Motorsport: The Pinnacle of Automotive Innovation
What is the first thought that pop into your head when you think of motorsport? Multiple dudes driving around in circles? Crashes and accidents? Screaming engine? The smell of fuel and burning rubbers? Or umbrella girls even? Well, you might be right in thinking that way because it is true that those things relate to motorsport one way or another. However, what if I tell you that motorsport is more than just a pointless exercise? You might not realize, but motorsport represents something vital to the sustainable development in the quality of personal transportation.
You may not believe me at this point, how can something as dirty, filthy, noisy, or even “pointless” as motorsport can benefit society in general? Well let me tell you, motorsport has always been the innovator and pioneer of technologies that could only benefit society. Whether it is to improve safety, speed, or just ease of use and convenience. Technologies used in motorsport may find its way to regular street legal cars and motorcycles that us ordinary people can purchase.
But before we dive deep, let us discuss what innovation is first. From the merriam-webster dictionary, we can conclude that innovation is the introduction of something new, or a new idea, method, or device. So in short, anything that was introduced, found, or pioneered in motorsport can be categorized as innovation. So hop on board, because you might learn something from the ride you’re about to get.
- Paddle-Shift Transmission
Paddle-shift transmission or paddle shifters is a type of semi-automatic transmission, where part of its operation is automated but the driver’s input is still required to start from a standstill or to shift between gears. Drivers operate paddle-shift transmission using paddle-shifters that are mounted behind the steering wheel. These type of transmission facilitates gear shifts for the driver by operating the clutch system automatically without the clutch pedal, while still requiring the driver to upshift or downshift manually, although automatic settings are available when the drivers do not feel like changing the gears by themselves.
Using paddle shifters, drivers get the ease of use and convenience from an automatic transmission and it’s easy two pedal operation plus the direct shifting of manual transmission, without the legwork of actually operating a clutch with the left foot. The shift time with a paddle-shift transmission is also much faster than the regular manual transmission as well. With its huge benefit, not only paddle-shift transmission is a go-to transmission in racing, they are also very popular in the current car market.
The use of this revolutionary transmission pioneered by Ferrari. They used paddle-shift transmission for the first time in the Ferrari 640 F1 car, winning three races in the 1989 season. This introduction of transmission made the driver’s job easier and safer since they did not have to move their hands from the steering wheel to change gears. By 1996, all cars that raced in that season had paddle-shift transmission. Ferrari then took out their F1 transmission technology and put it in the 1997 Ferrari F355 F1, and by the turn of the century, Ferrari’s entire car model is available with paddle-shift F1 style transmission. By early 21th century, a lot of high-end car manufacturer such as Aston Martin, Maserati, and Mercedes-Benz had used this type of transmission in their cars, with the popularity and refinement of paddle-shift transmission only increasing after that.
In the current car market, paddle-shift transmission is widely used in all of segments. City cars, sedan, hatchback, SUV, even pick-up trucks is available with paddle-shift transmission, owing its invention to Ferrari, and motorsports.
2. Carbon Fiber Monocoque Chassis
Monocoque is a french term for “single shell” or “single hull”. In the automotive world, Monocoque is used as a chassis or the backbone of the car, since it is much stronger than the tubular frame design. On the other side of the equation, carbon fiber is a polymer, made of thin but strong crystalline filaments of carbon that is used to strengthen material. Carbon fiber parts are very stiff, very strong, and very light, which is what you want when you are trying to go as fast as possible, as safe as possible. Combining the monocoque design with carbon fiber will get you the best of both worlds, since you will get the simplicity and strength of a monocoque chassis, with the lightness and stiffness of carbon fiber.
This fascinating technology was first used in the 1981 Mclaren MP4/1 F1 car. Not wanting to miss out on the advantages of using a carbon fiber monocoque chassis, Mclaren’s rivals copied this invention after just a few months. Almost a decade later, this invention is used in The 1990 Jaguar XJR-15 road car, followed by the Bugatti EB-110 and the famous Mclaren F1, that reached the 221 mph (355 kmh) top speed, and held the record for 12 years. Currently, a lot of high-end car manufacturer such as Koenigsegg, Bugatti, McLaren, Pagani, Porsche, and even BMW are using this technology as the backbone of their cars to increase strength and rigidity, as well as minimizing weight.
3. Aerodynamics (Drag and Downforce)
Aerodynamics, (aero/air + dynamics) is defined as the science that studies motion of air as it interacts with solid object. The most important use of aerodynamics is in aeronautics and aviation, where it is used to design aeroplanes and other flying objects to take off, maintain altitude, and then land safely. Aerodynamics have two important aspects which dictates how an object behave while moving, those aspects are “drag” and “lift”.
The more drag a car has, the bigger power the car needs to go faster. The bigger power the car has, the more fuel it will need to burn in order to burn fuel. So, less drag is good right? Well, it depends on why the car is made. Modern Formula one car has a coefficient of drag ranging from 0,7–1,1 (different car setup for different circuits), while regular modern road cars have a coefficient of drag between 0,25 and 0,45. Why is that?
Well, F1 cars need to go very fast around a racetrack. They need to have a huge amount of negative lift so that the cars can go around corners and change directions speedily. This is why modern F1 cars have huge spoilers, huge front bumpers, and those weird fins around the whole body to provide the downforce needed. Regular modern cars on the other hand, does not need to go quickly around a racetrack. They only need to be a good mode of transportation, safely and efficiently transporting their occupants from point A to point B, and that low coefficient of drag really helps with the acceleration and fuel efficiency, while also reducing emitted carbon footprints.
Let this article be the proof that motorsport is beneficial for humankind. Aside from the entertainment we get from watching cars and motorcycle racing with each other, using modern technical innovations used in racing, car manufacturers can apply those technologies to be used in regular cars, making the mode of our personal transportation faster, safer, more fuel efficient, and emit less carbon footprint.
