political game and did not participate in the races anymore.
4. Active suspension
By 1987, Lotus's experiments in controlling the vehicle's ground clearance resulted in the 99T model with an active
suspension, which received the go-ahead from Ayrton Senna who tested it. The Brazilian won the Monaco and US Grand Prix,
however, the technology flourished five years later, when Williams perfected its designs. In 1992
year FW14B under the control of Nigel Mansell triumphantly raced to the championship titles, sometimes bringing the Englishman
almost two seconds advantage over rivals in qualifications. By the next season, it became clear that the teams were not
can compete without an active suspension, and the FIA cannot allow its further use, which caused another
a turn of growth of speeds. In 1994, along with electronic assistants, which will be discussed below, the technology came under
ban.
3. Traction control
Traction control earned a place in the top three for its survivability and amazing camouflage that has withstood repeated
attempts to ban it. In one form or another, the systems of electronic assistance to pilots that have existed in Formula 1 since the 80s,
including traction control, launch control, ABS, they tried to get rid of in 1994, but later FIA President Max Mosley
confirmed that at least one team continued to use them. He did not name the names, but suspicions always went
around Benetton, where Michael Schumacher won his first titles. By 2001, the Federation had surrendered, recognizing
failure to determine the use of prohibited electronics, and with the Spanish Grand Prix, traction control was again
legalized. It was possible to finally get rid of the “assistants” criticized by the fans only in 2008, when all
the teams were obliged to use standard engine control units.
2. Turbo motors
Unreliable at first and requiring a specific flying style due to severe compressor delays
the turbo engines, on which Renault, who offered them, did not abandon the work, by 1983 completely won the Formula 1. IN
that year Tyrrell won the last aspirated victory, and Nelson Piquet brought the turbo first title in Brabham-BMW,
taking this honor away from the pioneers of Renault. Naturally, FISA, with Jean-Marie Balestre at the head, fought with all
increasing power as best it could, introducing restrictions on the amount of fuel or increasing the minimum weight of cars with
turbocharged. By 1988, when all but one race was won by the McLaren, driven by Alain Prost and Ayrton
Senna, the minders learned to shoot 600 hp each. with a liter, and the Federation finally decreed the mandatory use of
naturally aspirated engines with a volume of 3.5 liters.
1. Ground effect
The legendary "wing car" - Lotus 78 - reinvented Formula 1 aerodynamics. The profiled bottom of the car was
designed to speed up the flow of air under the car, and elastic "mini-skirts" around the edges obstructed it
the passage between the car and the asphalt. The pressure difference led to the fact that the car literally "sucked" to
the racing canvas ... The Lotus cars with the use of ground effect won 13 races, in 1978 Mario Andretti
easily took the championship title, and the rivals began to copy the winning idea. However, perhaps, of all their inventions
this has become the most dangerous, and its timely ban would have helped to avoid tragic incidents. A problem with
the ground effect was the impossibility of maintaining constant contact of the "skirts" with the ground on uneven routes:
such moments, the pressure sharply equalized, the downforce disappeared, and the car became uncontrollable. After
several years of unsuccessful struggle with skirts, in 1983 the ground effect was finally banned, the cars got a flat
bottom. Interestingly, this year, in the controversy about double diffusers, he was remembered again. Immortal principles ...
IN English language this word denotes any effect of the influence of the proximity of the underlying surface, while in Russian there is the term "screen effect", denoting the effect of the underlying surface on the characteristics of aircraft. And the term "ground effect" denotes the creation of aerodynamic vacuum under the body of the car due to a certain shape of the bottom of the car with the use of an elastic "skirt". Vacuum increases the force against the road surface. This solution made it possible to reduce the total area of the pressing aerodynamic elements, thereby reducing the aerodynamic drag of the car.
Colin Chapman, an auto constructor and founder of the Lotus automobile company, was the first to apply the ground effect in automobile competitions.
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