Current F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton once said of his Mercedes car; "There is more technology in this car than there is in a spaceship, if people could see what I was doing in the car it would confuse them."
Ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone I decided to take a look at some of the lesser publisised technology in the modern day Formula 1 car, with the help of the Mercedes AMG Petronas team's YouTube videos.
There are many articles on the aerodynamics, tyres and car design. But what about the smart data that the teams use to measure performance and assist them in making further improvements.
The World's Most Connected Car
There are numerous blogs and discussions on DesignSpark to discuss the benefits of IoT (Internet of Things), but how is it utilized within Formula 1? As a highly competitive industry fast data transmission is vital in F1, where every second counts towards a perfect race.
Together with Qualcomm, Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 have come up with the fastest technology to get instant access to data that is collected by hundreds of sensors and cameras on board each car. In the below video Paddy Lowe, the Executive Director (technical) and Evan Short, the team leader of trackside electronics talk us through the evolution of data collection at Mercedes and the role it plays in their success.
Are Both Cars The Same?
Whilst the fundementals of the car are practically identical for both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, there are a couple of key differences within each. Both drivers have their own specifically designed seat and steering wheel. But what difference do they make I hear you ask?
Who better to talk us through the answer to that question including some of the technology and engineering involved than the two drivers.
In the below videos Hamilton and Rosbery discuss their high-tech steering wheels and explain how engineering dictates their driving positions and seat composition for maximum performance.
The Steering Wheels
The Driving Position
For more Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 videos visit their YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/user/MERCEDESAMGPETRONAS
Also feel free to let us know who you think will win the British Grand Prix this weekend in the comments below.
I'm going for a Hamilton win on home soil, with Nico following closely behind.
HAVE YOU READ OUR BLOG ON THE FORMULA SAE COMPETITION? CLICK HERE