Testing around the clock
When it comes to safety and technology, nothing is left to chance in Formula 1 – there is far too much at stake for the teams. To maximise the safety of new parts and materials and to push forward the development of the tyres, teams invest a huge amount of time and money on testing all year round.
Even in the 1980s, it was only possible to cope with the testing needs of the teams in Formula 1 with separate specialist test teams. The main issue was not only the technology, but increasingly the safety of the cars. Even though computer technology has since developed extremely quickly, and engineers can now use powerful simulation programmes to test entire cars in the wind tunnel, there has been no reduction in the testing work out on the track itself. On the contrary: even the most powerful computers have difficulties with two of the most important factors dictating the performance of a race car – the tyres and the driver.
“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.
“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.”
