Tech Heads F1 Podcast

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Latest Episodes:

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 19 (Monaco Tech Recap + Spanish GP Preview) Jun 07, 2023

Welcome back to the Tech Heads F1 Podcast. Firstly a word of apology. This episode was recorded under an ambitious schedule with the intention of being released during the Spanish GP weekend, but was pushed back due to the extremely busy nature of the race build up and the Grand Prix itself. Nevertheless, the Tech Heads team had a fantastic conversation about the Monaco GP race weekend and the tech developments revealed by crashes, as well as covering the Indy500 and the track changes for Spain. One benefit of a late episode is knowing if our pre-race predictions were right! (hint, about Ferrari they were). Please enjoy this latest episode, and we will cover technical developments from the Spanish GP in Episode 20.

Time Codes:

(00:00:00) - Start

(00:01:10) - Yellow Flag Scare in F2 Race

(00:03:20) - Monaco Qualifying

(00:06:18) - Monaco Race

(00:09:54) - Monaco Technical Upgrades

(00:12:22) - Mercedes W14B Upgrade

(00:19:58) - Monaco Floor Parade

(00:32:06) - Negative Rake & Analyzing Plank Wear

(00:42:31) - Spain Circuit Changes

(00:50:15) - Indy500 & Kirkwood Crash

(00:55:14) - Speedy Recovery Stef Wilson

(00:59:27) - Listener Questions

Hosts:

Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)

Dr. Obbs (@dr_obbs)

Molly O. (@mollym_o)

Tech Heads F1 Socials:

Twitter: @TechHeadsF1

Instagram: @TechHeadsF1

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 18 (JR Hildebrand) May 10, 2023

Welcome back to the Tech Heads F1 Podcast. This week we are joined by IndyCar driver, STEM advocate, and all around interesting character, JR Hildebrand. JR has driven everything under the sun from IndyCars to F1 cars, competitive drift machines, Pike's Peak cars, rally cars, and even land speed record machines at the Bonneville Salt Flats. JR is the host of The Race IndyCar Podcast, and adjunct lecturer at Stanford University, and an advocate for STEM education using motorsports as a way to teach students about engineering and science. Based on years of first hand experience, JR gives unique insights into aerodynamic development in spec racing series and what it takes to drive a race car at 240 mph. He also gives his thoughts on the dramatic qualifying from the Miami GP and what F1 can learn from IndyCar (and vice versa). We think this was a great episode, we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed recording it!

Time Codes:

(00:00) Intro

(01:37) Welcome JR and Motorsport Background

(03:54) JR's Force India Test

(08:34) Miami GP Qualifying Reaction

(11:29) Driver-to-Driver: Absolute Commitment

(19:38) Most Memorable Racing Experience? (Pike's Peak & Bonneville)

(27:47) Biggest Misconceptions About Non-F1 Racing Series

(35:29) Philosophy of Motorsport (Designing Regulations)

(39:55) Adopting IndyCar Compound Rules in F1

(46:35) P2P vs DRS & Red Flag Rules

(51:08) The Shadow Development Wars

(58:31) Aero Development In Spec Series

(01:03:06) Wall Proximity Aerodynamics

(01:07:16) The Four Corners of IMS Are Not Identical

(01:10:12) Aero Preview of the Indy500 (New Parts for 2023)

The Race IndyCar Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-race-indycar-podcast/id1562111488?uo=4

https://open.spotify.com/show/4eOLGE5C4CDMeYhYFrZGbm

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep.17 (@ScarbsTech) Apr 25, 2023

Welcome back to the Tech Heads F1 Podcast! F1 Spring Break is nearly over as we enter a stretch of five races in six weekends, starting with the always entertaining Azerbaijan GP. The week we're once again joined by F1 Tech expert Craig Scarborough, aka @ScarbsTech. If you are (somehow) unfamilar with Craig's work, he is a prolific freelance journalist/illustrator with extensive knowledge of Formula 1 technology gained over decades of experience in the sport. He can regularly be found answering technical questions on Twitter and Instagram, presenting his analysis on F1TV Tech Talk, or writing articles for Race Tech Magazine. This week we cover a range of topics including the (electric) future of wheel guns, surprise F1 Tech stories of 2023, why suspension has once again become critical in the new ground effect era, and how well teams managed the 2023 floor changes. We also discuss the evolution of Red Flag use in F1, MotoGP Tech, and Craig's most prized item from his collection of F1 memorabilia (hint: it's currently being displayed at the F1 Exhibition). This was an extremely enjoyable conversation, thanks again Scarbs for stopping by to chat!

