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Articles by Pat Symonds
Nacht-GP Singapur: So behalten Fahrer und TV-Zuschauer den Durchblick
In Singapur wird die Nacht zum Tag: 3000 Lux beträgt die Helligkeit jedes der 1600 Licht-Elemente, welche auf dem «Marina Bay Circuit» von Singapur die Nacht zum Tag machen – das ist vier Mal heller als in einem durchschnittlichen Sportstadion. Singapur war 2008 der erste Nacht-GP der Formel 1. Später kamen hinzu Abu Dhabi, Bahrain und Saudi-Arabien, 2023 kehrte die Königsklasse nach Las Vegas zurück. Natürlich in der Nacht.
El complicado arte de frenar en la Fórmula 1, explicado
Aunque los motores de Fórmula 1 acaparan la mayor parte de la atención, el sistema de frenos es casi igual de importante para el rendimiento puro. Veamos algunas cifras. Una buena salida para un F1 sería aquella en la que el coche recorriera unos 90 metros en cuatro segundos, aunque lo habitual está entre 70 y 80 metros. Esa salida perfecta supone una aceleración de alrededor de 1,2G, que además sería bastante constante. Sin embargo, la frenada resulta todavía más impresionante.
cómo funcionan los frenos de un coche de F1 y cómo los trabajan los pilotos
; ; ; Continuar leyendo Más para ti
cómo funcionan los frenos de un coche de F1 y cómo los trabajan los pilotos
; ; ; Continuar leyendo Más para ti ; ; ; Continuar leyendo Más para ti
Especial: cómo funcionan los frenos de un coche de F1 y cómo los trabajan los pilotos
Aunque los motores de Fórmula 1 atraen la mayor parte de la atención, el sistema de frenado es casi igual de crucial para el rendimiento puro. Consideremos algunas cifras de rendimiento. Una buena salida para un coche de F1 sería aquella en la que recorriera alrededor de 90 metros en cuatro segundos, siendo lo habitual entre 70 y 80 metros. Esa salida perfecta representa una aceleración de alrededor de 1,2G. Sería una aceleración bastante constante. La frenada es aún más impresionante.
Explaining the complicated art of F1 braking
While Formula 1 engines attract most of the attention, the braking system is almost as critical to outright performance. Let’s consider some performance figures. A good start for an F1 car would be one that covered around 90 metres in four seconds, with 70 to 80 metres being typical. That perfect start represents an acceleration of around 1.2G. This would be pretty constant acceleration. Braking is altogether more impressive.
What an engineer with four decades of F1 experience would choose as the ideal engine rules
Our reader, Michael Skeet, has set me a challenging question this month. He asks what a good set of engine regulations for 2031 might be, which could encourage independent manufacturers to build engines again. Now I have to say straight away that my answer to this reflects my personal opinion, which may or may not coincide with that of my employer, the Cadillac Formula 1 Team. However, I think there are several aspects of a future engine that are indisputable and some which are open to debate.
Explaining the push and pull factors of Formula 1 suspension
One of our readers, Fabien Gautier, has asked for an explanation of push-rod and pull-rod suspension systems and asks what the pros and cons are of each. Perhaps before getting into the details, it is worth looking at both the motivation and history of these types of suspension. It was quite common in single-seater racing cars from the 1960s onward to adopt variations of the classic double wishbone suspension.
How to simplify the complex subject of F1's electrical rules
I have had countless questions from readers and indeed even those in the sport about the complications of energy management. An example is reader Ian Woodcock’s question about how drivers maintain high throttle openings in corners to recharge the battery. The reality is that most of the energy management is automatic, but so complex that it has been very easy for the drivers to get caught out by small changes in the way they drive.
Las claves para descifrar el complejo sistema eléctrico de la F1 2026 Original
He recibido innumerables preguntas de lectores e incluso de personas dentro del propio deporte sobre las complicaciones de la gestión de la energía. Un ejemplo es la pregunta del lector Ian Woodcock acerca de cómo los pilotos mantienen una alta apertura del acelerador en las curvas para recargar la batería.
