Marussia F1 team showcases technology used in Formula 1
We go behind the scenes to see 3D printers, ERP systems and a 60 Teraflop Computation Fluid Dynamics Cluster in action at the team's site in Banbury.
Cleanliness is extremely important in Formula 1. A spec of dust in hydraulic fluid can cause a catastrophic part failure, for example.
The team seals off the hydraulics department to help keep it dust free.
The walls, tiles and ceilings are cleaned regularly. There are numerous extraction fans and a special washer is used to clean parts.
Currently, Marussia is using 40 Teraflops
Testing is pivotal and can give teams the edge on race day. Marussia F1 has a Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Cluster with a capacity of 60 Teraflops on site, but is only using 40 Teraflops so it can use part of its budget to test in wind tunnel.
The CFD provides virtual simulations, but is typically used to test the front of the car as it becomes difficult to replicate the dirty air, which will flow over the rear wing. Data is collected from the CFD and combined with information from the wind tunnel and track testing to measure performance and make changes.
Such computation power is typically used by military, aerospace and film studios, such as Disney. The room is water cooled and draws so much power, it requires a separate generator.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
Data from the wind tunnel is used to make aerodynamic modifications
The engineers build a 50 per cent scale model for use in the wind tunnel. It is important there are no errors on this model because any mistakes will be doubled when the real car is made.
This is last year's model and is used by the pit crew to practice pit stops on a daily basis during off-season.
Countless man hours go into the preparation of the final car before it even hits the track, where success is ultimately determined. Race cars are typically shipped back to Banbury between races to be stripped and checked before the next race.
The next race will be the at Circuit de Catalunya in Spain, with qualifying on 12 May.
-
Criminals target APIs as web attacks skyrocket globally
News More than a third of web attacks target APIs as AI expands attack surfaces and brings new security challenges
By Emma Woollacott
-
What to look out for at RSAC Conference 2025
Analysis Convincing attendees that AI can revolutionize security will be the first point of order at next week’s RSA Conference – but traditional threats will be a constant undercurrent
By Rory Bathgate
-
Why managing shareholders is key to innovation
In-depth Seeking out investment for new technologies and seeing your ideas through requires continuous and measured trust-building
By Elliot Mulley-Goodbarne
-
How Crew Clothing went mobile to turn around a struggling business
Case Study Mobile sales tech unleashed a tide of change, buoying further growth across the UK coast-inspired casualwear chain
By Fleur Doidge
-
The Total Economic Impact™ of SAP finance transformation services with TruQua
Whitepaper Business benefits and cost savings enabled by accelerating the SAP central finance transformation
By ITPro
-
Avoiding cloud migration pitfalls for SAP
Whitepaper Determining the best approach to SAP HANA
By ITPro
-
What tech investors can learn from three under-fire CEOs
Analysis With clear lessons to learn from the high-profile cases of Autonomy, Theranos, and Wirecard, investors should tread carefully in future
By Rois Ni Thuama
-
What to expect from Oracle CloudWorld 2022
Opinion Larry Ellison and co are heading to Las Vegas for a rebranded cloud-centric show
By Bobby Hellard
-
Microsoft announces Teams chat integration for Dynamics 365
News The integration offers features to streamline collaboration between teams while aiming to enable the faster closing of sales
By Daniel Todd
-
Unit4 acquires Scanmarket to bolster ERP suite
News The acquisition aims to extend Unit4’s transactional procurement functionality and provide more benefits for its customers
By Zach Marzouk