Welcome Back Scarbs! - (1:17)

Electric Wheel Guns & Net Zero 2030 - (2:00)

Biggest Technical Surprises of 2022/2023 - (4:10)

How Teams Managed The 2023 Floor Changes - (6:28)

What Explains The Renewed Interest in Suspension Design? - (9:04)

Red Bull's Triple DRS - Debunked? - (11:28)

Technical and Safety Considerations for Red Flags - (15:34)

Key Upgrade Areas for 2023 (and Beyond) - (21:53)

Technical Shake-up at Mercedes - (25:11)

MotoGP Tech Insight - (28:57)

Listener Questions for Scarbs - (33:40)

Hosts:

Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)

Dr Obbs. (@dr_obbs)

Molly O. (@mollym_o)

Invited Guest:

Craig Scarborough (@ScarbsTech)

Notes:

Red Bull Zero Gravity Pitstop w/ Electric Wheel Guns:

https://twitter.com/redbullracing/status/1425399341276033024?s=20

Mark Urban Video on Red Flags in F1

https://www.tiktok.com/@murbanvideo/video/7217558352090467590?_r=1&_t=8bn7lWZW7Ao

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep.16 (@F1DataAnalysis) Apr 13, 2023

What do we do to pass time during the F1 Spring Break? How about a special feature-length episode of Tech Heads F1! We are very happy to welcome back our first repeat guest (and friend of the podcast) Mirco Bartolozzi, better known as @F1DataAnalysis. Mirco has been extremely busy since we last spoke on Ep. 6, his impressive analysis of F1 telemetry has exploded in popularity with over 120K followers on Twitter and a further 31K on Instagram and other social media platforms. Mirco's work has been cited by journalists, pundits, and even the occasional ex-F1 race engineer. This episode is jam-packed with a great conversation, including Mirco's thoughts on the 2023 F1 season so far, the analysis behind some of his most notable calculations (e.g. DRS effectiveness), and unraveling a major factor in Red Bull's early success in the new era of F1. We also take a look back at Fernando Alonso's infamous driving technique at Renault, thermal cameras in F1, and answer several of your listener questions. We hope Mirco can join us again in the near future, for now please enjoy our latest episode!

Time Codes:

Welcome Back @F1DataAnalysis - (1:37)

Four DRS Zones & The Melee Down Under - (3:27)

Wheel Rims/Debris Escaping Catchfencing - (9:21)

Low Sun Angle Effects: Safety & Performance - (14:28)

Thermal Cameras in F1 - (18:39)

Full Detail on DRS Effectiveness Calculations - (20:29)

RB19 Anti-Dive Suspension, Theory & Application - (29:01)

Speculating on Red Bull's Reliability Concerns - (38:27)

Using Maximum/Minimum Speed Heat Maps To Study Driving Styles - (42:02)

Alonso's Famous Driving Technique at Renault - (47:18)

New Plots For Visualizing Acceleration - (56:01)

Listener Questions - (1:00:28)

Where To Find Mirco - (1:31:47)

Hosts:

Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)

Dr. Obbs (@dr_obbs)

Molly (@mollym_o)

Invited Guest:

Mirco Bartolozzi (@F1DataAnalysis)

Notes:

Amazing Thermal Camera Footage in F1:

https://twitter.com/NaturalParadigm/status/1643626779280646145?s=20

DRS Effectiveness Thread:

https://twitter.com/F1DataAnalysis/status/1642922154152046593?s=20

RB19 Anti-Dive Suspension Thread:

https://twitter.com/F1DataAnalysis/status/1644650163418300429?s=20

Maximum/Minimum Speed Heatmaps:

https://twitter.com/F1DataAnalysis/status/1642544918769070081?s=20

https://twitter.com/F1DataAnalysis/status/1643219362633900034?s=20

Alonso's Driving Technique Thread:

https://twitter.com/F1DataAnalysis/status/1643965395076825089?s=20

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 15 (Saudi GP Tech Recap) Mar 31, 2023

Welcome back to the Tech Heads F1 Podcast! In our first episode since the official start of the 2023 F1 season, the gang explores some of the emerging story lines from the first two rounds of the championship including Red Bull's ominous early form, Aston Martin being the genuine article, and difficult days for both Mercedes and Ferrari. We take detailed look at the major technical stories from Bahrain and Jeddah, including clever tricks with legality wire (if you've never of this before don't worry), the aerodynamic theory behind Red Bull's rumored "Triple-DRS" design, driver feedback on the 2023 cars and their ability to overtake, LED wheel guns, CFD/wind tunnel correlation and much more. We also give some insight as to what to look out for this weekend in Melbourne, don't miss it!

Saudi Arabian GP Recap - (1:01)

Clever Tricks With Legality Wire - (6:54)

A Conceptual Exploration of Red Bull's "Triple-DRS" System - (12:25)

Methodology for Computing DRS Effectiveness (@F1DataAnalysis) - (17:59)

Wind Sensitivity & Driver Feedback on Overtaking - (19:32)

LED Wheelguns And Full-Electric On The Horizon - (25:47)

Reliabilty Concerns and Short Course on Powertrains - (32:45)

Answering Your Listener Questions - (41:31)

Hosts:

Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)

Dr. Obbs (@dr_obbs)

Molly (@mollym_o)

Tech Heads F1 Socials:

https://twitter.com/TechHeadsF1/

https://www.instagram.com/techheadsf1/

https://www.youtube.com/@techheadsf1/

Scarbs Drawing of Triple DRS:

https://twitter.com/ScarbsTech/status/1637892144059785230?s=20

@F1DataAnalysis DRS Effectiveness Calculations:

https://twitter.com/F1DataAnalysis/status/1638485574888701952?s=20

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 14 (Testing Recap + Bahrain GP Preview) Mar 02, 2023

