It might be handy to make sweeping generalisations in the case of automotive efficiency, for instance, maybe the brief braking zones of F1 vehicles make them tough to go. Might or not it’s this simple, and may simulation present us the way in which to creating extra thrilling vehicles?

Part 1 of this series examined the impact that elementary automotive parameters have on overtaking efficiency. This second article goals to reply why, and what route may be pursued to make the recipe for an ideal F1 automotive. To recap the findings from earlier than:

• Heavier vehicles are higher at overtaking [other heavy cars].
• A big drop in energy improves issues, however conversely a rise in energy doesn’t appear to make overtaking any worse.
• A drop in downforce helps considerably
• Excessive grip appears to be the enemy of overtaking efficiency.

Our laptime simulation, Dynamic Lap, has a special feature (called Secondary Lap Sensitivities) that can be utilized to drill down into the info and perceive how or why the automotive can be sooner when altering setup. This finds the origin of the lap time enhancements. Overtaking Lap at present has no such function, however correlations with numerous lap metrics, some conclusions may be drawn.

Correlation Metrics

TLDR: Be happy to skip these six graphs and go to “The Profitable Formula” part in case your espresso hasn’t kicked in but.

The information from part 1 is plotted onto these graphs, in order that at every mass, energy, downforce and grip degree it’s potential to see how a lot extra grip is required to finish the overtake. A optimistic worth signifies that the next automotive would want further grip or tempo to overhaul the lead automotive, 0% means it might go simply by following within the wake, whereas detrimental exhibits that the attacking automotive might get previous even when it have been slower.

There may be fairly a bit to digest right here, however to interrupt down the traits:

The time spent on braking appears to point out an affordable correlation if we exclude energy from this graph:

The phrase “correlation isn’t causation” will get justifiably bandied round, and wanting additional proof, that is perhaps a good appraisal. Nevertheless, loads of overtakes originate from the braking zone, so it appears cheap to conclude that extending this might need a useful impact. Mass, downforce and grip all affect the tyres capability to haul the automotive up, whereas energy doesn’t, so perhaps it’s official to group these three collectively.

A extra rigorous research is required, wanting into the impact of a larger vary of automotive parameters, and decoupling downforce from the drag impact (right here “downforce” is accompanied by a drag enhance as is often the case in actuality). Drilling down into the origins of the overtake may also assist to shed some mild on the issue; was it initiated throughout braking, mid-corner, exit or the straight.

Fortuitously, with simulation it’s not at all times vital to grasp precisely why one thing occurred, however the traits can information you in the fitting route with out good data. As my earlier boss defined, the explanation for constructing complicated fashions is as a result of it’s tough to fathom it out in your head.

The Profitable Formula

The target is to make the proper recipe for overtaking, whereas preserving the heart of F1. Formula E, touring vehicles and Moto GP all ship an abundance of thrills, however what makes Formula 1 vehicles stand out is that they’re the quickest round a monitor and make use of modern engineering. Referring again to Overtaking Fundamentals: Action packed 2022 F1 season?, there have been some promising instructions that to discover:

• Present vehicles are working on the flat a part of the ability sensitivity curve; in principle doubling energy to 2000bhp appears to have little influence on overtaking efficiency. This doesn’t sound unreasonable in an age the place an unique electrical household automotive can attain F1 energy ranges.
• All that energy is prone to require a extra intricate engine, and the additional velocity would require beefier crash safety, each would add weight. The mass is elevated to 1000kg, and as beforehand demonstrated, this is perhaps no unhealthy factor.
• A discount in downforce to 50% improves the prospect of an overtake from 20% to 80%.

Overtaking Efficiency

What does this 2000bhp, 1000kg, 50% downforce “F1” beast appear like?

The blue traces above characterize the usual automotive, and on the LHS of those graphs is the baseline automotive configuration with 1000bhp|100% DF|800kg. The LH graph exhibits {that a} 1.3sec tempo benefit is required for the baseline to have a 20% likelihood of overtaking. For the RH graph, the overtaking vehicles are given a relentless grip benefit which permits a 20% likelihood of overtake per lap for the baseline setup.

Growing the ability and mass, whereas decreasing the downforce to 1400bhp|80% DF|880kg has little or no influence on the tempo delta required for an overtake (nonetheless 1.3sec), however the chance of an overtake will increase from 20% to 43%. Why does the chance of an overtake enhance so dramatically, whereas the required tempo delta stays the identical? The reply is that regardless of the additional energy, the mass enhance and downforce discount trigger the automotive to be slower, which makes it simpler to make up the 1.3sec tempo deficit than it will be with a faster automotive.

On the excessive RHS of the graph, the automotive has the complete 2000bhp|50% DF|1000kg, and the overtaking efficiency actually begin to take off. The next automotive can go even whether it is as much as 0.9sec slower than the lead automotive, and the chance of an overtake with a grip benefit is 90% per lap. Sounds improbable, however there’s a catch…

Fixing the Traction Situation and Preserving the Tempo

The usual automotive units a laptime of 101sec in baseline configuration, nevertheless at 2000bhp|50% DF|1000kg the laptime plummets by 9sec to 110sec. The acute energy isn’t sufficient to offset the loss in downforce. The driving force can not put all that energy down, and the ideas falls wanting our goal of sustaining the tempo.

