The Race F1 Tech Show

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.

We've reached the mid-season break in this year's F1 campaign, but there's still plenty of juicy technical topics for host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson to dig into.First up, they cast an eye over the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Aston Martin caught the eye when they unveiled their paradigm-shifting rear wing endplates. Gary gives his view on why Aston have taken this development direction, and whether it complies with the spirit of the regulations.The duo also discuss Ferrari's strategic decisions in the race, and on what data the team were basing their decisions on, especially with rivals Red Bull seemingly getting all the big calls right.The development progress of the two leading championship protagonists is also discussed in Edd and Gary's mid-season technical review, which rounds up how Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes have progressed with their cars this year, especially having embraced such different design approaches.And finally Gary answers a listener question on whether the cleaner racing we're seeing on track in 2022 can be attributed to the revised technical regulations.The Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aerodynamics are the key performance differentiator in F1, and as a result those working in the sport have become adept at measuring aerodynamic performance in real-time, using an array of sensors. But what if F1 technology was applied to another sport where aerodynamics are key? Joining host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson this week is a man who has put this theory to the test. Dr Barney Garrood has many years of experience as a Formula One aerodynamicist at teams including Ferrari and Mercedes, working across wind tunnel, CFD and track testing methods. A keen cyclist, Garrood wanted to apply his experience in F1 aerodynamics to measure aerodynamic drag in cycling. He explains to Edd and Gary how he applied F1 learnings to develop his Aerosensor - and how his new product has now gone full circle and is being used in F1. Edd and Gary also have the pleasure of welcoming six-time Olympic gold medalist (and 2015 European Le Mans Series LMP3 champion) Sir Chris Hoy onto the show, to discuss his experiences of working on aerodynamic performance in both cycling and motorsport.Before all of that there’s time for a chat about the car upgrades on show at the French Grand Prix, followed by Gary answering a listener’s question about teams testing with year-old cars.To have your tech question answered on the show, record a voice note and send it to podcasts@the-race.comFor more information on Aerosensor, visit Aerosensor.techThe Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson talk through the floor-related rule changes the FIA is making for 2023, asking why the changes are happening and whether they'll cost lap time.They also take an in-depth look at the competition that has a track record for producing the F1 engineers of the future: The long running and highly regarded F1 in Schools, which recently held its world finals at Silverstone.And finally, Gary answers a listener's question about one of the more invisible parts of F1 tech - computing power, explaining why it's so crucial to F1 performance and so much more powerful than it was in his F1 heyday.To have your tech question answered on the show, record a voice note and send it to podcasts@the-race.comThe Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s podcast we pay homage to the wonder material that is carbon fibre. And who better to speak to on this subject than legendary designer John Barnard - the man who introduced the carbon fibre monocoque to F1 with McLaren in 1981. Light yet strong, stiff yet formable, carbon fibre has been responsible for many advances in F1, in particular on the safety side - we explain how and why. Before that, former F1 technical director Gary Anderson tells co-host Edd Straw why he’s unimpressed with Formula 1’s Drag Reduction System. And before the episode signs off, Gary answers a listener question about the new floor rules set to come into place - and rumours of retractable skid plates…To have your tech question answered on the show, record a voice note and send it to podcasts@the-race.comThe Race F1 Tech Show, brought to you by Aramco. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, after Zhou Guanyu’s terrifying British Grand Prix accident, host Edd Straw and former F1 technical director Gary Anderson take a closer look at the structures that saved the Chinese driver and ask what F1 can learn about further improving car and barrier safety.They then turn their attention to this week’s major topic: synthetic sustainable fuel, with Formula 1’s tech chief Pat Symonds joining the pod to give us the ultimate guide on what the teams will be putting in their cars in 2026 - and just why the sport is heading down this specific route.And finally, Gary is delighted to answer a listener question on the materials used to make the more mundane parts of an F1 car, and the properties these materials must exhibit - it's much more interesting than you might think!If you want to be a part of the show, simply record your burning technical question as a voice note or sound file and send it to podcasts@the-race.comThe Race F1 Tech Show is brought to you by Aramco Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.