As Formula One, involves five automotive brands as team owners/engine suppliers, it naturally starts a conversation of bringing in their technology to ‘everyday’ cars.
“There are examples of direct transfer but there is also indirect transfer, where F1 serves as a research laboratory for developing new solutions and showing the world what is possible.”
Paddy Lowe.
There have been quite a few innovations that you have probably wouldn’t believe started off in a Formula One car, but they’re usually seen in high end/luxury cars due to high costs. Nevertheless, let’s look at some of these features that have made it to the ‘on road’ cars:
Carbon Fibre
Carbon fiber, also known as graphite fiber, is a polymer characterized by its strength and stiffness. It consists of crystalline carbon filaments that are twisted together. This material can be woven into a cloth or molded into a permanent shape and then coated with plastic or resin. Initially, carbon fibers were used in cars in smaller quantities due to their lightweight properties. However, in 1981, McLaren’s adoption of carbon fiber for the chassis of their MP4/1 car marked a significant expansion in their use. Despite being lightweight, carbon fibers are stronger than steel. This allows them to endure high levels of stress and impact, which is why they are utilized in car manufacturing.
Carbon fibre helps the cars go faster and also offers fuel efficiency as it is light and reduces drag. McLaren took this innovation a step further by producing the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren in 2003, becoming the first road car to incorporate carbon fiber. Today, this advanced material is widely utilized in high-end road cars manufactured by Porsche, BMW, Aston Martin, and Jaguar, among others.
Paddle Shifters
The invention of paddle shifters dates back to the beginning of the 19th century. It was not until the 1989 F1 season that Ferrari introduced a semi-automatic gearbox, which instilled enough confidence in the technology. Paddle Shifters are essentially levers attached to the steering wheel, enabling drivers to manually shift the gears of an automatic transmission without removing their hands from the wheel.
The rationale was that shifts were faster and caused less wear on the components than a conventional manual gear change. Unlike a full automatic, the drivers still had control over when and where to change gears. It took just eight years for paddle shifters to appear in Ferrari’s road-going F355 Berlinetta.
(thegentleman’sjournal)
Paddle shifters are commonly found on performance and sports cars, though they are also available in SUVs.
Steering wheel buttons
The addition of buttons to change the radio station and volume is another great feature that lets drivers keep their hands on the wheel.
The trend began in the 1970s, but it really took off in the 1980s and 1990s as more technology was incorporated into automobiles. They were placed on the steering wheel because drivers didn’t want to be fiddling with buttons when travelling at 300 km/h.
Hot V engine
The Hot V engine was first introduced by Ferrari in the 1980s. It was then tested in quite a few performance-focused vehicles, including the Mercedes-AMG GT S and the Porsche Panamera.
The Hot V engine has ports pointed inwards, towards the centerline of the block, with the turbocharger dividing either side, making the turbo closer to where the combustion in the engine is. The logic behind this design is that turbochargers rely on the velocity of the exhaust gases to be ‘activated’, and keeping the turbo closer to the source of warmth and the gases is beneficial rather than having it kept to the outer sides where there’s a risk of the gas losing temperature.
As the setup is incredibly complicated and difficult to maintain, these engines are usually used in really expensive vehicles.
Active suspension
Nigel Mansell’s 1992 Williams FW14B that won him the championship had also inspired the trend of active suspension in cars. Using hydraulic actuators while cornering, the system provided smoother performance and even helped to increase downforce and speed.
Active suspension allows the car to adjust the level of its chassis depending on the road conditions to maximise the aerodynamic performance of the car. A suspension consists of a spring and a shock absorber. The energy that comes from the downforce is used to compress the wheel and keep the car stabilised. This is now widely used in modern vehicles and is an excellent example of technology that was pioneered on the circuit before being introduced in mainstream vehicles.
Clearly, the integration of Formula One technology into regular cars has revolutionised the industry. And this is definitely not the end of change!