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With the shift toward pull rod rear suspension, the teams’ mechanics are faced with a maintenance issue.  As the pull rod reaches down into the gearbox casing, access to the transmission is hindered by the inboard suspension inside the gear casing.  Most teams maintain their transmission by first having to remove parts of the inboard suspension.  However the Ferrari engined teams have each found a neater solution to this problem.  Sauber use the Ferrari gearbox and also follow a similar practice of using a separate module to mount the entire inboard suspension in between the engine and gearbox.

Background

Pull rod suspension runs the pull rod from the outer end of the top wishbone down the bottom corner of the chassis.  For the rear suspension, the inner end of the pull rod set up is on the gearbox casing.  This mounts the inboard elements of the system low down on the gearbox, either inside entirely contained within the casing (which is more aerodynamic), or splits the elements inside and outside of the gearcase.  Both however will have heave and anti roll elements passing from one side of the gearbox to the other.  These parts sit ahead of the transmission inside the gear casing and will hinder access to it.

The inboard suspension is made up of: torsion bar springs, side dampers, anti roll bar and heave elements.  While the transmission consists of: gear cluster, clutch and hydraulics.  Although teams do not normally need to maintain the transmission or inboard suspension over the course of a race weekend, the transmission is regularly inspected in between sessions and this require access through the front of the gear casing.  With the inboard suspension in the way, most teams simply unbolt the heave elements, anti roll bar and if required the side dampers.  This is complex and takes time, which the teams can do without.

Toro Rosso Gearcase

Toro Rosso Gearcase removed from the car – via MotorsportGP.pl

For the Ferrari engined teams (Ferrari, Sauber and Toro Rosso) the inboard suspension is mounted in a separate assembly.  Although Toro Rosso do not use the Ferrari gearbox, they were in fact the innovators in this area.  Toro Rosso shifted towards pull rod suspension before Ferrari and have evolved a split gearbox casing with the transmission inside a short metal casing. This is then bolted to a separate carbon fibre casing, which contains the inboard suspension.  Bolting to the back of the engine, this suspension case is akin to a separate bell housing.  When the team need access to the transmission, they unbolt the front legs of the wishbones and pull rods, then split the metal gear casing from the carbon suspension case. This allows the gearbox and outer rear suspension to be wheeled away, with the carbon suspension case remaining undisturbed and still bolted to the back of the engine.  To keep the unbolted wishbone legs and pull rods supported, the team fit temporary mounts to the metal gearcase.

This split case design will have an inherent stiffnessweight penalty, although teams are able to simulate the assemblies stiffness against known load cases, so the Toro Rosso split case design does not imply that is any less stiff.  With the weight distribution now fixed and more rearwards biased than in previous times, any weight penalty to recover stiffness is not a problem.  No doubt making the suspension case a carbon fibre part helps with lowering the total weight of the design.  One further benefit is the suspension case and the inboard suspension are all made by the team itself, unlike a cast gearbox case, which has to be outsourced to an outside supplier. This means any changes to the suspension case or inboard suspension can be competed quickly and reliably by the team.  With suspension being a primary factor in tyre management, this equates to a strategic advantage for the team.

Ferrari gearcase

Ferrari shifted to Rear Pull Rod suspension for 2012, this necessitated a new gearbox casing.  No doubt the Toro Rosso solution inspired Ferrari approach to their powertrain design.  They were perhaps also mindful of the stiffnessweight challenge of split case, so their design is a progression from Toro Rosso’s.  With the access benefits of a separate inboard suspension module, but not by employing a split case.

The Ferrari gearbox case is made from carbon fibre and as is conventional, it is a single structure from the rear of the engine back to the differential.  This makes the structure as efficient as possible from a stiffness perspective.  But if otherwise conventional, this would present the same access issues.  So Ferrari have cutaway a small section at the bottom front of the casing (yellow).  This allows the pullrod to reach the inboard suspension, but rather than the springs and dampers being mounted to a bellhousing-like separate case, or mounted directly inside the case, Ferrari have mounted everything on a separate plate.