Welcome back to the Tech Heads F1 podcast! This week Bryson, Dr. Obbs, and Molly give their thoughts on the three days of pre-season testing, what we (think we) learned, and our expectations for the Bahrain GP. We also discuss the technical considerations of the chicane removal at the Circuit de Catalunya and a deep dive on the aerodynamic theory of Gurney flaps and why they are so incredibly useful in Formula One. Ferrari experiments with multiple wings, Mercedes finds form after a difficult Friday, and Red Bull looks to be in supreme form ahead of the Bahrain GP. We address why Alpine and Aston Martin are teams to watch this weekend, and give our final thoughts on the new regulations before the start of what promises to be an amazing F1 season.

Circuit de Catalunya Chicane Removal - (1:24)
Major Testing Takeaways - (5:59)
Ferrari Rear Wings and Slot Gap Separators - (8:53)
Alpine Looking To Impress? - (13:37)
An Uneven Testing Performance from Mercedes - (14:50)
New Pirelli Tyres for 2023 - (15:52)
F1 Data Analysis & Derived Variables - (19:11)
Ferrari Top Speed? - (21:30)
Why Designing an F1 Car Is So Difficult - (22:47)
Aerodynamic Efficiency in Theory and Practice - (25:51)
RB19 Diffuser Design and Gurney Flaps - (28:15)
Red Bull's Sidepod Evolution - (34:20)
What You Can (And Can't) Learn From Tyre Smoke - (39:26)
Ferrari Power Unit Gains - (41:17)
Genuine Hype Around Aston Martin? - (46:38)
Final Thoughts Before The 2023 F1 Season - (49:51)

Hosts:
Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)
Dr. Obbs (@dr_obbs)
Molly (@mollym_o)

Tech Heads F1 Socials:
https://twitter.com/TechHeadsF1
https://www.instagram.com/techheadsf1/
https://www.youtube.com/@techheadsf1

F1 Data Analysis (Mirco Bartolozzi)
https://twitter.com/F1DataAnalysis

Tech Heads F1 Podcast- Ep. 13 (Preseason, Peeks and Previews) Feb 22, 2023

Welcome back to the Tech Heads F1 podcast episode 13! This week Bryson, Molly and Dr. Obbs discuss all things F1 preseason. From what to expect during the upcoming Bahrain pre-season test, the creative ways teams conceal true performance from their competition when testing, why teams test, thoughts on car launches, key shakedown takeaways, and surprising/unsurprising features of 2023 seasons cars so far. The team deep dives into each of the teams 2023 cars following their launch and shakedown debuts, what we can see, what we can't, and who we haven't seen so far. As well as analyzing the fascinating new features and design strategies teams have arrived with, signs of teams' learnings from 2022, as well as converging and diverging feature strategies through the field. There is no shortage of exciting tech to talk about and the season hasn't even begun!

Time Codes:

What to Expect and Look for During Preseason Testing- (1:49)
Sandbagging and Secret Keeping During Testing- (5:35)
The WHY of Preseason testing- (7:48)
Function of Flowvis- (11:51)
Front Suspension Changes - (15:05)
Car Launches- (16:20)
Red Bull RB19 and Ford - (17:00)
Haas VF23 - (19:14)
Is the RB19 the Bigfoot of 2023 F1 Cars? - (20:10)
Ferrari SF-23 - (22:55)
Outwashing Front Wing Slot Gap Separators -(24:52)
Ferrari S-Duct- (27:55)
Mercedes W14- (32:03)
Downwashing Cooling Cannon Designs - (35:30)
W14 0.5 pods and Side Impact Structure Mirror Support - (39:35)
Wake Management - (43:26)
Ferrari Front End and Grid Trends of Wing Designs - (47:37)
Aston Martin AMR23- (50:20)
Upstream Design Solutions and their Downstream Aerodynamic Effects - (53:02)
Suspension Shake-ups on the Grid - (56:20)
Cooling flow disadvantages - (59:57)
Alpine A523 - (60:01)
Alpha Tauri AT04 - (63:43)
McLaren MCL60 - (64:11)
Alfa Romeo C43 - (66:47)
More McLaren MCL60 - (70:05)
2023 Season Focal Point and Testing Outcome Hopes - (73:45)
Williams FW45 - (76:11)

Hosts:
Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)
Molly (@mollym_o)
Dr Obbs. (@dr_obbs)

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 12 (Jahee Campbell-Brennan) Feb 02, 2023

Welcome back to the Tech Heads F1 podcast for our first episode of 2023!! This week Bryson, Molly and Dr. Obbs are joined by Motorsport Engineering Consultant and Director of Wavey Dynamics, Jahee Campbell-Brennan. Jahee a highly accomplished engineer with a passion for motorsport since his time at university, working on a range of high-profile projects including serving as technical director for Motors Formula team in European GT3/GT4, a design consultant for McLaren Super Series and Ultimate Series, and a contributor to Racecar Engineering magazine writing accessible technical articles on topics ranging from kinematics to tyre dynamics. As the Director of the engineering consulting company Wavey Dynamics, Jahee leads an innovative team working closely with customers to achieve the absolute maximum of performance from engineering applications, and is an advocate for Black representation and diversity in motorsports.