The big change for F1 2026 that has been largely ignored
Many questions have been asked about the 2026 Formula 1 regulations and many comments made. These have tended to centre around the complexities of energy management and the merits or otherwise of active aerodynamics. While these topics are debated, perhaps the longest lasting and most significant rule change has largely been ignored. I am referring to the introduction of fully sustainable fuel.
How the F1 2026 cars produced some nice surprises amid the noise
I was pleasantly surprised, when seeing the 2026 cars for the first time in the flesh in Barcelona, that there appeared to be myriad solutions to what had been described as an overly prescriptive set of regulations. As usual, the livery reveals had done anything but divulge any form of engineering detail, but track action exposed the nuances that all teams were keen to see from their rivals.
CFD: ¿Qué es y cómo ayuda a desarrollar los coches de F1?
Pat Symonds En el automovilismo hay muchos términos que mucha gente utiliza sin saber exactamente lo que significan. Uno de ellos es CFD , o Dinámica Computacional de Fluidos . En cierto modo, el término ya lo describe con exactitud, pero tres simples palabras tampoco pueden hacer justicia a un tema inmensamente complejo. En teoría, los diferentes estados de cualquier sistema físico pueden calcularse matemáticamente. A veces es sencillo, como en el caso de un objeto que cae al vacío.
Kritik an Pérez (Cadillac): Ex-Schumi-Wegbegleiter Symonds versteht’s nicht
Kritik an Pérez (Cadillac): Ex-Schumi-Wegbegleiter Symonds versteht’s nicht Ende 2024 schien die GP-Karriere von Sergio Pérez zu Ende zu sein: Trennung von Red Bull Racing. Danach musste der Mexikaner viel Kritik einstecken. Zu Unrecht, findet F1-Urgestein Pat Symonds.
F1: Desmistificando o funcionamento do complexo brake-by-wire
Fórmula 1 e tecnologia andam sempre juntos, principalmente porque os carros são usados como laboratório para os veículos de rua. Todos os sistemas e seguranças são 'testados' entre os 20 - agora 22 - pilotos, como, por exemplo, o sistema de brake-by-wire, sistema eletrônico que controla os freios traseiros. Neste especial, o Motorsport.com explica qual a real importância dessa parte.
Comment démystifier le système "brake-by-wire" des F1 modernes
Le système de brake-by-wire (ou freinage électronique) est un dispositif complexe dont le nom semble anodin, mais qui suscite beaucoup de questions. Voici en quoi il consiste et pourquoi il est important dans une Formule 1. Il convient tout d'abord de se rendre compte de la capacité phénoménale du système de freinage d'une F1. Les voitures actuelles peuvent encaisser jusqu'à 5 g lors du freinage, soit environ cinq fois plus qu'une voiture de série dans les conditions de freinage les plus extrêmes.
Can hydrogen be harnessed effectively to provide a source of power in F1?
A question I am repeatedly asked is whether hydrogen could be a suitable fuel for Formula 1. At Le Mans there are several projects aimed at using hydrogen so it cannot be ruled out but, in my opinion, it is not a logical option. Hydrogen, although abundant, does not naturally occur in its raw state. Processing compounds to split out the hydrogen requires energy and therefore, like synthetic gasoline, hydrogen is actually an energy carrier rather than a raw fuel.
Picking one F1 ban that you would like to see lifted
When I was asked recently whether there was anything that had been banned in Formula 1 that I would like to see reinstated, I had to exercise a significant amount of discipline to pare down the list. Creativity is, after all, a significant part of what attracts engineers to the sport, and the frustration of seeing that creativity deemed ‘illegal’ is just something we get used to.
Thierry Boutsen: the highs and lows of an eventful career
By At first it’s hard to imagine a 12-year-old Thierry Boutsen sneaking the keys to his mother’s Fiat 600 for a joyride, such is the Belgian’s calm, pragmatic demeanour. With an earnest smile and a lithe figure that still fits his 1985 Arrows A8 Formula One car, Thierry has a professional yet approachable air that seems at odds with the sort of renegade behaviour that could be associated with some drivers.