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The other design difference to the Toro Rosso is that the wishbones remain bolted to the gearcase and do not have to be disturbed, which makes splitting the gearcase from the suspension module even easier.

Sauber Suspension module

I have been lucky enough to have a photo of the Sauber Suspension module sent to me, by a ScarbsF1 fan at the 2012 Airtel Indian GP.  In this image we can see the machined metal module, which mounts the entire inboard suspension.  This assembly bolts to the back of the engine, with the clutch passing through the opening in the middle of the module.  As with the Toro Rosso solution the gearbox can be removed, by unbolting the pull rod ends and the gearcase from the engine.  This leaves the suspension still bolted to the engine and the outer rear suspension attached to the gearcase.    The potential for the enginegearcase interface to lose is possible as the apparently unbridged gap at the lower front of the case appears to be left open.  But the gearcase bolts through the suspension module and into the back of the engine, restoring stiffness to the unbridged section.  As with the Toro Rosso split case solution, this makes revisions to the inboard suspension easier.  However for Ferrari the suspension module is far simpler than Toro Rosso’s casing, so FerrariSauber would find altering their suspension module even easier.

As Sauber use the entire Ferrari powertrain (EngineGearboxKERS), they also employ the unique Ferrari gearcase shape.  Although they do not necessarily employ exactly the same layout on the suspension module, as each team is responsible for their own suspension design.

Unfortunately the Sauber suspension module photo does not include the dampers, so we will have to speculate on the position and purposes for each bell crank on the rockers.  Each Rocker (grey) is operated by the pullrod, which pulls on the lowest of the bell cranks emerging from the rocker.   Inside the rockers are the torsion bars (yellow) which are mounted in a near vertical position and act as the side springs for each wheel.  There appears to be three other bell cranks mounted to the rocker.  I’d suggest the lower pair are used for the Heave spring (blue), while the middle pair operate the Anti roll Bar (ARB) by a set of connecting links.  Barely visible behind the anti roll bar, are the last pair of bell cranks, which probably operate the side dampers (red) with their inner ends mount to the structure supporting the ARB.  In the Sauber set up, there does not appear to be a separate roll damper or interlinked heave element.  I know that many teams do run separate roll dampers, Ferrari had one included as part of their 2011 rear suspension.  While the front and rear suspensions could still be linked, if the heave element was a hydraulic device, as well as a sprung device.

With these set ups, all three teams appear to have found a small operational advantage and perhaps even a strategic benefit as they can alter the inboard suspension layout with resorting to a completely new gearcase.  It’s strange it’s solely the Ferrari engine teams that have found this solution, no other gearcase I have seen powered by another engine manufacturer have seen this as a solution, despite some teams having run rear pull rod suspension since 2009.  Perhaps we will see some different solutions from the other teams in 2013?

Source: Scarbs F1

Readers’ event with Jody Scheckter

On Saturday May 18, 2013, Jody Scheckter will host a sumptuous banquet, while offering a rare opportunity to hear him speak about his incredible racing career and view his own collection of the cars he drove – as seen in the February issue of Motor Sport.

The evening, held in association with Motor Sport, will take place in the new state-of-the-art Saracens Rugby Stadium. The multi-course feast will be sourced from Jody’s award-winning Laverstoke Park organic farm. Tickets are offered at a discounted rate for subscribers.

The Menu:

A selection of Laverstoke Park Farm canapés: “We’ll be offering a selection of biltong,” says Jody. “We make the biltong I always dreamed about – and it does not contain preservatives or colourings. It is cured overnight and then slowly dried, giving its unique flavour. Early South African settlers used these methods to preserve their meats naturally.”