Time Codes:
How Jahee Found a Passion For Motorsport - (2:52)
Designing A Racecar From First Principles - (7:13)
Vehicle Dynamics 101 - (8:14)
The Importance of Chassis Stiffness - (12:20)
RB18 Anti-Dive Suspension Geometry - (16:20)
Porpoising vs Bottoming and the Troubled Mercedes W13 - (22:38)
Tyre Talk: The Only Thing That Actually Touches The Track - (31:28)
Is Increased Tyre Detachment Correlated With 18" Wheels? - (39:28)
What Is Wavey Dynamics? - (43:11)

Hosts:
Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)
Molly (@mollym_o)
Dr Obbs. (@dr_obbs)

Invited Guest:
Jahee Campbell-Brennan (@waveydynamics on IG)
https://www.waveydynamics.com/

Jahee's LinkedIn Page:
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jahee-waveydynamics

Racecar Engineering Articles:
https://www.racecar-engineering.com/author/jahee-campbell-brennan/
Medium.com Articles:
https://waveydynamics.medium.com/

Tech Heads F1 Podcast- Ep. 11 (Stewart Mitchell - Deputy Editor of Racecar Engineering) Dec 15, 2022

We return once again for the final episode of the Tech Heads F1 Podcast for the 2022 season! This week Bryson is joined by Deputy Editor of Racecar Engineering Magazine, Stewart Mitchell. Stewart is a degreed engineer, professional technical researcher, and engineering journalist with proven experience in producing comprehensive technical content on some of the highest-profile motorsport technology ever created. Stewart is a powertrains expert, lending his experience in researching motorsport to help shed light on some interesting questions in modern Formula 1. We talk Honda power units, watching V8 Supercars at Surfer's Paradise, his career path to technical journalism, a (very) deep dive into E10 fuels, how data works in F1, and the unexpected ways in which an engineer's personality can manifest itself in the race cars they design. A brilliant conversation as always, Stewart is welcome back any time!!

Honda Power Unit Sound(s) - (1:42)
Stewart's Background and Passion for Motorsport - (6:14)
The "Brundle Analogy" & Technical Journalism - (15:30)
Researching and Writing Process - (23:52)
Deep Dive: The Switch to E10 and Power Mythology - (30:12)
Removing the MGU-H, but Increased Hybrid Power? - (41:22)
Additive Manufacturing & Mercedes' Extreme Cooling Solutions - (56:19)
The Extreme World of Data in F1 - (1:03:33)
A Character Study in Engineering Design - (1:15:52)

Hosts:
Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)
Dr. Obbs. (@dr_obbs)
Molly Oxner (@mollym_o)

Invited Guest:
Stewart Mitchell (@StewMitch)

Racecar Engineering (@RacecarEngineering)
https://www.racecar-engineering.com/

"Honda Racing THANKS DAY 2022" by Hondal Racing Global
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YHwmpWCnMc

"How Data Works in Formula 1" by Stewart Mitchell
https://www.racecar-engineering.com/articles/how-data-works-in-formula-1/

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 10 (Mike Law - Head of Vehicle Dynamics at McLaren Racing) Dec 06, 2022

Welcome back to a very special edition of the Tech Heads F1 Podcast! As we celebrate our 10th episode we are pleased to be joined by McLaren Racing Head of Vehicle Dynamics, Mike Law. Mike has enjoyed a truly impressive career in Formula 1, working on a number of exciting projects over more than a decade as a Vehicle Dynamics engineer at both WilliamsF1 Team and McLaren Racing. Mike shares with us some excellent insights into the key ideas behind Vehicle Dynamics theory, his thoughts on the struggles many teams had with porpoising in 2022, and the critical role of car mass on performance. Mike is also an author, sharing with us some powerful ideas from his new book "ACE Thinking: Life Lessons From Engineering the Ultimate Racing Cars" which seeks apply lessons learned from F1 to other aspects of daily life. All proceeds from this edition of ACE Thinking go to the Smallpeice Trust, an educational charity that inspires young people to pursue careers in science and engineering through events and workshops. Thank you Mike for stopping by, we enjoyed another great F1 conversation!!

