Discussion
It seems Ferrari have come up with another way to try and speed up pitstops.
They have a new type of wheel nut that has been picked up on in the press.
Nothing much being reported about how it works to save time, but let's hope it's better than the traffic light lolly-pop replacement from before!
They have a new type of wheel nut that has been picked up on in the press.
Nothing much being reported about how it works to save time, but let's hope it's better than the traffic light lolly-pop replacement from before!
So not having seen this in action i take it that the 'gun' man is now mearly pushing an adaptor onto the nut to retract the pins, alowing the wheel off man to remove his wheel and the wheel on man just has to push the new on into place, the pins springing back out to hold into place?
Not sure if this is right though as i would be concerned about there being any movement between the two and with the forces involved and going through there...
Not sure if this is right though as i would be concerned about there being any movement between the two and with the forces involved and going through there...
Rude-boy said:
So not having seen this in action i take it that the 'gun' man is now mearly pushing an adaptor onto the nut to retract the pins, alowing the wheel off man to remove his wheel and the wheel on man just has to push the new on into place, the pins springing back out to hold into place?
Not sure if this is right though as i would be concerned about there being any movement between the two and with the forces involved and going through there...
Doubt that's how it works.Not sure if this is right though as i would be concerned about there being any movement between the two and with the forces involved and going through there...
My suspicion is that this is just a way of getting the wheel gun onto the nut quicker, with the 'socket' on the wheel-gun depressing the levers on the side to release the locking mechanism.
It looks like the nut it rotated by the socket engaging in the slots / grooves / indents just behind the gold torpedo shaped bit, rather than like a conventional six-sided hexagonal nut.
I will stick my guess in and say that it will be they have sorted some sort of locking mechanism, so that after the initial coming together of the nut and gun mean it will require a lot less of a 'spin time' and maybe even quicker on the way back on with maybe even a single push and click type action?
Either way it could be like the fris-bee's or double diffusers and everyone will take it up. Or it could be as someone mentioned and become the next lollipop light system! lol
Either way looks like a nice piece...
Either way it could be like the fris-bee's or double diffusers and everyone will take it up. Or it could be as someone mentioned and become the next lollipop light system! lol
Either way looks like a nice piece...
I think its fairly obvious that the purpose is for them to extend as they pass (or a car passes them) and the black spring loaded parts fly out and flail the opponents wheels/tyres/bodywork causing instant disentegration of anything they touch.
Bit like the Roman chariot racing really. And Ferrari are Italian after all.
Bit like the Roman chariot racing really. And Ferrari are Italian after all.
I think its fairly obvious that the purpose is for them to extend as they pass (or a car passes them) and the black spring loaded parts fly out and flail the opponents wheels/tyres/bodywork causing instant disentegration of anything they touch.
Bit like the Roman chariot racing really. And Ferrari are Italian after all.
Bit like the Roman chariot racing really. And Ferrari are Italian after all.
I think its fairly obvious that the purpose is for them to extend as they pass (or a car passes them) and the black spring loaded parts fly out and flail the opponents wheels/tyres/bodywork causing instant disentegration of anything they touch.
Bit like the Roman chariot racing really. And Ferrari are Italian after all.
Bit like the Roman chariot racing really. And Ferrari are Italian after all.
That's nothing terribly special - just a slightly different looking nut and retainer. It's similar to what's been on LMP cars for years, just with subtle differences.
Traditional looking nuts and sockets haven't been used for quite a while in top level motorsport - even our old Panoz GT2 car has magnetic sockets with forks on instead of hex shapes.
Traditional looking nuts and sockets haven't been used for quite a while in top level motorsport - even our old Panoz GT2 car has magnetic sockets with forks on instead of hex shapes.
Ahonen said:
That's nothing terribly special - just a slightly different looking nut and retainer. It's similar to what's been on LMP cars for years, just with subtle differences.
Traditional looking nuts and sockets haven't been used for quite a while in top level motorsport - even our old Panoz GT2 car has magnetic sockets with forks on instead of hex shapes.
Excellent, care to educate us please Traditional looking nuts and sockets haven't been used for quite a while in top level motorsport - even our old Panoz GT2 car has magnetic sockets with forks on instead of hex shapes.
andygo said:
I think its fairly obvious that the purpose is for them to extend as they pass (or a car passes them) and the black spring loaded parts fly out and flail the opponents wheels/tyres/bodywork causing instant disentegration of anything they touch.
Bit like the Roman chariot racing really. And Ferrari are Italian after all.
I wouldn't put it past them. Dastardly bunch, that Ferrari lot.Bit like the Roman chariot racing really. And Ferrari are Italian after all.
