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optimise the configuration of the car. This is clear when looking over a typical 2008 Formula One car, with multiple appendages attached to the bodywork for instance, and complex changes in geometry. This has been amplified by the utilisation of computation methods alongside the more traditional experimental methods (wind tunnel testing), which... Read More
22 Apr
The majority of metal alloys used in F1 today are in the categories of steel, aluminium and titanium. Nickel alloys are used for exhaust pipes and magnesium alloys are used in relatively small volumes. Cast iron is still used in many car models for disc brakes, but metallic brake disk materials have been replaced in F1 by carbon-carbon non-metallics. Some... Read More
15 Apr
The choice of metals available in today's engineering industry is bewildering. A huge range of grades can be purchased from stockholders in the UK, and the selection expands when stocks in the USA are accessed. A distribution network has developed in the UK to service the motorsport industry - many sophisticated metals can be ordered... Read More
08 Apr
Dear Fan Club Member Thank you for taking the time to view our Technical Wizardry section. Unfortunately, our technical team have asked us if they can take a short... Read More
01 Apr
The steering wheel is another area which has seen significant development over the years. Anyone who has seen a recent Formula One steering wheel will know that it now does far more than just allow the driver to steer the car. Rather than just one radio button, which was the norm in the 1980's, there are now a multitude of buttons and knobs... Read More
18 Mar
Back in the early 1980s, there was very little electronics on a Formula One car, apart from electronic ignition. Electronic fuel injection was just beginning to be experimented with, but otherwise the car's electrical system was simple. The wiring harness consisted... Read More
11 Mar
Rather than abandon the FW29 in favour of a wholly different design direction for 2008, it was decided that we would build on the solid platform already in place with the development of the FW30. Even with that approach... Read More
04 Mar
The main rule changes for 2008 are that the gearbox now has to last for four races instead of just one and the introduction of a ‘Standardised Electronic Control Unit' (SECU) that doesn't permit traction control systems. Preparations for the first race of the 2008 season started... Read More
26 Feb
Ask people at Williams F1 what ‘Car Build' is and everyone will agree that it is the time in which the design and manufacturing functions turn their attention to next season's car. As with most Formula One teams, a significant amount of investigative... Read More
19 Feb
Ten or so years ago it was not uncommon for only 10 - 12 cars to complete a Grand Prix out of 24 starters. Today that is simply not the case. The "bar" on reliability has been... Read More
12 Feb