Mike Law Background and Entry Into Formula 1 - (1:43)
Porpoising in 2022 and Vehicle Dynamics - (5:40)
The Critical Role of Car Mass - (11:20)
Temperature Window, The Contact Patch, & Tyre Grip - (16:19)
Pirelli Tyre Testing and Wheel Guns - (22:55)
The ACE Thinking Method - (35:14)
"Failure Is Not An Option" (Doesn't Mean What You Think) - (53:02)
The Role of Computer Simulations in Vehicle Dynamics- (1:01:42)
Tech Focus: Polars and Aero Development - (1:07:14)

Hosts:
Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)
Dr. Obbs (@dr_obbs)
Molly Oxner (@mollym_o)
Guest:
Mike Law
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mike-law-29435395

"ACE Thinking: Life Lessons From Engineering the Ultimate Racing Cars"
https://www.amazon.com/ACE-Thinking-Lessons-Engineering-Ultimate/dp/B0BDXFMGPR/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LMTEP6MP3P0T&keywords=ace+thinking&qid=1670351484&s=books&sprefix=ace+thinking%2Cstripbooks%2C96&sr=1-1

Smallpeice Trust
https://www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk/

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 9 (Marcel Kiefer) Nov 17, 2022

Welcome back to the Tech Heads F1 Podcast! This week Bryson and Molly are joined by Oracle Red Bull Racing Esports driver and 2020 World Champion Marcel Kiefer. Marcel began his professional racing career in 2017, finishing 5th in the Esports standings in 2018 and 6th in 2019. He began driving for Oracle Red Bull Racing in 2020 finishing 3rd in the drivers championship, in the process helping Red Bull to secure the 2020 F1 Esports Team Championship. As a professional sim racing driver, Marcel pulls back the curtain on what the world of F1 Esports is really like, revealing technical details far more complex and nuanced than one might expect. We cover a range of topics including a Brazil wrap-up, fixing Sprint Races, how Marcel got into sim racing (Max Verstappen is involved), finding laptime at the extreme edge of the performance, and advice for new/experienced sim racers. We really enjoyed this one, massive thanks to Marcel for stopping by!!

Brazil Qualifying and Sprint Recap - (2:36)
How To Fix Sprint Races in F1 - (7:45)
Esports Drivers Faster Than F1 Drivers?- (10:22)
Key Differences Between Sim Racing and Real Driving - (13:49)
How Marcel Got Into F1 and Esports - (17:36)
The Importance of The Right Sim Equipment - (24:09)
Optimal Car Setup Theory - (28:15)
Working With (Real F1) Race Engineers - (36:53)
How The Incredibly Fast Get Even Faster - (39:05)
Fear Factor and Driving on The Limit - (43:32)
Esports As A Meritocracy and Avenues Into Real Racing - (46:45)
Physics Differences Between F1 Games - (54:20)
Marcel's Advice for Novice and Advanced Sim Racers - (1:01:37)

Hosts:
Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)
Dr. Obbs (@dr_obbs)
Molly Oxner (@mollym_o)
Guest:
Marcel Kiefer (@marcelkiefer_)

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 8 (Blake Hinsey aka Brrrake) Nov 05, 2022

Welcome back to the Tech Heads F1 Podcast! Bryson and Molly are fresh from the US Grand Prix and joined in the Tech Heads studio by Dr. Obbs and Blake aka Brrrake, former F1 Performance and Simulator Performance Engineer. Blake has worked at Force India, Red Bull Racing, and the likes of Paul DiResta, Sergio Perez, Daniil Kvyat and Max Verstappen. In this episode we recap Blake, Bryson, and Molly's time at COTA, Blake's storied and what he would call "fraudulent" F1 career, insights to performance engineering, what it is, and how to engineer an F1 car, a typical weekend in a trackside role, working in the simulator, the Dark Art of tyre science, and the wild/controversial tech teams brought to the track for COTA and Mexico City. In this weeks "Tech Focus" segment Molly talks about the role of AI and Machine Learning in calling the strategy of races. We talk about THAT NASCAR finish, and answer listener questions. This episode was a ton of fun to record and we think you'll have just as much fun listening to it! This Texas sized episode is filled to the brim with incredible F1 insight and F1/non-F1 racing tech. You wont want to miss it!!

COTA Rewind - (2:14)
What Makes COTA So Great - (9:41)
How Did Blake Get Into F1? - (11:04)
A Trackside Perfermance Engineer's Role - (13:07)
What Can You Actually Infer About Another Car From Telemetry? - (15:35)
How An Engineer Uses Data to Improve Performance - (19:56)
The Dark Art of Tyre Science - (23:32)
Working With F1 Drivers - (27:27)
Objectively Evaluating Race Strategy - (33:11)
Working With Track Aerodynamicists - (40:28)
Reynolds Number and High Altitude Effects - (48:20)
Curved Wind Tunnel Walls Won't Save You! - (51:19)
Transitioning To A Simulator Performance Engineer - (53:40)
How Accurate Are Simulators? How Do You Update Them? - (57:47)
Where To Find Brrrake - (1:05:35)
Tech Focus: AI & Machine Learning for Race Strategy - (1:08:12)
Listener Questions! - (1:16:34)

Hosts:
Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)
Dr. Obbs (@dr_obbs)
Molly Oxner (@mollym_o)

Guest:
Blake Hinsey (@brrrake)

Listener Links:
Pit Rho Clip for pit crew not listening to the model.
https://t.co/xOdLxTlzEV - Clip is 8 mins shows the team following and then not following the model link will take you directly to the start of the NASCAR clip

Ross Chastain wall-ride
https://us.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/ross-chastain-wall-riding-playoffs-hamlin-martinsville/10393087/

VLC Player On the Pit Wall?
https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comments/8j60gs/if_you_ever_wondered_what_software_they_use_on_a/