Thierry Boutsen: the highs and lows of an eventful career
By At first it’s hard to imagine a 12-year-old Thierry Boutsen sneaking the keys to his mother’s Fiat 600 for a joyride, such is the Belgian’s calm, pragmatic demeanour. With an earnest smile and a lithe figure that still fits his 1985 Arrows A8 Formula One car, Thierry has a professional yet approachable air that seems at odds with the sort of renegade behaviour that could be associated with some drivers.
Demystifying F1 cars' brake-by-wire systems
Brake-by-wire is a complex system with an innocent sounding name that many people have asked me about, so this month I will explain what it is and why it’s important in a Formula 1 car. We should start by understanding the phenomenal ability of a Formula 1 car brake system. Cars today can reach up to 5G on braking – that’s around five times what a road car can reach under the most extreme braking manoeuvre. This means that a huge amount of energy is expended by the brakes.
How much of Red Bull's problem with the RB21 is due to its wind tunnel?
Chris Watson poses this month’s question, asking if the difficult handling of the Red Bull RB21 is down to the Formula 1 team using an outdated wind tunnel.
Why the halo's central pillar doesn't hinder driver vision, and why it's so integral to the concept
Our question this month comes from John Dunne, who asks if it would ever be possible to design a halo strong enough such that it doesn’t need the central pillar. It may seem a simple question, but it leads me to think about exactly what the halo has to do and therefore explore a little bit of the science of structures, as well as some interesting aspects of human perception and why our eyes can indeed sometimes deceive us.
Why an unstable car is faster - with the right driver on board
Roger Woodward has posed a question this month that I am often asked. He writes, “Is a driver’s style considered in design? It’s often said Red Bulls are designed to suit Max Verstappen, and the Benettons were designed for [Michael] Schumacher. Is that true? Or is it simply that, as Jackie Stewart once said, the fastest car is ‘always a bitch’? Hence the greats coping and others not.” I have always wished that we were clever enough to design a car to suit a particular driver.
Is Newey right about F1 being engine-dominated from 2026?
Adrian Newey thinks Formula 1’s all-new technical regulations for 2026 may well lead to an engine-dominated series for the first few seasons, drawing parallels with 2014, but is this correct? To answer that question, we need to look back at the gestation period of the 2026 power unit rules and see how the final outcome has differed from the initial intent.
CFD: ¿Qué es y cómo ayuda a desarrollar los coches de F1? Original
En el automovilismo hay muchos términos que mucha gente utiliza sin saber exactamente lo que significan. Uno de ellos es CFD, o Dinámica Computacional de Fluidos. En cierto modo, el término ya lo describe con exactitud, pero tres simples palabras tampoco pueden hacer justicia a un tema inmensamente complejo. En teoría, los diferentes estados de cualquier sistema físico pueden calcularse matemáticamente. A veces es sencillo, como en el caso de un objeto que cae al vacío.
Cómo será la batalla técnica en la F1 durante 2025
Este año será inusual para el desarrollo en la Fórmula 1. La introducción de una nueva unidad de potencia para 2026, así como un conjunto significativamente diferente de reglamentos de chasis y aerodinámica, hace que el camino de decisión para los programas de desarrollo sea más difícil que nunca.
Cómo será la batalla técnica en la F1 durante 2025
Este año será inusual para el desarrollo en la Fórmula 1. La introducción de una nueva unidad de potencia para 2026, así como un conjunto significativamente diferente de reglamentos de chasis y aerodinámica, hace que el camino de decisión para los programas de desarrollo sea más difícil que nunca.
