Tech Heads F1 Podcast

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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/

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