Bottas Crash Due To Rear Wing Stall (Reynolds Number)
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/bottas-reveals-rear-wing-stall-caused-massive-scare/653909/

How wind affects race cars visual examples in 2 minutes or less:
https://www.tiktok.com/@abunchofredf1ags/video/7108153267862981930

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 7 (Dalton Kellett) Oct 10, 2022

What an awesome opportunity, this week we speak with IndyCar driver and STEM advocate Dalton Kellett! In addition to the prestige of competing in one of the premiere open wheel racing series in the world, Dalton is passionate about engineering/technology and works to share his knowledge and insights to motorsports fans at large. In this episode we discuss the origins of his love for racing, his experience with Formula SAE at Queen's University, wearing multiple hats as an engineer/racing driver, tech insights into car setup, and what it's really like to drive an IndyCar on the limit. Thank you for joining us in the studio Dalton, we really enjoyed this conversation!

Dalton Kellett Intro (2:20)
How Dalton Got Into Racing (4:08)
Formula SAE Experiences (8:40)
Wearing Multiple Hats As An Engineer/Driver (16:52)
Working With Race Engineers on Feedback/Setup (19:35)
Tuning Brake Bias & Center of Pressure (24:57)
Making the Difference in a Spec Series (29:54)
Hybrid Power Implications for IndyCar (31:22)
A Quick Review on Sprung and Unsprung Mass (38:24)
Preparing for a Race Weekend (41:46)
Dalton's Favorite Circuits and Track Evolution (46:51)
No Power Steering in IndyCar - Hang On!!! (53:00)
Superlicense System and Andretti's F1 Hurdles (58:10)
The Future of IndyCar (1:05:07)

Hosts:
Tech Heads F1 Podcast (@TechHeadsF1)
Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)
Dr Obbs. (@dr_obbs)
Molly Oxner (@mollym_o)
Guest:
Dalton Kellett (@Dalton_Kellett)

AJ Foyt Racing
https://www.foytracing.com/

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 6 (Mirco Bartolozzi) Sep 28, 2022

Welcome back to the Tech Heads F1 podcast! This week Bryson and Molly sit down with engineer and technical maven Mirco Bartolozzi, better known as @F1DataAnalysis. When Mirco isn't developing complex vehicle dynamics models a PhD student, he spends his time performing analysis on the data generated by Formula 1 and helping to explain its most complex aspects in a clear, intelligible way. We begin our discussion with how Mirco first discovered his passion for motorsport and what makes F1 so unique for fans of a technical bent. We proceed to cover a wide range of other topics, including data driven performance estimation, kinematics for non-engineers, reverse-Ackermann steering and the full solution to a clever conceptual problem Mirco posted on Twitter recently. This was such a great conversation, we hope you enjoy it!

Mirco Bartolozzi Intro (1:32)
Local Analysis & What Makes F1 Unique (4:05)
Data-Driven Car Performance Estimation Data (6:56)
Integer Tricks and Numerical Differentiation (11:39)
Kinematic Relationships for Non-Engineers (19:11)
An Excellent Conceptual Exercise w/ Full Solution (25:25)
The Most Powerful Part of an F1 Car (Spoiler: It's The Brakes) (38:06)
Reverse-Ackermann Steering is Amazing (47:36)
Strengths & Weaknesses of Each F1 Team (55:40)
Convex Hulls and Bounding Polygons (1:03:05)
Using RPM+Speed Data To Compute Gear Ratios (1:06:50)
Where To Find Mirco (1:12:59)

Hosts:
Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)
Dr Obbs (@dr_obbs)
Molly Oxner (@mollym_o)
Tech Heads F1 Podcast Twitter Page:
@TechHeadsF1
Invited Guest:
Mirco Bartolozzi (@F1DataAnalysis)
Mirco's BMaC page: https://t.co/r6fSTQIo0J

References:
"Which Car Has The Greatest Deceleration?"
https://twitter.com/F1DataAnalysis/status/1574438327821819909?s=20&t=IlJp4o0JjR35Y14ac7gv4A

"The Most Powerful Part of an F1 Car"
https://twitter.com/F1DataAnalysis/status/1572974774195830788?s=20&t=IlJp4o0JjR35Y14ac7gv4A

"Computing Gear Ratios"
https://twitter.com/F1DataAnalysis/status/1573995710323761152?s=20&t=IlJp4o0JjR35Y14ac7gv4A

"Reverse-Ackermann Steering Geometry"
https://twitter.com/F1DataAnalysis/status/1530865389583966208?s=20&t=73JvSZnjIsOWVr54WKkYQQ

"Example of a Convex Hull Bounding Acceleration Data"
https://twitter.com/F1DataAnalysis/status/1561293914891501569?s=20&t=l5-RDKowF1kVYMoMIRTzNA

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 5 (Craig Scarborough) Sep 19, 2022