How the key F1 technical battlegrounds shape up for 2025
This year will be an unusual one for Formula 1 development. The introduction of a new power unit for 2026, as well as a significantly different set of chassis and aerodynamic regulations, makes the decision path for development programmes more difficult than ever. In preparation for this, the FIA has kept the regulation changes for 2025 to a minimum, thereby enabling teams to minimise the work needed on 2025 development while concentrating on the 2026 project.
Ayrton Senna par Pat Symonds, et l'incroyable anecdote de Dallas
Le 2 novembre 1983 était une journée d'hiver typique de Silverstone. La température avoisinait les 12°C le matin, insuffisant pour assécher une piste mouillée par la bruine de la nuit. Le léger vent de sud-est n'était pas d'un grand secours, ne faisant que compliquer ce test hivernal. Pourtant, à bien d'autres égards, cette journée était loin d'être banale, car pour la première fois Ayrton Senna allait piloter une Toleman, la monoplace dont il disposerait la saison suivante.
AWS and Formula 1 design the racecar of the future
Formula 1 revealed its next-generation racecar that will be used by teams in the upcoming 2022 season. The purpose of the new, more aerodynamic vehicle design is to create more opportunities for wheel-to-wheel racing and therefore, more action on the track. Click here to subscribe to our print edition! Formula 1 relied heavily on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) – a virtual wind tunnel, that allowed Formula 1 to explore thousands of possible concepts without having to manufacture a single part.
GP de France - Programme TV et guide d'avant-course
C'est la 17e fois que la Formule 1 se rend au Castellet : le dernier Grand Prix en date fut celui de 2019, remporté par Lewis Hamilton. Voici tout ce qu'il faut savoir pour suivre cette épreuve. Horaires et programme TV du GP de France 2021 Pour le public français, il faudra compter comme depuis 2013 sur la diffusion de l'épreuve par Canal+, qui agence la programmation sur ses différentes chaînes.
The potential pitfalls Mercedes is working to counter in 2021
The 2020-21 Formula 1 off-season has been like no other in the championship's recent history. After pulling off the remarkable feat of holding 17 races during unprecedented global disruption in our modern, hyper-connected world, attentions quickly turned to what comes next. But the way F1 teams have been preparing for the 2021 campaign, since well before the 2020 season came to a flat finish in Abu Dhabi, is rather unusual.
Why F1 shouldn't be afraid of trying sprint races
Feb 11, 2021, 10:13 AM Formula 1's push to experiment with qualifying races has divided opinions among its fanbase, but Jonathan Noble argues F1 should at least give it a try. Formula 1 is a sport that is both strengthened and shackled by tradition. Its current success owes a lot to its glorious past, with a direct line that can be traced back from the contemporary car and drivers to those initial first steps as a world championship back in 1950.
Does eight world titles projection undersell Hamilton's potential?
Feb 11, 2021, 1:42 PM Lewis Hamilton's new one-year deal with Mercedes has given renewed strength to theories he will depart Formula 1 with eight world championships.
Why McLaren can be a true force in F1 again
As frustrated as he was with his own third-place finish, Lewis Hamilton spoke with real heart and pride about the performance of his former team, McLaren, in qualifying for the 2020 Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi. Lando Norris had qualified fourth at Yas Marina. On face value, it was a decent but hardly extraordinary result, and not even the team's best Saturday of the season.
How Hamilton's one-year deal opens up the 2022 driver market
Feb 9, 2021, 11:38 AM Lewis Hamilton's long-anticipated new Mercedes deal has one standout feature: it is so far only for one year. Although Hamilton may stay with the team longer, Mercedes having no drivers contracted for 2022 should inject further intrigue into silly season... While the saga surrounding Lewis Hamilton's new Mercedes Formula 1 contract may have dragged out, there was little doubt he would put pen to paper on a new deal.
The key answers on Hamilton's new Mercedes deal
Feb 8, 2021, 4:30 PM Lewis Hamilton has finally put pen-to-paper on a new Mercedes F1 contract for 2021. There were many questions about Hamilton's commitment to F1, and some still linger with the news his deal is for one year, but there were other complexities involved... Formula 1's biggest soap opera of the winter – Lewis Hamilton's contract talks – finally came to a conclusion on Monday morning when Mercedes announced it had signed an extension.
