Whether you’re indifferent to motorsport or a die-hard fan, you’re surely aware that Formula 1 and other disciplines (Formula, Rally, Endurance) are, above all, showcases of technology and technical innovation. For decades, certain technical aspects of these sports have fascinated those familiar with them. But beyond the fascination, some innovations have been particularly successful in adapting to the everyday world, and every racing engineer or team manager will agree on one thing: Formula 1, under the auspices of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile – governing body of professional championships), is a powerful driver for improving safety on the track, but also for everyday life. This is why many innovations appeared in F1 (and today in the lower categories F2, F3, F4) and are now found in everyday cars. Let’s look back at some significant innovations that are probably familiar to you… Caption: Raikkonen takes advantage of power steering to make hiscorner Traction control and ABS
While these systems were quickly banned, and especially abandoned by professional drivers, they were indeed developed by F1 engineers in the 1980s. The FIA quickly banned these two successive aids, but their introduction and innovation made our roads much safer. By controlling the vehicle’s traction and movements, traction control is now a commonplace safety feature, but one that has prevented many accidents since its development. ABS, or anti-lock braking system, also has its share of advantages. By preventing wheel lock-up, especially during heavy braking, control of the car is always possible. In motor racing, although these technologies were quickly discontinued, thedrivers didn’t appreciate them. Without these technologies, they feel the car better and control it perfectly, sometimes right up to the limit. It’s therefore not uncommon to hear that
these true racing drivers at heart deactivate all driver aids when they drive their sports cars on the same roads as us.
Automatic gearboxes
Perhaps you yourself own an automatic transmission, like most people do these days. It’s one of the things that F1 brought to the “real world.” In 1989, Ferrari was the first manufacturer to use an automatic transmission. Goodbye gear lever; gears were now shifted via two small paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. This quickly became a significant comfort and aid for the drivers of the time, Gerhard Berger and Nigel Mansell. Their hands could remain on the steering wheel at all times. Despite being one of the longest-serving drivers in the paddock and also one of the richest athletes on Earth, Lewis Hamilton has always driven single-seaters equipped with paddle shifters. This shows how quickly this innovation was adopted. It would even be funny to imagine current drivers driving with old-style gearboxes.
They would surely be quite embarrassed. Once again, this innovation was paramount in the automotive world. In 2020, all cars are available with automatic transmissions, and the customer directly chooses their transmission type. Energy recovery systems F1 cars are marvels of mobile technology, and their systems are becoming
increasingly sophisticated. For several seasons, the MGU-K and MGU-H have enabled
the circulation and recovery of energy between the internal combustion engines and electric motors from the respective engines present in the single-seater. Hybrid engines, introduced in 2014, offer the possibility of judiciously alternating all this energy. Caption: Naturally aspirated engines are no longer used in Formula 1. Before this, KERS (SREC) allowed drivers to use a boost of stored power thanks to the kinetic energy obtained through braking. These highly advanced technologies are simply the forerunners of what is done with hybrid or electric engines. The understanding and advancement of these settings were invaluablefor all currentcar manufacturers seeking greater cleanliness and a different energy source than that of conventional naturally aspirated engines.
