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“If the handling
of the car is not good, the driver can compensate by choosing a different
line and can still get a good lap time,” explains Frank Dernie from the
WilliamsF1 Team. “The computer doesn’t know how to do that.”
With tyres too, the engineers can only achieve so much with simulation
programmes alone. The performance of the tyres, which by their very nature
play a decisive role in the safety of Formula 1, simply depends on too many
different factors. However much information you collect about the
aerodynamics of your car in the wind tunnel, the findings will not produce
the desired results unless you can predict exactly what effect these
different factors will have on the tyres. No wonder most of the teams’
testing time is dedicated to the tyres.
Passenger cars have also become increasingly complex, thanks to added
functionality and the greater number of components which need to work
together. “In order to avoid breakdowns or even expensive recall campaigns,
the manufacturers have to pay extremely careful attention to the flawless
interaction of all the components during the development process and in
testing,” says Dr. Christoph Lauterwasser from the Allianz Center for
Technology (AZT). The vehicles are also constantly monitored and enhanced
even after being launched to the market. “Tests can provide important
information about faults and their sources. But they cannot guarantee that
no faults will occur.”
Apart from enhancing the tyres, Formula 1 teams pursue two main aims with
their tests: on the one hand, they check the performance and set-up of the
cars and, on the other they search for reliability. That is becoming more
and more important as in the future an increasing number of components will
have to be used for longer periods, not least in order to save costs. So the
tests – the teams have agreed a total of 36 test days for 2006 – also
represent an essential safety factor.
The driver plays a key role in the test team, which includes about 40 people
in the case of the WilliamsF1 Team. The pressure is extremely high, and
young rookies often find it hard to cope, so the top teams decided many
years ago to give this job to drivers who can compete with the race drivers
in terms of experience and speed. For instance, Alexander Wurz, who joined
WilliamsF1 as a test driver this year, has already driven 53 Grands Prix.
“Basically, you want to achieve exactly the same in the tests as in the race
– to be as quick as possible,” says Wurz. For the engineers, his impressions
and feedback are the key to improving the performance and the safety of the
car, but that only works with total commitment: “When you’re testing, 100%
of the time you are driving at the limit,” says Wurz. “There are no tactical
games. Whenever you leave the pit lane, you give absolutely everything to
register the fastest possible lap time.”
WilliamsF1 always uses advanced communication channels to exchange
information between the test team, the factory in Grove, England, and the
race team. If the WilliamsF1 Team is testing somewhere in the world, Dernie
is informed live in his office about every completed lap via a laptop and
dedicated line.
Allianz Safety Check: Hungaroring - by Mark Webber, WilliamsF1 driver:
“The Hungaroring is a track like Monaco: 14 corners and no proper straight
where you can catch your breath for a moment. That really tests your
fitness, especially if it’s hot as well. Overtaking is difficult, although
you can try it out of the slipstream just before Turn 1. The grip is only
really acceptable on the ideal line, and everywhere else it can get critical
very quickly. But the run-off zones are different from Monaco. Thanks to
them and the relatively low speeds, the Hungaroring is one of the safest
circuits in Formula 1." |
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