Buffalo mozzarella with fresh tomato and basil: Served with a selection of our home-grown baby salad leaves and vegetable crudités. “The equipment that makes our mozzarella comes from Modena near the Ferrari factory. Michelin star chef Angela Hartnett rated our mozzarella “10 out of 10” saying it was “fresher and creamier than the finest Italian”. It’s so good I took some to Ferrari a couple of years ago and they loved it. My dream is to export my mozzarella to Italy…”

Award winning pan-fried buffalo fillet: “Buffalo meat is lower in fat and cholesterol than beef. It beats normal fillet for taste and our dry-aged buffalo fillet was awarded ‘The Best Speciality’ food in England, on top of the highest award of three gold stars at the Great Taste Awards. We have our own herd of more than 2000 water buffalo.”

To book your tickets call +44 (0)207 349 8472. For group bookings please contact us. Tickets are priced at £250 for subscribers or £295 for non-subscribers.

For more information email our events team.

Motor Sport Magazine – The original motor racing magazine

Source: Motor Sport Mag

Mario Andretti’s adventures at Daytona

Mario Andretti was less lucky in the Daytona 24 Hours than he was at Sebring where he won three times in 1967, ‘70 and ’72. Andretti started eight long-distance races at Daytona but never won over 24 hours, scoring his only win in 1972 with Jacky Ickx aboard a Ferrari 312PB when the race was shortened, in the FIA’s wisdom, to just six hours.

Mario was twice on the pole at Daytona, in 1970 aboard a Ferrari 512S, and in 1984 driving the prototype Porsche 962. He also finished the 24 Hours third in 1970 with Ickx and Arturo Merzario, fourth in ‘66 with Pedro Rodriguez in a Ferrari 365P2, fifth in ‘91 driving a Dauer Porsche 962 with sons Michael and Jeff, and sixth in ‘68 with Lucien Bianchi in an Alfa Romeo T33.

In 1972 the race was shortened to six hours by an FIA edict aimed at reducing all long-distance races, save Le Mans, to either six hours or 1000km in duration. Ferrari produced a new 312PB sports car that was lower and lighter than the previous year’s car and Andretti qualified on the pole, but his car lapsed onto eleven cylinders in the early going and Ickx and he began to fade.

Numerous problems afflicted the other frontrunners however, and Mario and Ickx came through to win, taking the lead from teammates Tim Schenken and Ronnie Peterson with just fifteen minutes to go when Schenken had to pit to replace a punctured tyre.

“We dropped a cylinder at the start,” Mario recalls. “An injector went afoul. They tried to fix it, but we ran the whole way. We were running third, fourth, or fifth, and toward the end they were coming back to us. We were running second to Peterson and Schenken but they lost fourth gear, then cut a tyre near the end, and I passed them and won.”

At Sebring the following month Andretti once again put his Ferrari 312PB on the pole and led the opening laps only to run into a series of problems. Mario and Ickx lost time, first with a cut tyre, then a broken battery cable and finally an oil leak, but were able to come back in style, beating teammates Schenken and Peterson once again. It was Mario’s third win at Sebring in six years.

“I really enjoyed those races with Ickx,” Mario says. “Jacky was one of the best teammates I ever had. He would let me qualify, which I loved to do, and physically, we were about the same size. His arms were longer than mine. I used to set up the car to suit me, and he would never change a thing.”

Mario and Ickx won again at the Brands Hatch 1000Kms in April with Peterson and Schenken finishing second again, making it four 1-2s in a row for Ferrari’s sports car team.

Andretti didn’t return to the Daytona 24 Hours for twelve years. In 1984 he teamed up with his son Michael, who was only twenty-one at the time, to race Porsche’s first 962 which was based on the 956 but designed to IMSA specs with more protection for the drivers’ feet. Mario put the car on the pole and Michael and he led the race until the gearbox roasted itself.

“The 962 was a single turbo for IMSA in the States,” Mario recounts. “That was a hell of a car. It was born correctly. The first engine was still the air-cooled six-cylinder and to qualify we closed the air intake underneath the car. People didn’t realise how much quicker you could go in qualifying trim with it plugged-up. That’s what prompted Porsche to go to a water-cooled engine because they realised they were losing so much downforce.”

