Why LMP1 cars look the way they do

[MissChief]

Interesting graphic on the current LMP1 regulations from @LMPone on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LMPone/status/7699484426720583...



Having had a wee read through the regulations, I think:
Yellow=unrestricted sight lines
Blue=unrestricted. There's actually no limit to wheelbase in the regulations hence the 'double wheels' look. Also the reason why the front end is a point of interest as development here is unrestricted and is also why Nissan's LMP1 'attempt' in 2015 was focussed so heavily on front end aero.
Green=Restricted dimensions (rear wing must fit inside the box for example) or cut outs above the front wheels

I'm not sure about the Orange panels above the rear wheels and the purple half cylinders above the driver are to do with access I think? Anyone with a bit more knowledge help out?

[williamp]

That actually doesnt look that restrictive to me. You could imagine designing a very different car areound that. The best part of the regs, in my opinion is the very liberal engine regs, so we have all these different options, petrol and diesel, front and rear engined, v4, v8, v10 etc etc. Great

[Warby80]

Are the orange panels over the rear wheels not the cut outs aswell (Big Honking Holes as they are affectionately known! 😂)

[ajprice]

Not sure what the orange parts might be, these don't have cutouts above the rear tyres.

2016 Audi


2015 Porsche


2016 Toyota


MissChief, I've posted this over on f1technical.net, they are the brainy sorts over there who would know this sort of thing http://www.f1technical.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5...

Edited by ajprice on Friday 2nd September 12:02

Edited by ajprice on Saturday 3rd September 09:17

[Vocal Minority]

They all seem to have cut outs on the inside of the arch though - could be that?

[entropy]

MissChief said:

the purple half cylinders above the driver are to do with access I think?

My initial thought was that prototypes a supposed to be two-seater capability/able to fit two occupants in the cockpit

[Red Firecracker]

entropy said:

My initial thought was that prototypes a supposed to be two-seater capability/able to fit two occupants in the cockpit

I believe that was a regulation that was allowed to slide for a while and then removed. Great shame in my view, always liked that link to the past, think it was defined as the ability to carry a suitcase of a certain size.

[Rovnumpty]

Could the purple be strong pionts for lifting?

And the orange, maybe a restricted area for exhaust?

[Warby80]

Rovnumpty said:

Could the purple be strong pionts for lifting?

And the orange, maybe a restricted area for exhaust?

The exhaust on the P1 cars exit from engine cover near the fin generally.

Just watching the 6h of Mexico and Porsche/Rebellion/CLM have the cutouts on top of the rear wheels while it looks like Audi/toyota's cutouts are inboard.

[AlexS]

williamp said:

That actually doesnt look that restrictive to me. You could imagine designing a very different car areound that. The best part of the regs, in my opinion is the very liberal engine regs, so we have all these different options, petrol and diesel, front and rear engined, v4, v8, v10 etc etc. Great

And yet the engines have converged with a small capacity turbo'd vee in the Porsche and a slightly larger one in the Toyota. Audi would also be running one if it wasn't for the marketing effectively tying them to a diesel (and that restricts the amount of energy recovery that they can currently run).

[DanielSan]

Smaller turbo lumps could be more directly linked to road car development though, it does seem like a lot more sportscar tech is relevant to future road development than anything in F1 at the moment.