Publisher's Synopsis
Explaining the technical changes imposed in Formula 1 since Alain Prost won the 1993 World Championship in a Williams car boasting a plethora of driver aids, this book presents the intricacies of Grand Prix car design, and the endless battle for race-winning innovation. It uses the start-up of the Stewart Grand Prix as an example of why Formula 1 costs so much today, and covers the design process, wind tunnels and structural integrity. Other topics covered in this book are: driver and circuit safety, following Ayrton Senna's fatal crash; electronics in telemetry - how the spy in the cockpit works; innovations such as Ferrari's carbon fibre gearbox casing; why teams returned to springs and rollbar suspensions in place of the electronically-controlled active systems; and regulations and the FIA's mandatory crash tests. The book also includes interviews with leading designers, and their views on safety versus speed.