Rude-boy said:
Ahonen said:
That's nothing terribly special - just a slightly different looking nut and retainer. It's similar to what's been on LMP cars for years, just with subtle differences.
Traditional looking nuts and sockets haven't been used for quite a while in top level motorsport - even our old Panoz GT2 car has magnetic sockets with forks on instead of hex shapes.
Excellent, care to educate us please Traditional looking nuts and sockets haven't been used for quite a while in top level motorsport - even our old Panoz GT2 car has magnetic sockets with forks on instead of hex shapes.
Pretty much the same idea, but ours isn't as stylish. As others have suggested, the socket depresses the retainers as you push it onto the nut, which then pop back out when the socket is removed.
The answer is a bit more boring than some of the earlier ones !
A few years ago a new rule came in that wheelnuts must have a locking device, the idea is to prevent a wheel coming off through a wheelnut coming loose, if you watch video of a pit stop you'll see the mechanic take the gun off the nut and then push or twist something on the wheel, before putting his hand in the air to indicate that his job was complete.
The thinking is that these new nuts automatically engage the lock, without the mechanic having to touch the wheel.. They are trying to make their pitstops quicker. It also apparently integrates better with the gun - Im thinking this means that it somehow clips inside the gun so it doesn't easily fall out (happens every so often - the mechanics carry a spare on their belt).
I have seen it mentioned that Ferrari may be looking into having sensors in the nuts that make contact when correctly done up, this would be linked to their notorious "traffic light" system, that tells the guy with the lollypop when to release the car.
With refuelling gone, we're looking at 3 second pitstops now, so if a mechanic screws up its going to cost big.
In the same area wheel covers have been banned for 2010, so ferrari have come up with a solid wheel design that presumably has some sort of aero benefit..
A few years ago a new rule came in that wheelnuts must have a locking device, the idea is to prevent a wheel coming off through a wheelnut coming loose, if you watch video of a pit stop you'll see the mechanic take the gun off the nut and then push or twist something on the wheel, before putting his hand in the air to indicate that his job was complete.
The thinking is that these new nuts automatically engage the lock, without the mechanic having to touch the wheel.. They are trying to make their pitstops quicker. It also apparently integrates better with the gun - Im thinking this means that it somehow clips inside the gun so it doesn't easily fall out (happens every so often - the mechanics carry a spare on their belt).
I have seen it mentioned that Ferrari may be looking into having sensors in the nuts that make contact when correctly done up, this would be linked to their notorious "traffic light" system, that tells the guy with the lollypop when to release the car.
With refuelling gone, we're looking at 3 second pitstops now, so if a mechanic screws up its going to cost big.
In the same area wheel covers have been banned for 2010, so ferrari have come up with a solid wheel design that presumably has some sort of aero benefit..
Crafty_ said:
The answer is a bit more boring than some of the earlier ones !
A few years ago a new rule came in that wheelnuts must have a locking device, the idea is to prevent a wheel coming off through a wheelnut coming loose, if you watch video of a pit stop you'll see the mechanic take the gun off the nut and then push or twist something on the wheel, before putting his hand in the air to indicate that his job was complete.
The thinking is that these new nuts automatically engage the lock, without the mechanic having to touch the wheel.. They are trying to make their pitstops quicker. It also apparently integrates better with the gun - Im thinking this means that it somehow clips inside the gun so it doesn't easily fall out (happens every so often - the mechanics carry a spare on their belt).
If that is the intention, and without wanting to start NutGate (tm) I wonder how these new wheel nuts comply with the Technical RegsA few years ago a new rule came in that wheelnuts must have a locking device, the idea is to prevent a wheel coming off through a wheelnut coming loose, if you watch video of a pit stop you'll see the mechanic take the gun off the nut and then push or twist something on the wheel, before putting his hand in the air to indicate that his job was complete.
The thinking is that these new nuts automatically engage the lock, without the mechanic having to touch the wheel.. They are trying to make their pitstops quicker. It also apparently integrates better with the gun - Im thinking this means that it somehow clips inside the gun so it doesn't easily fall out (happens every so often - the mechanics carry a spare on their belt).
Rule 14.7 said:
All cars, whilst under their own power, must be fitted with devices which will retain any wheel in the event of it coming loose. After the wheel nut is fastened, these devices must be manually fitted in a separate action to that of securing the wheel nut.
The new wheels themselves, whilst looking like those off a base-model Ford missing its hubcaps, no doubt are an attempt to replicate the effect of last year's wheel covers. I wonder if they are a Ferrari exclusive, or will be available to the other teams who use BBS rims?[k]
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