The Race F1 Tech Show

The 2022 F1 season brought with it a sweeping set of technical regulation changes aimed at improving racing. So now, with a full year of racing complete, can we say the new rule-set had the desired impact?On this week's episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson debate that question, before the FIA's single-seater technical director Nikolas Tombazis - a chief architect of the new rules - gives his own verdict on how things went and where the regulations might be heading next.Before that, Gary discusses how an F1 technical director leads a team at this time of the year, including how to tackle the 180-page rulebook of technical regulations.And before signing off there's time for another listener question, which this week is on tyre degradation, and specifically how Ferrari's season-long disadvantage to Red Bull disappeared for one race in Austria.Want to ask us a question? Send a voicenote or email to podcasts@the-race.comThe Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Computational Fluid dynamics – better known as CFD – is a key simulation tool for all F1 teams. But what is it, how is it used and why is it so important? We’re joined by two of the key architects behind Red Bull’s success - Chief Designer Craig Skinner and Ansys chief technologist Christophe Bianchi - to explain how this complex but powerful design tool is harnessed to extract performance.Before that, with F1 teams now is full flow working on their car designs for 2023, former F1 technical director Gary Anderson tells host Edd Straw how they go about tackling the unique new car challenges faced at this time of year.And finally, Gary answers another listener's question, which this week asks about the successful troubleshooting of one of his most famous cars: The Jordan 198.Want to ask us a question? Send a voicenote or email to podcasts@the-race.comThe Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s a simple truth in F1, and that’s that if there were no mechanics to run the cars, there would be no racing. On this week’s episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, we are digging into the technical aspects of a mechanic’s job with the help of former McLaren mechanic-turned-broadcaster, Marc Priestley. Marc describes the chain of command amongst mechanics, the complex process of building an F1 car from scratch with no manual to work from, how you go about rebuilding a car that has been crashed at 150mph, the anxiety of tackling a pit stop, and much more.Before that, former F1 technical director Gary Anderson tells host Edd Straw why he has concerns about the recent proposal to introduce wheel arches into F1 to reduce spray in wet weather. He also suggests an alternative solution to the problem.And finally, Gary answers another question from a listener, which this week is on whether teams could run a textured conveyor belt in the windtunnel to simulate bumpy circuits.Want to ask us a question? Send a voicenote or email to podcasts@the-race.comThe Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode we have two timely topics to dig into. Firstly, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson discuss how Mercedes have been able to turn a car that started the season as a bouncing, porpoising nightmare into a Grand Prix winner. They also ask what the Silver Arrows' Brazilian GP victory means for them being able to give Red Bull a run for their money in 2023.Secondly, Gary chats to Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, just a day after the team took a very popular - and very unexpected - pole position with Kevin Magnussen in Brazil. An engineer by trade, who once served as both a mechanic in rallying and as technical operations lead for Red Bull Racing, Gary asks Guenther about the benefits of being a technically minded team boss - and about the potential pitfalls.And finally, Gary answers another listener's burning tech question, which this week is about the single decision which contributed to Mercedes' 2022 struggles.Want to ask us a question? Send a voicenote or email to podcasts@the-race.comThe Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In so many ways, the modern world is ruled by computers, but while Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has revolutionised F1 car design over the last couple of decades, the windtunnel remains a vital tool in every F1 team's development arsenal.On this week's podcast, host Edd Straw asks former F1 technical director Gary Anderson why windtunnels remain so important to car development that teams such as Red Bull, McLaren and Aston Martin are committing millions of dollars towards new facilities. Gary also explains why CFD alone won't get you very far, and the challenges of windtunnel calibration.Before that, Gary discusses the importance of data gathering in F1, and how it differs from practice to the race.And as usual, there's time for Gary to answer questions from two listeners, which this week are on CVT transmissions and the potential aero benefits of a dimpled bodywork surface.Want to ask us a question? Send a voicenote or email to podcasts@the-race.comREAD MORE: The 'really complicated' F1 windtunnel steps that await McLarenThe Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of The Race F1 Tech