The Race F1 Tech Show

Latest Episodes:

How Mercedes turned a troubled car into a race winner Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

On this week's episode we have two timely topics to dig into. Firstly, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson discuss how Mercedes have been able to turn a car that started the season as a bouncing, porpoising nightmare into a Grand Prix winner. They also ask what the Silver Arrows' Brazilian GP victory means for them being able to give Red Bull a run for their money in 2023.

Secondly, Gary chats to Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, just a day after the team took a very popular - and very unexpected - pole position with Kevin Magnussen in Brazil. An engineer by trade, who once served as both a mechanic in rallying and as technical operations lead for Red Bull Racing, Gary asks Guenther about the benefits of being a technically minded team boss - and about the potential pitfalls.

And finally, Gary answers another listener's burning tech question, which this week is about the single decision which contributed to Mercedes' 2022 struggles.

Want to ask us a question? Send a voicenote or email to podcasts@the-race.com

The Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.

Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why CFD hasn't killed off windtunnels in F1 Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

In so many ways, the modern world is ruled by computers, but while Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has revolutionised F1 car design over the last couple of decades, the windtunnel remains a vital tool in every F1 team's development arsenal.

On this week's podcast, host Edd Straw asks former F1 technical director Gary Anderson why windtunnels remain so important to car development that teams such as Red Bull, McLaren and Aston Martin are committing millions of dollars towards new facilities. Gary also explains why CFD alone won't get you very far, and the challenges of windtunnel calibration.

Before that, Gary discusses the importance of data gathering in F1, and how it differs from practice to the race.

And as usual, there's time for Gary to answer questions from two listeners, which this week are on CVT transmissions and the potential aero benefits of a dimpled bodywork surface.

Want to ask us a question? Send a voicenote or email to podcasts@the-race.com

The Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.

Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Explaining F1’s tyre blanket row + why Ferrari suffered in Mexico Nov 02, 2022

Show notes

On this week's episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson dig into a couple of big technical talking points from the recent Mexico City Grand Prix and delve into the finer points of the controversy around the future of tyre blankets.

Gary kicks off the podcast by discussing the complex issue of cooling an F1 car at altitude, before explaining the key reason as to why Ferrari's performance suffered at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez compared to chief rivals Red Bull and Mercedes.

After that, Edd and Gary discuss the ongoing back and forth between the teams, drivers, Pirelli, F1 and the FIA over the future of tyre blankets, including why the sport is set to drop the planned reduction in maximum tyre blanket temperatures next season and what that means for the proposed outright ban in 2024.

And finally, Gary answers a listener question about whether F1 design inspiration could be taken by a combination of Mercedes' zero sidepod concept and the classic twin chassis Lotus 88.

Want to ask us a question? Send a voicenote or email to podcasts@the-race.com

The Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.

Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How paint shapes performance - and how dynamic branding is changing the game Oct 26, 2022

Show notes

Everything that touches an F1 car has an impact on performance - and that includes the paint! But F1 being F1, the paint technology used is far from simple, and is just another area where a competitive advantage can be found.

On this week’s show host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson speak to Mark Turner from Silverstone Paint Technology and Seamless Digital to reveal the surprising secrets of paint in F1, including how the teams seek to get a performance boost.

Turner also explains the thinking and technology behind the revolutionary ‘dynamic branding’ that appeared on the McLaren in Austin, and why it could be the future of F1 advertising.

Edd and Gary also look ahead to high-altitude Mexico City and the impact that will have on the new-generation aerodynamics of the 2022 cars.

And finally, Gary answers a listener question about a potential brake-by-wire handbrake system.

The Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.

Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much does it cost to produce an F1 car and why have costs risen? Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

On this week’s show, as the cost cap row rumbles on, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson are taking a look into the murky world of F1 car costs, and in particular how much it costs to actually produce key parts such as the chassis, front wing assembly, and floor.

Gary explains why the cost of a car is often more expensive than it might appear on the surface, and why costs have spiralled in recent years.

Before that, Edd and Gary talk about Mercedes’ future design direction, as the Silver Arrows prepare to unleash their final upgrade of the season in the USA.

And to round off the show, Gary answers listeners’ questions about what the spray in Suzuka can tell us about the aero secrets of the Red Bull RB18 and why F1 cars don’t have an electric reverse gear.

To have your burning tech question answered on the show, send a voicenote or email to podcasts@the-race.com

The Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.

Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The secrets of semi-automatic gearboxes + Discussing the cost cap controversy Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

The Race F1 Tech Show is back! For the first episode of a new series, host Edd Straw is joined by former F1 technical director Gary Anderson for an in-depth look at a bit of serious F1 tech that’s used by every team on the grid: The semi-automatic gearbox.

