displacement of 3 liters produces about 140 horsepower. A Formula 1 car is able to
produce so much more power because it uses many new technologies.
These engines have four valves per cylinder, two valves are for the intake and two
valves for the exhaust. The four valves allow more efficient flow of fuel and exhaust gases.
The camshafts are gear driven instead of belt driven to eliminate slippage.
The computerized fuel injection system allows the fuel to enter the combustion
chamber efficiently to produce the most power. The fuel injection system is controlled by
the Engine Control Unit or ECU. This computer controls all the vital functions of the
engine. The ECU will adjust the engine to ever changing conditions in atmospheric
pressure and humidity.
The camshaft opens and closes valves using a new system called air timing. Air
timing uses compressed air to open and close the valves; this eliminates the need for valve
springs which can break. In order to keep the engine running cool, a Formula 1 engine
uses dry-sump lubrication. This system pumps the oil under pressure all over the engine
and transmission. Formula 1 teams also wind-tunnel test their combustion chambers to
identify the best design for maximum efficiency. (Renault Racing, 1997)
Materials Used In the Construction of the Engine
(Renault Racing, 1997)
Aluminum- Cylinder heads, sump pump, pistons
Magnesium-Oil pump housing
Carbon Fiber- Air box, coil shield
Steel- Camshafts, crankshaft, timing gears
Titanium- Connecting rods, fasteners
(Renault Racing, 1997)
Transmission Specifications and Technology
The transmission on a Formula 1 car is very complex. The transmission or gear
box is semi-automatic, which means the driver does not have to push in the clutch for
shifting gears. The only time the driver has to use a clutch is to start the car from a stop.
The clutch is located on the left side of the steering wheel and is operated by fingers on
the left hand. On the right side, there is the paddle which is used to switch gears using the
fingers of the right hand. The driver will pull the paddle towards him to switch up a gear
and move it away to downshift. The engine will automatically disengage the clutch when
the gears are being changed. This type of shifting is called sequential and is similar to a
motorcycle. This means that you have to switch through all the gears when downshifting.
All Formula 1 cars must also have one reverse gear.
The race teams try to find the right gearing to suit each track. The racing teams
must find the right match between top speed and acceleration. They do this by changing
gear ratios. An example for these ratios is 3:14:1. This means that the wheels will turn
once when the driver shaft rotates 3.14 times. A 4:10:1 ratio would mean it would have
better acceleration than 3:14:1, but a lower top speed at the same engine speed.
(Renault Racing, 1997)
Cockpit Instruments
Buttons
The cockpit of a Formula 1 car is very complex with many switches and buttons.
There are four buttons on the steering wheel of a Formula 1 car. The first button is the
engine kill switch which turns off the engine; the second is the neutral button that puts the
car in neutral from any gear; the third button is the pit lane speed limiter. The fourth
button is used for the radio. The driver pushes this button when he wants to talk to his
crew. (Young, J 1995)
Switches and Adjustments
On the dash of a Formula 1 car there are many switches. The switch marked “Fire”
is used to activate the onboard fire extinguishers in case of a fire. Another switch is the oil
pump switch. The driver would use this switch if there was an oil pump failure and this
would activate the backup system. On the right side of the dash there is the brake balance
adjustment. The driver would adjust this to give more braking power to the rear or front
wheels. The switch marked “Light” on the dash is used to turn on the rear safety light on
the car. This would be used when the visibility is bad or it is raining. On the floor of the
cockpit are three dials. The throttle sensitivity adjuster allows the driver to control the
sensitivity of the throttle pedal. The second dial, the transmission strategy adjuster, allows
the driver to adjust the revolutions per minute for the engine and the shift points. The third
dial, the air/fuel mixture, adjusts the mixture of fuel and air entering the engine. (Young, J.
1995)
Displays
The cockpit of a Formula 1 car has many displays; the largest is the liquid-crystal
display. This display shows the current gear the car is in, last complete lap time and the
current lap time. On the left side of the dash is the RPM indicator for the engine’s speed.
The right side of the dash contains warning lights for the high temperature, low oil
pressure and fuel pump. (Young, J 1995)
Controls
As in a commercial passenger vehicle, a Formula 1 car has a steering wheel and
foot pedals. The stressing wheel is flat on the top so the driver can see over it. As
described earlier, the clutch is located behind the wheel on the left side. The driver would
only use the clutch to start the car from a stop. The two pedals are the accelerator and
brake pedals which are located on the floor and operated by the drivers feet. The
accelerator is used to make the car go faster and the brake pedal is used to slow the car.