Show, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson dig into a couple of big technical talking points from the recent Mexico City Grand Prix and delve into the finer points of the controversy around the future of tyre blankets.Gary kicks off the podcast by discussing the complex issue of cooling an F1 car at altitude, before explaining the key reason as to why Ferrari's performance suffered at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez compared to chief rivals Red Bull and Mercedes.After that, Edd and Gary discuss the ongoing back and forth between the teams, drivers, Pirelli, F1 and the FIA over the future of tyre blankets, including why the sport is set to drop the planned reduction in maximum tyre blanket temperatures next season and what that means for the proposed outright ban in 2024.And finally, Gary answers a listener question about whether F1 design inspiration could be taken by a combination of Mercedes' zero sidepod concept and the classic twin chassis Lotus 88.Want to ask us a question? Send a voicenote or email to podcasts@the-race.comThe Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everything that touches an F1 car has an impact on performance - and that includes the paint! But F1 being F1, the paint technology used is far from simple, and is just another area where a competitive advantage can be found. On this week’s show host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson speak to Mark Turner from Silverstone Paint Technology and Seamless Digital to reveal the surprising secrets of paint in F1, including how the teams seek to get a performance boost. Turner also explains the thinking and technology behind the revolutionary ‘dynamic branding’ that appeared on the McLaren in Austin, and why it could be the future of F1 advertising. Edd and Gary also look ahead to high-altitude Mexico City and the impact that will have on the new-generation aerodynamics of the 2022 cars. And finally, Gary answers a listener question about a potential brake-by-wire handbrake system. The Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s show, as the cost cap row rumbles on, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson are taking a look into the murky world of F1 car costs, and in particular how much it costs to actually produce key parts such as the chassis, front wing assembly, and floor. Gary explains why the cost of a car is often more expensive than it might appear on the surface, and why costs have spiralled in recent years.Before that, Edd and Gary talk about Mercedes’ future design direction, as the Silver Arrows prepare to unleash their final upgrade of the season in the USA. And to round off the show, Gary answers listeners’ questions about what the spray in Suzuka can tell us about the aero secrets of the Red Bull RB18 and why F1 cars don’t have an electric reverse gear. To have your burning tech question answered on the show, send a voicenote or email to podcasts@the-race.comThe Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Race F1 Tech Show is back! For the first episode of a new series, host Edd Straw is joined by former F1 technical director Gary Anderson for an in-depth look at a bit of serious F1 tech that’s used by every team on the grid: The semi-automatic gearbox. With the help of special guest John Barnard, the man responsible for bringing the first iteration of the paddle-shift box to F1 in 1989 with Ferrari, we look at how the technology works, what performance benefits the system has brought to F1, and how gearboxes have developed over the last 30-plus years. Gary also talks through his experience of developing such technology at Jordan in the Nineties, but not before giving his opinion on F1’s recent cost cap controversy... And in our listener questions section, Gary answers a question on the performance characteristics of 2022-spec F1 cars in wet conditions and low-speed corners. To have your burning tech question answered on the show, send a voicenote or email to podcasts@the-race.comThe Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With F1’s August shutdown well under way, there’s still lots to talk about in the world of tech for host Edd Straw and Gary Anderson, former Jordan, Jaguar and Stewart technical director, to talk about.Gary starts off with a look at the follies of Ferrari’s attitude to strategy during the 2022 season and why it is not about sacking team principal Mattia Binotto if Ferrari wants to fix things. Then it’s onto a deep dive into F1 ground effect cars, starting off with the 1970s. Then, Gary was in the thick of the ground effect revolution that was kicked off by Team Lotus. That then spawned the fascinating Brabham BT46 ‘fan car’ that raced only once. But what might have happened had such fan cars stayed legal?Modern-day ground effect is also delved into, including the potential for teams to unlock significantly more performance in the future despite the rule changes slated for 2023.And finally, Gary answers a listener question about whether any of F1’s midfield teams can hope to join the ‘big three’ teams at the front before the next rules cycle starts in 2026.The Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco.Download our brand-new app on iOS or Android Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.