What is inside a Formula 1 race car ...

[szh]

http://www.wimp.com/slicecar/

Absolutely cool details that you cannot normally see from the outside of a race car.

What I find scary is how close the driver is actually sitting with respect to the ground ...

Z

[Loki]

Speaking as an engineer...er well, I have very little words. Seeing the technology displayed like this is simply amazing. Kudos to the team that did this, I know first hand that making a cutaway model of an automotive component is quite difficult.

[DJ_B_Easy]

Very cool, thank you for sharing that. Even the baffles in the fuel tank were interesting, just something that I never would have thought of.

[numbnuts240]

pretty cool, but i was kind of expecting this

[Bubba1]

http://www.wimp.com/slicecar/

Absolutely cool details that you cannot normally see from the outside of a race car.

What I find scary is how close the driver is actually sitting with respect to the ground ...

Z

Very impressive technology, then you toss in the shaping/ground effects technology aided by windtunnels/computers, tire and braking technologies, and they are a marvel. I was a little surprised with the driving position both being so close to the ground and especially with the legs up so high. I think my legs would fall asleep being up that high for 2 hours at a time.

I'd still rather drive a 60's or 70's F1 machine without all the aerodynamic/technological stuff with an old fashioned 3rd pedal, which is more driver oriented than technology, but that's me.

[RCA]

What I find scary is how close the driver is actually sitting with respect to the ground ...

Gives you a new perspective when F1 cars go airborne.

Imagine F1 cars from the 80's where are floor is made of basically nothing.

[szh]

What I find scary is how close the driver is actually sitting with respect to the ground ...

Gives you a new perspective when F1 cars go airborne.

Imagine F1 cars from the 80's where are floor is made of basically nothing.

Interesting how the driver mentioned that he can feel his butt touch the ground if the car is too low. The separation is 10mm (1 cm) from the "tarmac" according to the narrator.

Lends new meaning to the phrase "driving by the seat of your pants".

Z

[szh]

Very impressive technology, then you toss in the shaping/ground effects technology aided by windtunnels/computers, tire and braking technologies, and they are a marvel. I was a little surprised with the driving position both being so close to the ground and especially with the legs up so high. I think my legs would fall asleep being up that high for 2 hours at a time.

Agreed! Today's race car drivers need to be relatively small, from what I understand. More than a certain height, and you would not fit inside.

I'd still rather drive a 60's or 70's F1 machine without all the aerodynamic/technological stuff with an old fashioned 3rd pedal, which is more driver oriented than technology, but that's me.

Yup. Lots of changes have happened in the the past 25 to 50 years!

Z

[300ZXttZMAN]

Wow awesome video. Thanks for posting.

[RCA]

Agreed! Today's race car drivers need to be relatively small, from what I understand. More than a certain height, and you would not fit inside.

Well you always have Mark Webber. I still have hope, just need to drop 85lbs.

[szh]

Agreed! Today's race car drivers need to be relatively small, from what I understand. More than a certain height, and you would not fit inside.

Well you always have Mark Webber. I still have hope, just need to drop 85lbs.

Interesting! It does seem that he might not fit inside that Sauber race car ...

maybe some of the pedals can be adjusted back and forth a bit to accommodate taller people?

Z

[szh]

pretty cool, but i was kind of expecting this

Quite an overmuscled hamster there! I missed it the first time.

Z

[szh]

Very cool, thank you for sharing that. Even the baffles in the fuel tank were interesting, just something that I never would have thought of.

Yes! Makes sense to keep it low with the one-way valves that way, but I wonder how the valves work with the rapid fill gasoline systems they use during the race? Do they allow the gas to do go "down" to lower chambers fast enough?

Z

[flohtingPoint]

Speaking as an engineer...er well, I have very little words. Seeing the technology displayed like this is simply amazing. Kudos to the team that did this, I know first hand that making a cutaway model of an automotive component is quite difficult.

This is an old car too, a 2008 spec. In 2010 the cars were generating more rear downforce with less rear wing than back in 2008 . Blown double diffuser was a work of art.

Interesting! It does seem that he might not fit inside that Sauber race car ...

maybe some of the pedals can be adjusted back and forth a bit to accommodate taller people?

Z

It's not a road car, the vehicle's monocoque are custom built for each driver. They dont switch cars, each driver has their own vehicle. The monocoque is pretty tight, I've driven Formula SAE and Formula Ford's and they were roomy compared to a F1 vehicle.

As far as sitting that close to the ground, a lot of formula cars are like this, so is my kart. My seat actually goes below my karts chassis, it connects with the ground quite often.

Very cool, thank you for sharing that. Even the baffles in the fuel tank were interesting, just something that I never would have thought of.

Yes! Makes sense to keep it low with the one-way valves that way, but I wonder how the valves work with the rapid fill gasoline systems they use during the race? Do they allow the gas to do go "down" to lower chambers fast enough?

Z

There is no refueling in F1. They banned it after 2009's season. Now, back in 2008, where this car is from, the vehicles were very rarely brimmed, so filling was hardly an issue. Even when they were brimmed, the baffles had no adverse effect, as the FIA governed how quickly the fuel flow ran from the pump to the car.