With the help of special guest John Barnard, the man responsible for bringing the first iteration of the paddle-shift box to F1 in 1989 with Ferrari, we look at how the technology works, what performance benefits the system has brought to F1, and how gearboxes have developed over the last 30-plus years.

Gary also talks through his experience of developing such technology at Jordan in the Nineties, but not before giving his opinion on F1’s recent cost cap controversy...

And in our listener questions section, Gary answers a question on the performance characteristics of 2022-spec F1 cars in wet conditions and low-speed corners. To have your burning tech question answered on the show, send a voicenote or email to podcasts@the-race.com

The Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.

Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From fan car to F1 2022 – the secrets of ground effect Aug 10, 2022

Show notes

With F1’s August shutdown well under way, there’s still lots to talk about in the world of tech for host Edd Straw and Gary Anderson, former Jordan, Jaguar and Stewart technical director, to talk about.

Gary starts off with a look at the follies of Ferrari’s attitude to strategy during the 2022 season and why it is not about sacking team principal Mattia Binotto if Ferrari wants to fix things.

Then it’s onto a deep dive into F1 ground effect cars, starting off with the 1970s. Then, Gary was in the thick of the ground effect revolution that was kicked off by Team Lotus. That then spawned the fascinating Brabham BT46 ‘fan car’ that raced only once. But what might have happened had such fan cars stayed legal?

Modern-day ground effect is also delved into, including the potential for teams to unlock significantly more performance in the future despite the rule changes slated for 2023.

And finally, Gary answers a listener question about whether any of F1’s midfield teams can hope to join the ‘big three’ teams at the front before the next rules cycle starts in 2026.

The Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.

Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mid-season tech review + analysing Aston’s radical new rear wing Aug 03, 2022

Show notes

We've reached the mid-season break in this year's F1 campaign, but there's still plenty of juicy technical topics for host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson to dig into.

First up, they cast an eye over the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Aston Martin caught the eye when they unveiled their paradigm-shifting rear wing endplates. Gary gives his view on why Aston have taken this development direction, and whether it complies with the spirit of the regulations.

The duo also discuss Ferrari's strategic decisions in the race, and on what data the team were basing their decisions on, especially with rivals Red Bull seemingly getting all the big calls right.

The development progress of the two leading championship protagonists is also discussed in Edd and Gary's mid-season technical review, which rounds up how Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes have progressed with their cars this year, especially having embraced such different design approaches.

And finally Gary answers a listener question on whether the cleaner racing we're seeing on track in 2022 can be attributed to the revised technical regulations.

The Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real-time aero data: How it's captured and how cycling has raised the game Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

Aerodynamics are the key performance differentiator in F1, and as a result those working in the sport have become adept at measuring aerodynamic performance in real-time, using an array of sensors. But what if F1 technology was applied to another sport where aerodynamics are key?

Joining host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson this week is a man who has put this theory to the test. Dr Barney Garrood has many years of experience as a Formula One aerodynamicist at teams including Ferrari and Mercedes, working across wind tunnel, CFD and track testing methods. A keen cyclist, Garrood wanted to apply his experience in F1 aerodynamics to measure aerodynamic drag in cycling.

He explains to Edd and Gary how he applied F1 learnings to develop his Aerosensor - and how his new product has now gone full circle and is being used in F1. Edd and Gary also have the pleasure of welcoming six-time Olympic gold medalist (and 2015 European Le Mans Series LMP3 champion) Sir Chris Hoy onto the show, to discuss his experiences of working on aerodynamic performance in both cycling and motorsport.

Before all of that there’s time for a chat about the car upgrades on show at the French Grand Prix, followed by Gary answering a listener’s question about teams testing with year-old cars.

To have your tech question answered on the show, record a voice note and send it to podcasts@the-race.com

For more information on Aerosensor, visit Aerosensor.tech

The Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Analysing the 2023 floor changes + Developing the next generation of F1 engineers Jul 20, 2022

Show notes

On this week's show host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson talk through the floor-related rule changes the FIA is making for 2023, asking why the changes are happening and whether they'll cost lap time.

They also take an in-depth look at the competition that has a track record for producing the F1 engineers of the future: The long running and highly regarded F1 in Schools, which recently held its world finals at Silverstone.

And finally, Gary answers a listener's question about one of the more invisible parts of F1 tech - computing power, explaining why it's so crucial to F1 performance and so much more powerful than it was in his F1 heyday.

To have your tech question answered on the show, record a voice note and send it to podcasts@the-race.com

The Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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