Rims on 2012 F1 cars

[GSBellew]

The construction of rims has been changed since last years, however it is still BBS. Ferrari used simillar construction 2 last years maybe they were designed specially for them? Its construction, I mean those additional external metal circles, helps to further cool brakes, isn't it?

so BBS send random rims to Mercedes and OZ make specially design for Ferrari and Red Bull ??

Mercedes rims are so hmmm unattractive?

The wheels are based on the BBS Y spoke design, a design which they have been using for years and to anyone who knows would be instantly recognisable as a BBS rim.
Just look at all the BBS road wheels that use a broadly similar design and you will see what I mean.

[MIKEY_!]

According to this site Caterham and Force India use BBS made to their own spec while it says nothing about Ferrari having their own spec OZ wheels (although I'm sure they do). I think it depends mostly on how the team design the bits that attach to the wheel (brake parts etc). The aerodynamic flanges they attach will also have something to do with it. Many teams will have them made to spec.

[ESPImperium]

According to this site Caterham and Force India use BBS made to their own spec while it says nothing about Ferrari having their own spec OZ wheels (although I'm sure they do). I think it depends mostly on how the team design the bits that attach to the wheel (brake parts etc). The aerodynamic flanges they attach will also have something to do with it. Many teams will have them made to spec.

More or less every team will have their own spec, as teams will have different weights per front and rear, how the wheel connects to the hub and the flanges that are used, all the way down to the down to where the wheel ballance weights are placed and attached.

Wheels from one team to another may look the same, but they are infact a different spec, even from the same manufacturer.

As for who supplies who;

OZ Wheels: Red Bull, Ferrari, Lotus, Sauber and HRT
BBS Wheels: Mercedes, Force India, Caterham, Marussia
Rays Wheels: Williams
Advanti Wheels: Toro Rosso
Enkei Wheels: McLaren

[clipsy1H]

The construction of rims has been changed since last years, however it is still BBS. Ferrari used simillar construction 2 last years maybe they were designed specially for them? Its construction, I mean those additional external metal circles, helps to further cool brakes, isn't it?

so BBS send random rims to Mercedes and OZ make specially design for Ferrari and Red Bull ??

Mercedes rims are so hmmm unattractive?

The wheels are based on the BBS Y spoke design, a design which they have been using for years and to anyone who knows would be instantly recognisable as a BBS rim.
Just look at all the BBS road wheels that use a broadly similar design and you will see what I mean.

are you sure? force india rims looks different.

[Morteza]

@clipsy1H
That's BBS for sure.

[GSBellew]

The Force India rims still have the y spoke design, you can see it just before it disappears behind the wheel faring.

Mercedes:



Caterham:



Marussia:



They all have the same basic BBS Y spoke design.

Like BBS road wheels, a few examples:

RX:



RC:



LM:



CH:

[clipsy1H]

yea i know force BBS but a little diferent design.

[ivand911]

Mercedes design looks different from FI,Caterham and Marussia. Also BBS rims have holes in the spokes. But, I am sure rims don't win the titles. There isn't random rims in F1, they are all special. And I think their weight is pretty much the same.

[strad]

And I think their weight is pretty much the same.

Indeed I bet they are...X amound of thickness of the required material weighs X amount.

[Jw50]

I was taught that a pound of unsprung weight saved(i.e. a wheel) is worth 4 pounds in the seat of a car. So regardless of a minimum weight standard it is critical to minimize the weight of the wheel for optimal handling.

[JordanMugen]

Mercedes design looks different from FI,Caterham and Marussia. Also BBS rims have holes in the spokes. But, I am sure rims don't win the titles. There isn't random rims in F1, they are all special. And I think their weight is pretty much the same.

They are all forged magnesium alloy wheels, aren't they? Regardless of whether they come from OZ Racing (now the defacto standard supplier, and control supplier for 2022) or one of the others like Enkei, BBS, Rays Engineering, Apptech etc.

Yes, I'm sure the weight difference is close enough between suppliers to be insignificant. Just as a 17x7.5" forged aluminium alloy street car wheel designed to be as light as possible invariably ends up at the same weight, ~6.8kg, regardless of the manufacturer or design -- you'd expect the same to be true for a F1 wheel. The physics and material properties just define that they are going to end up at about the same weight when they are working to the same design brief with the same choice of materials.

F1 rim design variation these days seems to be either for aesthetics, i.e., the promotional priorities of the wheel sponsor be it Rays or Enkei etc, and/or, more importantly, aerodynamics and tyre temperature management.