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CONUNDRUM
Once the overall concept has been defined, key strategic choices must be made about the shape of the tank, dimensions of the engine, length and size of the gearbox, geometry of the suspensions, etc.
Of course, these decisions must be compliant with the F1 technical regulations (which mandate things such as weight distribution, maximum length of the wheelbase, etc.), while aero constraints must be factored in as well. Indeed, the packaging of key mechanical components plays a vital role in defining efficient aerodynamics.
In terms of manufacturing, production of the key components’ internals should come before the casings that will house them. Indeed, it takes longer to manufacturer internal parts, even more so when one knows that several transmissions are needed in winter testing for instance.
“There is also a gearbox design underway very early in the new car concept, because that needs a six month production lead time and interacts with the power unit as well as what you want to achieve with the wheelbase and suspension. The gearbox has to carry the suspension loads and have the right pick up points to dictate rear suspension geometry.
“We know on a certain date we have to release the chassis design to start making it. We know the date we have to release a design for the gearbox main case and a bit later the design for the internals. We try to get all these parallel releases together so we can hit a date when things have to start being built.”
In this race against time to manufacture a Formula 1 car, production planning is indeed paramount and an area we will take a look at in the second chapter of our series.
The birth of a Formula 1 car: 1. The conceptual work — 2. The production schedule — 3. The design — 4. The productio
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