Welcome back to another episode of the Tech Heads F1 Podcast! Bryson and Dr. Obbs officially welcome Molly Oxner as the third co-host to the show, and we we commemorate the occasion with a very special guest joining the studio for Episode 5. Few individuals in the F1 Tech space are as prolific and well-versed as our invited guest, Craig Scarborough aka Scarbs F1. Despite not formally being trained as an engineer, illustrator, or journalist Scarbs has nevertheless managed to excel at all three, becoming one of the foremost experts in the field through a long career of studying, writing, and teaching others about the wonderful world of Formula 1 technology. When not explaining complex mechanical and aerodynamic concepts through detailed threads and articles online, Craig provides technical analysis for Formula 1 on it's very popular F1TV Tech Talk program. In this week's episode, Scarbs sits down to give some insight into how F1 became his passion (along with aircraft), while we discuss in detail some key topics, including his thoughts on the 2022 season thus far, suspension tricks and compromises without gas springs or inerters, how F1 gearboxes work, and what to get excited about in 2026 and beyond. This was a great discussion, we hope you enjoy!

Scarbs F1 Background (2:11)
The Making of an F1 Technical Expert (3:54)
Favorite Innovations of 2022 So Far (7:00)
Abstract Problem Solving in F1 (10:34)
2023 Wing Mirrors and Rear View Cameras (11:38)
Technical Developments for Monza (15:47)
Suspension: Tricks and Compromises in 2022 (19:52)
The Allure of Active Suspension (27:47)
How F1 Gearboxes Work (31:25)
The Dark Art of Tyre Warm-Up (40:35)
Optional Rear Brakes and Active Aero in 2026? (50:20)
F1 Safety Improvements Resulting from Zhou's Silverstone Crash (57:40)

Hosts:
Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)
Dr. Obbs (@dr_obbs)
Molly Oxner (@mollym_o)

Invited Guest(s)
Craig Scarborough (@ScarbsTech)

Notes & References:

"3D Printed F1 Seamless Shifting Gearbox - Part 1"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfx-vCVJx7Y

Driver61 video on F1 Gearboxes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bChciv9_BuQ

"Keeping Track Of Porpoising | F1 TV Tech Talk"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeQ3yC7Du8A

"What Scarbs thinks of the new F1 engine regs by Peter Windsor"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nL7e17TUFQ

"Did the Roll Hoop FAIL in Zhou's Crash?" (Driver61)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpNO1wgUfmY

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 4 (Juan Manzanero) Sep 10, 2022

In Episode 4 of the Tech Heads F1 Podcast, co-hosts Bryson Sullivan and Dr. Obbs are joined by Juan Manzanero (aka @fastestlap_f1), an extremely talented engineer and author of the excellent "Fastest Lap" open source lap time simulation software. With Juan as our guide, we explore the technical nuances of vehicle dynamics and optimal lap time simulation, covering G-G plots, brake balance and bias, tyre load sensitivity, and what goes into calculating driver inputs for a theoretically perfect lap. In this week's "Tech Focus" segment, we talk exhaust blown floors from the 2012 season, how teams exploited the Coandă effect to recover the downforce lost from the removal of exhaust blown diffusers, and we answer listener questions. This is a longer episode, but it's absolutely packed with quality F1 Tech content we think you won’t want to miss, enjoy!

Segments:

Episode Introduction (0:53)
What We Like About Juan (1:21)
Brake Balance and Bias (3:20)
Who is Juan Manzanero? (7:37)
What Makes Simulation Essential (11:14)
G-G Diagrams (14:28)
Simulations for Race Car Setup and Balance (18:52)
Using Simultions for Set-Up Work (33:56)
Tyre Load Sensitivity and Tyre Grip (35:49)
Theoretically-Optimal Lap Time calculation (46:36)
Fastest-Lap Software and Where to Find Juan (56:12)
Tech Focus: Exhaust blown floors (59:14)
Listener Questions (1:05:00)

Episode References & Links:

Fastest-Lap GitHub Repo
https://github.com/juanmanzanero/fastest-lap

Juan’s Medium.com Page
https://medium.com/@fastestlap

Wiki on Frenet Frames
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenet%E2%80%93Serret_formulas

IPOPT Optimization Software
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPOPT

Fast-F1 Documenation
https://theoehrly.github.io/Fast-F1/

Mirco (@F1 Data Analysis)
https://twitter.com/F1DataAnalysis

Wavey Dynamics - Lap Time Simulation Primer
https://www.waveydynamics.com/post/lap-time-simulation

The Coanda Effect and Why Wings Work (Raskin):
https://www.karmak.org/archive/2003/02/coanda_effect.html

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 3 (Martin Buchan) Aug 30, 2022

Episode 3 of the Tech Heads F1 Podcast dives deeper into the world of motorsport aerodynamics with a very special guest! Bryson and Dr Obbs are joined by former Audi aerodynamicist and Force India/Racing Point aero design engineer Martin Buchan, otherwise known as the legendary B-Sport. Martin is well known for his insightful YouTube videos on the aerodynamics of Formula 1, prototypes, and endurance racing cars. We discuss technical details of the differences between designing aerodynamics for road cars versus F1 cars, the 2022 aero regulations for wake control, the importance of the floor edge design, and the (many) tricks teams have employed in service of aero development during the cost cap. Martin also shares some humorous stories about real-world aero developments in F1, and creative ways in which a person can improve their chances of being noticed in the industry. We enjoyed this conversation so much, this is an episode you won't want to miss!

