[DOF_power]

snipp:

INSIGHT
Formula 1's virtual reality
JANUARY 14, 2009
BY JOE SAWARD


The decision to ban all circuit testing in the Formula 1 season was designed to save the teams money. For the big teams, however, the battle has simply moved from the race tracks to the factories where advanced simulation technology will take over from actual running. Teams these days are using an arfray of different tools to make the cars go faster. These include highly-advanced rolling-road wind tunnels, transient dynos and seven-post rigs. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is developing fast. The goal of all of these expensive items is to ensure that the racing cars are as competitive as possible - and as reliable. But simulation techniques in Formula 1 are now beginning to go far beyond that. Computers crunch away to work out every conceivable race strategy and increasingly the teams are realising the value of what are known as "driver-in-the-loop simulators". This means that rather than engineers playing with computers, as happens with other simulation, the F1 drivers sit in "virtual" F1 cars and drive them.
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Up to now Ferrari has been using a fairly simple unit, which is housed at the Fiat Research Centre in Turin. The team had recently announced a partnership with the US firm Moog. This will be the very latest dynamic device.

"The dynamic driving simulator is a new step for us in developing virtual tests that give drivers the true feel of a real environment and direct feedback on their actions," says Scuderia Ferrari's head of R&D Marco Fainello. "It will support the new breed of tests we are planning to launch."
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It maybe that this is also Renault's secret facility. Oddly, Toyota and BMW say that they are not using any simulators at the moment, although both firms have advanced road car simulators: Toyota having the world's largest driving simulator at the Higashifuji Technical Centre in Japan and BMW having a similar unit in Munich. Both teams say that they do not use a simulator at all.

What is clear is that the teams believe that the F1 simulators are the most advanced of all.

"I think they are better than the best flight simulators," says Red Bull Racing's Geoff Willis. "Those are now more about training and not so much about performance."

And do they work?

"It's pretty useful," says Williams's Patrick Head, although he won't say more than that.
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F1 - Grandprix.com > Features > Insight > Formula 1's virtual reality

So fearless leaders Mosley and Ecclestone have done it again.
Yet another scheme that eventually will increase costs and benefit the big teams.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by DOF_power

snipp:






So fearless leaders Mosley and Ecclestone have done it again.
Yet another scheme that eventually will increase costs and benefit the big teams.

yeah, but think of all the petrol products they aren't using .. it's gotta be good for the "GREEN" promises they've made.

[WestCoast]

Originally Posted by DOF_power

Yet another scheme that eventually will increase costs and benefit the big teams.

With the new season approaching, I should get up to speed.
Which mega-Billionaire team owners are we going to call the "little guys" this year?

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by WestCoast

With the new season approaching, I should get up to speed.
Which mega-Billionaire team owners are we going to call the "little guys" this year?

#1 on the list has gotta be whoever buys the Honda team! Since Slim is out (or so he says) it's someone's chance to "get famous"

[WestCoast]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

#1 on the list has gotta be whoever buys the Honda team! Since Slim is out (or so he says) it's someone's chance to "get famous"

If "Slim" bought it, he could afford 1000K simulators and everything else, so there is no excuse there.
Maybe just substitute the imaginary "little guy" for something more realistic like the "cheap guy".
Or just come to the realisation that the majority of the teams are not there to contest for a win, but only to do some Global Product advertising.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by WestCoast

If "Slim" bought it, he could afford 1000K simulators and everything else, so there is no excuse there.
Maybe just substitute the imaginary "little guy" for something more realistic like the "cheap guy".
Or just come to the realisation that the majority of the teams are not there to contest for a win, but only to do some Global Product advertising.

Definitely!

There was a time when the #1 reason for F1 was the thrill of racing. Then came the desire to sell more street cars (though I doubt Ferrari actually have that goal). Now it doesn't matter what the product is, you just want to have your "product" associated with F1 .. and "contesting" for the championship!

[DOF_power]

It begun, in 1906, with a combination of manufacturers wanting improve-the-breed/race-on-Sunday-sell-on-Monday, thrill seeking gentlemen racers and a national prestige contest.

Now it's a big PR department.

[Bob Tanner]

Are we talking about F1 or NA__AR? I'm getting confused. I've read the posts and, to be honest, the two series are interchangeable in this thread.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Are we talking about F1 or NA__AR? I'm getting confused. I've read the posts and, to be honest, the two series are interchangeable in this thread.

not quite interchangeable, but remarkably similar in how easily the major teams can "work around" things like testing bans.

[DOF_power]

>
^ In many ways they're the same, though also having some differences. Ecclestone said business of entertainment, he didn't mentioned auto racing anywhere.

[WestCoast]

Re: entertainment

He has a point, the last couple of years have been a Soap Opera between Ferrari, Mercedes, Max and now Bernie. With the odd lap or two of racing thrown in.