A chance for bettering the traction could be to deploy AWD (all-wheel drive) as proven by the inexperienced line above. The automotive can exploit the ability extra successfully, and at 2000bhp|50% DF|1000kg a laptime of 101sec may be maintained, assembly our goal of setting an identical total tempo to the baseline.

Going again to the earlier graphs of overtaking efficiency, however this time analyzing the inexperienced AWD line on the RH graph, it intriguing to notice that at 1000bhp|100% DF|800kg, the AWD automotive can not carry out an overtake. With a 95sec laptime, it’s laborious to seek out the 1.3sec tempo benefit required for an overtake, even with the grip benefit of contemporary tyres. This modifications because the wick is turned up; the relative overtaking efficiency of the AWD automotive improves and past 1800bhp|60% DF|960kg it surpasses the RWD automotive. At 2000bhp|50% DF|1000kg with AWD the perfect formula is achieved; a automotive setting laptimes worthy of the head of motorsport, however with sensational overtaking capability.

How does this examine to DRS?

To place issues in perspective, the red line exhibits the highly effective impact that DRS has on the usual automotive. In baseline trim, DRS narrows the tempo delta required for an overtake from 1.3sec to only 0.2sec, and on the grip degree the place the baseline automotive has a 20% likelihood of an overtake per lap, that is boosted to 88% when DRS is utilized.

Alternatively, the 2000bhp|50% DF|1000kg AWD automotive can try an overtake even with the identical tempo because the lead automotive. If it has a grip benefit then the prospect of an overtake rises to 91% per lap. This presents natural overtaking alternatives that surpass these supplied by DRS. This highly effective AWD automotive looks like a promising candidate to supply an abundance of heroic wheel to wheel motion with none gimmicks.

What does a 2000bhp automotive appear like?

Again within the turbo period of 1986 BMW designed a masterpiece of an engine that delivered near 1350bhp in qualifying trim. Allegedly they have been so highly effective that drivers have reported having wheelspin at 345kph whereas racing in sixth gear. Maybe 2000bhp is a little bit ludicrous, however that is 2022, and with the added traction of AWD, perhaps that is possible.

From the usual overlay above, the distinction in finish of straight velocity (EOS) is immense. The drop in downforce and drag, and doubling of energy will increase prime velocity from 303kph to 427kph (188mph to 265mph). This appears like a security nightmare, however maybe it’s not too unhealthy, as a result of regardless of the colossal EOS velocity benefit, the automotive should go slower by means of the esses and high-speed corners as a result of drop in downforce, so it’s only on the finish of those lengthy straights the place velocity is greater [caveat: I have spent 0% of my career looking at circuit safety]. The AWD automotive clearly has a large benefit in the case of straight line acceleration, and that is the place the vast majority of the laptime deficit is reclaimed, bringing the laptime inline with the baseline automotive.

What concerning the Tyres and Wake?

From part 1 of this series the 2 highest overtaking sensitivities have been wake and grip, so it makes good sense to deal with these. It’s extremely doubtless {that a} doubling in energy and halving of downforce would trigger:

• The tyres to be destroyed in a short time.
• A discount in aerodynamic wake.

This could lead to a bigger tempo differential between competing vehicles, and enhance the automotive following efficiency, maybe making the overtaking spectacle much more dramatic than the numbers above counsel. Perhaps when these two results are thought of, maybe such excessive modifications to energy and downforce wouldn’t be required to attain all the desired impact.

Whereas it appears cheap that these secondary results may additional improve the overtaking efficiency, it’s value mentioning {that a} racing crew operating a 2000bhp automotive with a prime velocity of 265mph could be very keen so as to add downforce (which comes with a drag penalty) with the intention to commerce EOS for apex velocity. The isochronal ratio for this automotive could be very low, that means that groups would add very soiled downforce to the automotive (downforce on the expense of loads of inefficient drag). Such drag will increase would intensify the wake, thus ruining the occasion. The governing physique must hold the groups in verify by devising a brand new set of aero laws to massively prohibit downforce.

Conclusion

Is F1 trapped in an area minima, struggling to climb out?

Due to Overtaking Lap, the enemies are clear: excessive downforce, wake impact and grip. There additionally appears to be some correlation between modifications which influence the braking potential of the automotive, and overtaking efficiency. With some tinkering it’s potential to provide a extremely dramatic automotive which maintains the spirit of being the quickest round a race monitor.

A 50% discount in downforce, by means of a regulation change, would massively enhance the overtaking potential. This makes the automotive slightly sluggish across the corners however the laptime may be clawed again with a heavier, monstrous 2000bhp AWD powertrain. The mixed impact of those modifications produces a formula with extra inherent overtaking potential than DRS. When contemplating the wake discount and tyre put on impact on prime of this, the estimated enchancment could also be conservative and it is perhaps much more dramatic.

Any automotive or circuit parameters may be adjusted in Overtaking Lap, so there are ample alternatives to research on monitor motion. An thrilling chance could be within the area of circuit design. If Hermann Tilke needs to get in contact, we’d welcome the prospect to assist formulate the very best circuit structure ever conceived.