The turbo in the prototype 962 was located right on top of the gearbox and wasn’t shielded anywhere near enough. “We cooked the damn synchronisers,” Mario laments. “They unfairly blamed Michael because it was during one of his stints. They said he was too rough on the gearbox, too young and inexperienced. Michael was flying. He was as quick as anyone, quicker in fact.”

Mario and Michael next ran the Daytona 24 Hours in 1989, sharing a 962 owned by Al Holbert who had been killed in an airplane crash the previous autumn. The car was prepared by Holbert’s former crew chief Kevin Doran and run by Jim Busby’s team but about a third of the way into the race the Porsche’s brakes failed.

Andretti’s final Daytona 24 Hours came two years later, sharing a rebodied Porsche 962C, run by Jochen Dauer, with Michael and younger son Jeff. A second Dauer Porsche was entered for the Unser family but the team wasn’t up to fielding two cars for such high profile competitors. The Unsers’ car dropped out in the middle of the night while Mario and Michael recovered from losing 20 laps because of some early electrical problems to take the lead early on Sunday morning before the gearbox broke. They went far enough however to be classified fifth, 56 laps behind the winning Joest 962.

“That was disappointing because we drove so hard through the night,” Mario recalls. “It was great to share the car with Michael and Jeff. Jeff did a great job, running just as fast as Michael and me, and we were on our way to pulling off a great comeback win. But it wasn’t to be.”

So goes the grind of long-distance racing, particularly at Daytona were the infield section is rough and bumpy while the banking puts plenty of loads through the chassis and drivetrain. Nor does it help that more than half the race is run in the dark. It’s as tough as they come.

Motor Sport Magazine – The original motor racing magazine

Source: Motor Sport Mag

Madonna di Campiglio (Italy) – Today the 23rd edition of the Wrooom Press Ski Meeting at Madonna di Campiglio drew to a close with the traditional ski and kart races reserved for F1 drivers and MotoGP riders, which provided an exciting and enjoyable evening for the spectators present in the famous ski resort in the heart of the Trentino Dolomites.

Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden, Ducati Marlboro Team unveil their bikes

Photo by: Ducati Corse

To celebrate this edition of Wrooom and as a mark of gratitude and recognition for the Dolomites range of mountains, Ducati decided to create a special livery of the Multistrada 1200, by using the “Pikes Peak” sports model as a basis and transforming it into an exclusive and attractive “Dolomites’ Peak” version.

The bike was unveiled by the Ducati Team riders shortly before the ski race, 2100 metres up the mountain, with a spectacular view of the Dolomites as a backdrop, and the sun, blue sky and lots of snow making the atmosphere even more fascinating than usual.

The bike will remain a unique, one-off version, even though the interest that the gorgeous livery aroused far exceeded expectations.

Andrea Dovizioso, Ducati Marlboro Team

Photo by: Ducati Corse

The snowboard downhill race was dominated by Andrea Dovizioso, the Italian demonstrating his ability on the snow, and he finished ahead of his team manager Vittoriano Guareschi.

Paolo Ciabatti, the new Ducati MotoGP Project Director, finished a good fifth place in the ski race, which was won by Giancarlo Fisichella.

In the evening the attention turned to Madonna di Campiglio’s frozen lake for an exciting end to the Wrooom 2013 week.

Nicky Hayden, Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone faced off against the Scuderia Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Marc Gene, Giancarlo Fisichella and Luca Badoer.

At the chequered flag the all-F1 podium saw Alonso take the win from Fisichella and Massa, while Dovizioso (fourth), Hayden (fifth) and Iannone (seventh) all had good races and contributed to the spectacle.

With the conclusion of the Wroom 2013 Press Ski Meeting, the Ducati Team and the Pramac Racing Team now prepare to start testing for the 2013 MotoGP season, at Sepang in February and Jerez de la Frontera in March, followed by the opening round of the championship in Qatar on April 7.

Ducati Team

Special thanks to:
motorsport.com