F1 Safety: a Brief History of Innovation

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carl-turnley-crashToday’s F1 races are the product of a long and layered history — especially in terms of safety. From mechanical designs to racing regulations, the sport has greatly evolved since its inception in the early 1950s, and this has generally made it better for drivers, officials, and fans alike.

Here is a brief look at F1 safety’s rich past.

Early designs and ideas

F1, as a competitive sport, can be traced to 1950, the year of its inaugural season. Early F1 cars had features designed purely for speed in lieu of handling components or, disturbingly, necessary safety mechanics; they featured front engines and drum brakes and were first put on display at the 1950 Formula One World Championship, held at Silverstone in England.

Proper safety measures, such as roll bars, were not formally introduced until the early 1960s. Other emerging concepts included flag signals, fire prevention components, and interrupters for electronic systems.

The 90s and early 2000s

Flash forward to the 1990s, when many of the aforementioned safety measures continued to be tested, supplemented, and innovated as the need for such measures endured. The early 90s saw the introduction of larger rearview mirrors, mandatory detachable steering wheels, and new regulations pertaining to car width and cockpit size.

In the early 2000s, these changes were complemented with numerous shifts — some drastic — in racing rules and protocol. For instance, new time penalties were implemented to drivers triggering a false start, causing an accident or collision, or forcing another driver off the course — a move generally intended to cast a deeper negative connotation over such potentially dangerous activity.

Today

While today’s F1 cars are arguably more uncomfortable than their primitive predecessors, they are much safer — and typically not at the expense of speed or efficiency. Crashes remain a regular part of the sport, some of them overwhelming and spectacular from a viewer standpoint, but, fortunately, many of the worst crashes have not been as severe as they look. Consider a 2014 crash from driver Kimi Raikkonen, which looked potentially fatal on screen, but resulted in nothing more than a sore ankle. 

This phenomenon is a direct product of modern racing safety, which itself is a product of continuous, relentless campaigning to keep the sport as safe and stable as possible. Now, cars undergo a series of dynamic, static, and load tests — all while maintaining the best aspects of the past, such as advanced fire suppression systems.

 

The Impact of Data Analytics on the Auto Industry

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carl-turnley-dataThere’s been a big impact in the automotive industry that involves data analytics. As of today, there’s vehicles that are capable of collecting massive amounts of data for their analysis. Vehicles contain around 50 sensors that are used to collect information of the driver’s pattern. For example, it can collect the speed, emissions, distance, resource usage, style of driving, and fuel usage. When this information is combined with predictive analytics, data scientists are able to utilize the information for the private and public sector.

Data Analysis is currently and going to have a major role in the auto industry. The data science is going to be utilized across the board. It will be used to build smarter vehicles for the consumer, auto racing, smart cities, and the insurance industry. For the consumer it means smarter vehicles. The data analysis can be used to predict potential issues before they become problems. This will benefit the consumer for negating the need of a costly repair. In F1 Racing, the team is using the analysis to collect information on the vehicle’s performance.

This technology has its pros and cons. For example, some may view it as big brother because insurance industries will have access to the information as well. The insurance industry point of view is it will lower the driver’s costs based on their safety record and safe driving habits.

Since 5G is right around the corner, big data is going to be able to take advantage of the technology. It’ll have the ability to update the vehicle’s software remotely, monitor and respond to engine performance. When it comes to interconnected highways, the data can inform the driver of incoming construction, accidents and intersections. This lead data will benefit the driver to effectively navigate the vehicle seamlessly through expected traffic congestion. The end result is traffic flow will be efficient and safer.

Data analytics is also sparking the connected cars. Connected cars will be able to provide local information to the driver from gas stations to retail outlets. Essentially, the automobiles will be using localized data to concoct customized suggestions based on the driver’s preference. For example, it’ll suggest a flower shop offering a 20% discount on your nearby route for your upcoming anniversary.

The Biggest Changes Coming to the Automotive Industry in 2019

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carl-turnley-automotiveUntil recently, the automotive industry has been in a slump. It seems the early 2000s brought design changes that would move the industry forward; however, it was simply a new standard was set. Only a few innovative companies have been pushing the industry forward. Even a few newcomers – like Google and Tesla – have brought new technology to the automotive world in recent years. 2018 saw some interesting changes, and 2019 seems to have a lot in store as well. Below are some of the trends – some carrying over from last year and some new – for the automotive industry in 2019.

Electric Cars

Electric cars aren’t going anywhere. They may not be ideal for all areas of the world, but they are great in the cities. You won’t see many electric cars on the planes of Kansas or the mountains of Colorado, where you’ll often have to travel 100 mile round trips to visit certain points of interest; however, they are perfect for short commutes.