Why investigation of Grosjean’s horror crash won’t be a simple matter
The 2020 Formula 1 season will be remembered for many things. The relentless schedule of 17 race events completed in 165 days will certainly not be forgotten by those who participated, and the intense midfield battles occupied the minds of the majority of teams. For fans, the return to some classic tracks, plus the introduction of new ones, will be remembered.
Why F1's willingness to experiment shouldn't end with 2020
By: Pat Symonds , Chief Technical Officer, F1 Jan 3, 2021, 3:34 PM To sprint or not to sprint? After a season in which F1 has departed greatly from its regular calendar, and with some success, Pat Symonds says it's worth carrying on that spirit of embracing the new by considering new race formats in 2021. One of the most emotive topics of the unusual 2020 season has been the debate surrounding the introduction of sprint races.
Why a decades-old F1 tradition had to be axed
By: Pat Symonds , Chief Technical Officer, F1 Oct 24, 2020, 7:09 PM The controversial 'party modes', outlawed by the FIA this season, represent the peak of a development curve which began many years ago - but it was right to put an end to it, says PAT SYMONDS...
The key areas to expect gaps to close in 2021
Such is the relentless pace of Formula 1 that even as the flag dropped in Abu Dhabi on?1 December 2019, senior engineers were steering their thoughts towards the first test of 2020, a mere 80 days away. The design 'freeze' for that test would be around Christmas, although many of the larger and more complex parts would be well into production by then.
The changes that F1 rejected for 2021
By: Pat Symonds , Chief Technical Officer, F1 Feb 7, 2020, 11:26 AM Former Benetton, Renault and Williams technical chief Pat Symonds reveals some of the potential changes that were rejected by Formula 1 for its 2021 rules overhaul. In last month's F1 Racing, we considered some of the philosophy behind the 2021 regulation changes and discussed the implementation of the rules that govern aerodynamics.
The inside story of how F1 created the 2021 rules
By: Pat Symonds , Chief Technical Officer, F1 Jan 7, 2020, 12:47 PM F1 Racing technical consultant Pat Symonds is also one of the guiding hands behind Formula 1's revolutionary 2021 rules package. Here he explains the road ahead... It may not have delivered Brexit to the UK population, thereby removing some uncertainty from the national political scene, but 31 October 2019 did deliver a set of Formula 1 regulations for 2021 that clarified, to some extent, the ever-murky F1 political scene.
Why an F1 veteran is embracing Esports
By: Pat Symonds , Chief Technical Officer, F1 A trip the 2018 F1 Esports Pro Series helped to convince Pat Symonds that virtual racing can have a significant impact on the health of grand prix racing in the future We witnessed some great races in 2018 and both the British and US Grands Prix provided a level of excitement and uncertainty sustained right to the end.
Even Formula 1's best bits need to change
Be careful what you wish for: among the latest proposals from Formula 1's much-maligned Strategy Group, there has been a suggestion to split the qualifying hour into four segments rather than the current three. It hasn't been greeted by widespread enthusiasm from within the sport. But this notion wasn't plucked out of thin air - it was driven by focused research of fans instigated by the commercial rights holder.
How a Formula 1 team can go off the rails
One of the surprising aspects of this year has been the astonishing lack of performance from Williams and McLaren - and, at the beginning of the season, Force India. People often wonder how, with the incredible array of technology available to the teams, performance drop-offs like this are possible. They're not just confined to the lesser-funded teams; in 2015 Red Bull produced a car that didn't begin to show the team's normal potential until mid-season. So what can be the reason?
F1's 2019 aero rules explained
Formula 1 has long been resistant to change, a situation that was brought about by a perverse governance system, variable amounts of disunity between enfranchised bodies - and, most importantly, teams that guarded perceived competitive advantage to an extreme degree. The past twelve months have brought a sea change in this situation.
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