F1

Innovations in F1

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 20 total)
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  • #127728
    Polishboy808
    Participant

    We’ve had innovations recently, like KERS, and the F-Duct. But how bout some from long ago. Like Wings, we don’t really think of them as an innovation now because they’re a must have on the car, but they were first introduced in 1968, almost 20 years after the sports first race, by Lotus. So what were some innovations you remember that changed F1?

    #135629
    Ratboy
    Keymaster

    The introduction of the Semi-automatic gearbox, its a shame I liked to see the drivers manually change gear and it made driving more of a challenge.

    #135630
    Dan Thorn
    Participant

    I remember paddle shifts seeming like a revolutionary idea and Murray would often use onboard shots to describe them as fantastic new technology that allows a driver to keep both hands on the wheel. I hate them though – go back to a proper clutch and gearbox I say!

    The mass damper was a great innovation too but the banning of it was ridiculous.

    Those are merely two that stand out from when I’ve been watching F1. If I had to pick one single innovation the changed the sport forever it would have to be mid engines. Ground effect was a simple but brilliant innovation too.

    #135631
    Scribe
    Participant

    All the recent discouverys have tended to be aero dynamic because of the bans on things like mass dampers. However the thing that changed F1 the most recently has to have been the survival cell. Quite how much it has changed are sport was spectacularly demonstrated 3 years ago in Canada, while we should never get cocky F1 is now more safe than dangerous, drivers are more likley to survive a crash than be killed in it.

    While it wasn’t exactly innovated and more developed over time, the survival cell ment that F1 survived after the tradgedies 94 an is no longer even a particularly extreme sport, single most important device in the championships history.

    #135632
    SoLiDG
    Participant

    The Mclaren 2 rear brake pedal was innovative… but banned after Ferrari complained :)

    https://www.racefans.net/2007/05/24/banned-mclarens-rear-brake-pedal/

    #135634
    Anonymous
    Inactive
    #135635
    sw6569
    Participant

    fixy, what was the point in digging this topic up?

    #135636
    Polishboy808
    Participant

    Why not?

    #135637
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @sw6569 – This year the DRS offers a new innovation to F1.

    #135638
    sw6569
    Participant

    yeah, I understand that but your post didn’t mention anything about the DRS and instead referenced a load of articles from 2007.

    Since the topic is here though, which innovation do you think is the most innovative thus far in the 2011 season?

    #135639
    AndrewTanner
    Participant

    I’d like to think the McLaren U-shaped sidepods. Whether or not they’re a positive move is another thing.

    #135640
    Todfod
    Participant

    I would think Renault’s exhaust system is the most innovative idea of the year. Gotta wait and see if it works though..

    #135641
    AndrewTanner
    Participant

    HRT were pretty innovative last year. No testing and they still didn’t come last! ;)

    #135642
    Todfod
    Participant

    I thought this was a really cool initiative from Mclaren.. its a little bit off topic, but is definitely worth a watch

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiLoANg6nNY

    #135643
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    @Todfod – :O

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