Ferrari’s New CEO

One of the many predictions for 2019 relates to Ferarri being under new leadership. We know that Ferrari has announced 15 new models to be released in the coming years, but they may not be what we expect. If the upcoming Ferrari Purosangue is anything to go by, Ferrari could be transitioning heavily into the crossover world. It all depends on how successful the Purosangue is. We could even see a low-cost crossover from Ferrari.

Subscription Services

Leasing or buying? This has been the question for anyone looking for a new car up until now. BMW and Porsche already have projects like these, but considering the cost, they will remain exclusive clubs for the wealthier citizens. However, if other companies hop on the trend, we could see subscription services like these that will rival the cost of leasing or buying.

Self Driving Vehicles

The innovative self driving car has met some speed bumps in the last few years, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t pushing forward. Only available in certain cities, like San Francisco and Phoenix, self driving cars could really be the future. Ideally and under perfect conditions, self driving cars would be the safest way ever invented to travel.

Cars that Altered History Forever

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Vehicle owners often have a favorite dream car that they own or desire to own. Over the years, there have been many automobiles that were considered innovations and are now icons of the automotive industry. Various automotive industry giants created a list of cars that made history and changed the world.

Ford Mustang

The Mustang is as American as apple pie. The car was first introduced to the public in 1964 at the New York World’s Fair. During the first year on the market, more than 500,000 were sold. The Mustang surpassed the Corvette and the Shelby in popularity and represented an affordable muscle car. The sports car also proved that it could stand up to the reputation earned by the Camaro and the Charger.

Volkswagen Beetle

The Beetle was unique in exterior design and function. Ferdinand Porsche developed the concept and was joined in his efforts to create the car by Adolph Hitler. The first Beetles were introduced in 1938. The last model featuring the rear-mounted engine was manufactured in Mexico in 2003. The unique air-cooled engine was later incorporated into the Porsche 911. The Beetle was reintroduced in 2003. Before the compact car became known as the Beetle, it had a number of names that included the KdF-Wagen, Kubelwagen and Type 60.

Jeep Cherokee

The introduction of the Cherokee made an impact on the automotive industry that would last for decades. The vehicle was the first middle-sized SUV made available to the public and quickly became quite popular. Manufacturers soon followed with their versions.

Austin Mini

The Mini was manufactured in Great Britain in 1959. Although small cars were already available, the Mini was unique due to the side-mounted engine and front-wheel-drive. In this way, the interior offered more space for occupants and cargo. The Mini Cooper and the Cooper S gained notoriety and success as race and rally cars. The little vehicle won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, in 1965 and again in 1967.

Toyota Prius

The Prius brought the concept of the fuel-efficient hybrid into reality. The first models were manufactured in Japan in 1997 as four-door, mid-sized sedans. Today, the designed advanced to include the five-door fastback. The Prius NHW11 or Generation II was the first of its kind to be made available outside of Japan in 2000. The car was readily accepted in Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States.

Changes Coming to F1 for 2019 Racing Season

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carl-turnley-racing

Those who are fans of Formula One racing are well aware of one of the problems the sport faces. In most Formula One races, those who start in the first rows almost always win unless there is an accident on the track.

There are two reasons for this. Formula One teams are experts at what they do. They know how to pace out a race to make sure that nothing goes wrong from start to finish. Another problem is that it is very hard to pass and overtake on the track.

In order to make it easier for drivers to pass, and to add some more excitement to F1, there are changes being made to the setup of the cars for the 2019 racing season. These changes are in anticipation of more extensive changes that are to be implemented in the 2021 season.

For 2019, the front wings on an F1 car will be wider, and there will be fewer flaps. This is being done in order to make it more aerodynamically possible for a driver to follow another driver closely. Right now, the setup of the cars causes turbulence when in the following position. This makes it harder for drivers to maintain the position that they need to be in to take advantage of passing opportunities.

There will also be a change in the design of the front brake ducts. There are currently small wings on the brake duct assemblies. In 2019, these will no longer be used. With this redesign, the brake ducts will be more apt to serve their intended purpose of providing cooling. It is hoped that this change will also help to end the problem of blown front axles that plagued several of the racing teams such as Ferrari, Force India and Haas during the current racing season.

There will be changes in the rear wing of the cars in 2019 as well. The rear wings will be taller and wider. The design of the rear wing will be simplified. This change will increase the downforce on the vehicle. This will stop the practice of coasting that some drivers currently use to make sure that they don’t run out of fuel.

With these changes in place for the 2019 Formula One season, the racing should be more exciting. There may be more chances for drivers to make a move resulting in fewer pole to win situations.