(Young, J 1995)
Comparison Specifications
Between a Formula 1 car and a 1995 Dodge Caravan
(Ferrari Racing, 1997; Dodge, 1995)
Conclusion
Formula 1 racing is one of the most technical and computerized sports in the
world. Formula 1 racing is constantly changing and improving in the areas of chassis
construction, brakes, tires, aerodynamics, safety, engine reliability and power. Formula 1
racing is in the forefront of development of safety features and technology found on a
commercial passenger vehicle.
Formula 1 racing cars are the safest cars in the world. They can crash at 300 km/h
and the driver can still walk away. Over time, these cars have become faster and safer.
This is due to extensive research done by each race team. All the parts of the car go
through many tests and modification to find the best possible design. Formula 1 also uses
many computers to control many functions on the car. In the past few years, normal
passenger vehicles are using the computer to operate the engine and electronics in the
vehicle. This allows the engines to run more efficiently, and this in turn is better for the
environment. Formula 1 racing will continue to be the most technical and entertaining
sport in the world.
References
Automobile racing. (1994). In Microsoft Encarta multimedia encyclopedia [CD-
ROM]. Redmond: Microsoft. [1994, Nov.5]
Boddy, W. & Labab B. (1988). The history of motor racing. Hong Kong:
Witsmith.
Chimits, X. (1994). Renault formula 1. New York: DK Publishing Book.
Ford Racing. (1997, November 2). Ford Motorsport [Online]. Available:
http://www.ford.com/motorsport/2-10techtr.html [1997, November 15].
Graham, I. (1989). Racing cars. New York: Gloucester Press.
Grant, H. D. (1997, November 25). [Personal interview]. Winnipeg.
Lerner, P. (1995, September). The state of racing. Automobile, pp. 66-70.
Mansell, N. (1993). Nigel Mansell’s Indy car racing. London: Weidenfeld and
Nicolson.
Renault Racing. (1997, November). Renault/Williams/Bennton [Online]. Available:
http://www.renaultf1.com [1997, November 15].
Schtegelmilch, R. (1993). Grand Prix fascination formula 1. Germany:
Konemann.
Sullivan, G. (1992). Racing Indy cars. New York: Cobblehill Books.
Team Ferrari. (1997, October). Team Ferrari racing [Online]. Available:
http://www.ferrari.it/comsport.e/formula1.html [1997, November 15].
Wilkinson, S. (1996). Automobile racing. In World book encyclopedia (Vol. 1,
pp. 977-980). Chicago: World Book.
Young, J. (1995). Indy Cars. Minneapolis: Capstone Press.
APPENDIX A
Technical Specifications:
Rothmans Williams Renault FW19 Formula 1 Racing Car
Engine: Renault V10, RS9, 3 liter normally-aspirated??????????
Management System: Magneti Marelli
Transmission: Six-speed Williams transverse semi-automatic
Chassis: Carbon Aramid epoxy composite, manufactured by Williams
Suspension: Williams. Torsion bar front, Helical coil rear with Williams-Penske dampers
Cooling System: Two Secan water radiators, two IMI oil radiators
Brakes: Carbone Industrie discs and pads operated by AP calipers
Lubricants: Castrol
Fuel: Elf
Wheels: Oz; 13 x 11.5 front, 13 x 13.7 rear
Tires: Goodyear Eagle radials
Spark Plugs: Champion
Cockpit Instrumentation: Williams digital data display
Seat Belts: Five point Williams
Steering Wheel: Personal
Driver’s seat: Anatomically formed in carbon/epoxy composite material
Extinguisher Systems: Williams, with Metron actuators and FW 100 extingishants
Paint System: DuPont
Front Track: 1670 millimetres
Rear Track: 1600 millimetres
Wheelbase: 2890 millimetres
Weight: 605kg
Overall car length: 4150 millimetres
Figure A-1: Rothmans Williams Renault FW19 Formula 1 Car
(Williams Racing, 1997)
APPENDIX B
Technical specifications
Renault V10 RS9 Engine
Engine Type: piston driven, normally-aspirated
Horsepower: 700
Number of cylinders: 10 cylinders V-shape (71 degree angle)
Displacement: 3 liters 2998.1 cc
Cam Shafts: 4 gear driven
Fuel Injection: Magneti Marelli digital injection
Timing: Air Timing
Number of Valves: 40
Electronic ignition: Magneti Marelli solid state
Engine Length: 623mm
Engine Height: 542 mm
Engine Weight: 121 Kg
Engine Height to Cylinders Heads : 395 mm
RPM Redline: 18,000 rpm
Transmission/Gearbox: Six-speed Williams transverse semi-automatic Limited slip
Figure B-1: Renault V10 RS9 Engine Figure B-2: Wire Outline
(Renault F1, 1997)
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