Ask an F1 Engineer anything
Discussion
Great idea for a thread, thanks for stepping up!
Also, well done all in F1 for making 2020 happen, quite an achievement considering but the season being so eventful was really something.
Q. I managed to get to Portugal this year and nothing would please me more than F1 pitching up there for GPs in years to come. How likely is this in your opinion?
Also, well done all in F1 for making 2020 happen, quite an achievement considering but the season being so eventful was really something.
Q. I managed to get to Portugal this year and nothing would please me more than F1 pitching up there for GPs in years to come. How likely is this in your opinion?
pistonheadforum said:
Have you ever worked with anybody who is a lead-swinging-by-the-book-sorry-on-me-tea-break-that's-not-my-job-out-the-door-by-4:30 sharp type or are they all super keen do anything superstars pulling all nighters?
They would last about one shift in the job, most people work there because of the work ethic, alongside the passion for the sport and engineering.I moved to it, because I had previously worked in that environment at British Leyland, and it did my head in.
Integrator_Type_R said:
What's the most embarrassing or funny to you at the time, mistake/mishap/common sense failure/blunder that you've seen or even had a hand in? Not talking drivers pranging it on an install lap in testing or even various pit stop shenanigans but anything like making a part but misreading the scale or dimension on the drawing? Threads the wrong round? Buttons or switches not connected to anything?
As an adjunct to that... the best/most hilarious workshop or garage prank? Or are F1 engineers and technicians too straightlaced and serious for such japes?
Similar to your suggests, things installed upside down or back to front.As an adjunct to that... the best/most hilarious workshop or garage prank? Or are F1 engineers and technicians too straightlaced and serious for such japes?
Usual age old japes one might expect if they've ever worked in an engineering environment - 'pop to the stores and ask for a long weight' etc.
DanielSan said:
The worst driver you've had to work with? Either from a lack of feedback point of view or them just being an almighty bell end?
I won't name names as that's personal, and they're effectively ex-colleguees. The media does a fairly good job of capturing the general impression of them.One moment does spring to mind though:
https://youtu.be/cDmW72a9X_o
patmahe said:
How has working in F1 lived up to your expectation, what is it like in reality?
It's been so long ago now, that I can't remember what my expectations were. It's constant, hard work and hours upon end of high concentration - there are days/weeks that go by where you wonder where the time has gone. On top of that you have to be reactive to changing situations/plans all the time, so sometimes it can be hard to make commitments outside of work.patmahe said:
How do you feel about the number of races that are being run nowadays and the impact that could have on the home lives of staff at time when teams are being forced to cut back because of budget restrictions?
20 seems like a good number. It's a hard act to balance.Edited by AnonymousF1 on Saturday 9th January 11:10
shirt said:
What's the piece of work that you're most proud of. As in you had full responsibility, so I don't expect it to be a full car. Could be a part that gave a performance edge, or could be having to do a lot with very little. I'm sure one or two things stick out more than the rest.
There's many pieces of work I'm personally proud of, but even more pieces of work - created by a team of people - that I'm the most proudest of.shirt said:
What's the most cringeworthy post you have read in the F1 forum?
I don't read forums too much - forums to me are a knowledge source, for asking questions and getting answers, or searching for them.Sometimes someone will spot a piece of analysis or discussion online, about a part we've designed or worked on, and those can be interesting to see what level the general knowledge outside of F1 is at. Sometimes surprisingly high.
Benrad said:
So for the benchmarking you can do, has it proven useful in your experience or just sent you up blind alleys trying to copy a concept you either don't fully understand or perhaps that doesn't suit the rest of your car?
Both Benrad, and you've summarised the reason for the latter very well.Muzzer79 said:
What was travelling to races and being at events like?
Transfer > flight > transfer > hotel or track. Then during the event hotel > track > hotel > track > hotel > track, etcetera. Muzzer79 said:
Was it all done as cheaply as possible for the 'lower' staff? (economy flights, cheap hotels)
Mixture, and dependant on team. Local/intra continent flights will be whatever, booked en mass. Or sometimes a drive if it's within a days journey. Long haul flights are better. Drivers and their entourage rarely travel with the team.Muzzer79 said:
I assume there was some almighty piss-ups in various places around the world? Where was best for this and did the drivers ever join you?
Yes, it's good to take the opportunity to celebrate when you can.Muzzer79 said:
What was your biggest personal cock-up on the job and did you get away with it?
There are many! 'Getting away with it' isn't part of the culture - the sooner you realise and put your hands-up, the sooner it can be fixed. mantis84 said:
Favourite and least favourite track?
Favourite's hard as I like lots for different reasons: how technical they are, the mixture of corner types, ability to give a good race, atmosphere, facilities. Silverstone has the best blend of those I'd say, but this year I enjoyed Mugello and Turkey the most, for a different mixture of those reasons.
mantis84 said:
Any tracks no longer on the calendar that you'd like to go back to?
Turkey and Portimao.
)rdjohn said:
Are there still any Eureka moments in F1 design?
Occasionally, but by their very nature short lived before it's been surpassed by something else novel.rdjohn said:
At the beginning of a new season car design process, do you ever start with a clean-sheet design brief from the technical director, or is every new car just the latest iteration of everything that everyone already knows minus design cul-de-sacs?
Mix of evolution and revolution, the bigger changes are usually promptly mainly by reg changes. 'Ironing-out' perceived weaknesses of the last car plays a big part too, as you say.rdjohn said:
If the latter, does it irk you when a car is described as “the fabulous Adrian Newey design”, or whoever the TD happens to be?
No, it doesn't irk me.anonymous said:
[redacted]
You're welcome!anonymous said:
[redacted]
Hard to say as they are all fast and have their days. Raw pace comes through, but the 'fastest' driver is one that has this and can manage a lot of other things at the same time.anonymous said:
[redacted]
They are all extremely hard working. I enjoyed the PR of Lando working on a car last year.anonymous said:
[redacted]
There's lots that never make it in to the public domain. These are usually the ones I 'like' the most because of that and the uniqueness of that situation to F1. Most other design lead industries would promote their inventions or try to protect them from being copied (e.g. patent).anonymous said:
[redacted]
I would imagine the wheelbase of all the cars is within a few percent of each other. The level of rake the cars run is a byproduct of the evolution of the car's aerodynamics and setup - you have to go back years to find the developments and subsequent decisions that ultimately lead to how the car 'appears' to run today.Second Best said:
Possibly a little sensitive, but do you find that subcontractor companies who get an F1 contract typically ask for tickets/merch/tours etc?
I'd hope they're usually professional enough to know it's about them supplying a service in exchange for payment. Anything on top of that would be part of a relationship so outside of my realm.Gassing Station | Formula 1 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff