Category: Car Design & Technology

With new drivers, teams and rules, the 2010 Formula One World Championship is proving to be as unpredictable as ever, ahead of the season opener in Bahrain.

In the first of a mini-series of articles, Forumula1.net’s Alex Scott looks at how the sport’s latest batch of technical regulations will pose a major challenge to its competitors in their race to the top.  Read more... (840 words, estimated 3:22 mins reading time)

McLaren today rolled out their 2010 charger, the MP4-25. But how will it fare on the track? Is there anything we can learn from the look of the car as to how it will perform?  Read more... (440 words, estimated 1:46 mins reading time)

The Formula One technical regulations in 2009 were significantly changed in order to improve overtaking during races. Amongst the most notable of these changes were a much-welcomed return to slick tyres – banned in 1998, a complete clean-up of the car bodywork with fins, winglets and other ugly pieces of aerodynamic junk to be chopped off.  Read more... (1356 words, estimated 5:25 mins reading time)

Forumula.net’s Hugh Podmore asks if Jenson Button’s assault on the drivers title is being overshadowed by the new rules.  Read more... (819 words, 1 image, estimated 3:17 mins reading time)

Sebastian Vettel today stormed to pole position for Red Bull Racing with team-mate Mark Webber a very respectable third on the grid.

The duo looked mean and fast throughout qualifying, with Vettel’s confidence such that he was frequently able to leave his flying lap til the very last moment.  Read more... (332 words, 1 image, estimated 1:20 mins reading time)

The controversial diffusers of Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams were today declared legal by the International Court of Appeal.

The argument centred around the interpretation of the new regulations, which apparently were somewhat ambiguous in their specifications about the height of the rear structural arrangements.  Read more... (372 words, 1 image, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)

In the past week or so F1 fans have seen two or three controversies emerge over the legality of the 2009 cars. Forumula1.net delves deep into the grey area between competitive innovation and rule-bending as Formula One ushers in a revolutionary new technical era.  Read more... (526 words, 1 image, estimated 2:06 mins reading time)

This week saw the first outing of most of the 2009 F1 grid, at a sometimes drenched, mostly sodden Portuguese circuit. The teams had mixed results, and it was telling that the 2008 Toro Rosso of Sebastian Buemi was significantly faster than the 2009 cars of all descriptions. However, the appearance of the cars leads some observers to worry – not about the beauty or otherwise, but about the potential implications for safety in the sport.  Read more... (603 words, estimated 2:25 mins reading time)

In October 1991, Nigel Mansell was on the brink of losing the World Championship having had a comfortable lead and certain victory thrown away by another pit lane drama in the Portugese Grand Prix at Estoril. He lost one of his wheels after what appeared to be a smooth and tidy pitstop and was later given the black flag. The next stop after Portugal was Spain, but this time the venue was not Jerez. The F1 circus was about to visit a brand new purpose built circuit near Barcelona, the Circuit de Catalunya.  Read more... (991 words, estimated 3:58 mins reading time)

The introduction of Standard Electronic Control Units (SECUs) to prevent drivers using electronic aids marks one of the most radical regulation changes to date. Christopher Hayes assesses the impact of the common unit and looks at the reaction in the paddock.  Read more... (1286 words, 1 image, estimated 5:09 mins reading time)