Sections:

What makes B-Sport great (1:40)

Technical insights into the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix (3:52)

How Martin got into motorsports (6:33)

Passenger car aero vs. race car aero (9:30)

2022 regulations and F1 wake influence (16:00)

Aero development hacks under the cost cap (23:39)

Gurney Flaps and the Kutta Condition (26:39)

Floor edges and their importance in F1 (28:15)

The aero of Martin's favorite cars (32:58)

A meditation on F-ducts (37:50)

Key technical resources for learning motorsport aerodynamics (42:45)

Buchan Motorsport Services (47:36)

Hosts:

Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadign)

Dr. Obbs (@dr_obbs)

Special Guest:

B-Sport (@B_sport320)

Buchan Motorsport Homepage

https://www.buchanmotorsport.com/about

Reference Links:

B-Sport on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/c/BSport320

"F1 2022 - Floor Expansion - EXPLAINED" by B-Sport

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HBhDVpwbfU&t=5s

“Aerodynamics of Road Vehicles,” by Wolf Heinrich Hucho

https://www.amazon.com/Aerodynamics-Road-Vehicles-Engineering-Proceedings/dp/0768000297

"How to Build a Car," by Adrian Newey

https://www.amazon.com/How-Build-Car-Autobiography-Greatest/dp/000819680X

Racecar Engineering article on F-Ducts:

https://www.racecar-engineering.com/tech-explained/f-ducts-how-do-they-work-f1-2010-formula-one-technology/

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep.2 (2026 Power Unit Regulations w/ Molly Oxner) Aug 25, 2022

In Episode 2 of the Tech Heads F1 Podcast, Bryson Sullivan and Dr. Obbs are joined by a special guest to talk through the recently released 2026 power unit technical regulations. Molly Oxner, a powertrain engineer at an OEM, joins the Tech Heads studio for a deep dive into both the good and bad of the new regulations for 2026. We also explore TD039 and the upcoming 2023 technical regulations, which feature some nuanced changes to the floor regulation boxes. We discuss the theory and applications of inerters/J-dampers in this week’s Tech Focus, and how they might have potentially improved the early season porpoising issues seen in 2022. Finally, we answer listener questions in a new recurring segment. What’s our verdict on the changes to the technical regulations? Listen to Episode 2 to find out!

Show Segments:

Episode Introduction (0:33)

Tying up some loose ends (CFD & Testing Hierarchy) (2:11)

Updated 2023 technical regulations & Plank Flexing (3:53)

New floor edge testing (10:07)

Diffuser Throat Changes (12:56)

2026 PU Technical Regulations (23:34)

Energy Recovery System (26:39)

Turbo’s and Intake (37:14)

Tech Focus: Inerters/J-Dampers (53:00)

Listener Questions (58:50)

Notes:

Stripping the Dipping Interview w/ Olabode George Brown:

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy84Njk3YjQ4Yy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw/episode/MGFmMDE1MmQtYWYwNC00YjMwLWJlYjEtMDQ0NmY0MDFhMWJk?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwio38mZqeL5AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQLA

Motorsport.com Article on 2023 Technical Regulations:

https://us.motorsport.com/f1/news/new-f1-technical-rules-for-2023-why-keep-changing/10354917/

Motorsport.com Article on 2026 Technical Regulations:

https://us.motorsport.com/f1/news/fia-finalises-2026-formula-1-engine-regulations/10353603/

Technical Articles on Inerters/J-Dampers:

https://www.f1technical.net/features/10586

https://www.racecar-engineering.com/articles/f1/understanding-the-j-damper/

https://www.formula1-dictionary.net/j-damper.html

The Tech Heads F1 Podcast:

Twitter: @techheadsf1

Email: techheadsf1pod@gmail.com

Hosts:

Bryson Sullivan

Twitter: @NaturalParadigm

BMaC: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/naturalparadigm

Dr. Obbs

Twitter: @dr_obbs

Special Guest Molly Oxner:

TikTok: @abunchofredf1ags

Twitter: @mollym_o

Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 1 (All About Aero) Aug 17, 2022

The Tech Heads F1 Podcast is officially here!! Join co-hosts Bryson Sullivan and Dr_Obbs as they explore all manner of technical topics from the first half of the 2022 F1 season. This inaugural episode addresses the aerodynamic intent of the 2022 technical regulations, and analyzes whether or not they have been as effective as desired. Bryson and Dr_Obbs assess how some teams could be using the floor strakes to generate big downforce, and discuss in detail how this critical area of the floor relates to the aerodynamic balance of a Formula One car. In this week's “Tech Focus” segment, we discuss the complex nature of induced drag and it's detrimental to car performance. How is this topic of induced drag linked to the new Aston Martin rear wing, and could teams copy this in the future? All this and so much more in Episode 1 of the Tech Heads F1 Podcast.

Twitter: @TechHeadsF1

Email: TechheadsF1Pod@gmail.com

BMaC: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/naturalparadigm

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