15/01/2012
NEWS STORY
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Mat Coch writes:
The 2012 development race has begun in earnest as teams work to emulate Lotus' innovative new suspension concept. Deemed legal by the FIA last week the ruling has left many teams scrambling to develop their own solution with pre-season testing fast approaching.
It's another feather in the cap for those at Enstone; the former Renault team, now Lotus, has been at the forefront of innovative design in recent years.
In 2005 the team developed mass dampers, while last year it ran a forward mounted exhaust. The mass damper solution proved a hit, prompted a clarification of the regulations which ultimately saw it outlawed while the forward exhaust solution was less successful.
Around the time the mass damper system was banned the technical regulations surrounding suspension systems were clarified. Crucially the word 'vertical' was removed from the definition, leaving article 10.1.2 of the technical regulations to read: The suspension system must be so arranged that its response results only from changes in load applied to the wheels.
The omission of the word 'vertical' opened the door for teams to develop suspension systems which reacted to all loads; vertical, longitudinal and lateral. Vertical and lateral load are experienced as the car rides bumps and changes direction, while longitudinal load is experienced under braking and acceleration.
Traditionally when a driver presses the brake pedal the brake calipers grasp the disc and the front of the car dips, especially under heavy braking. In Formula One terms it is a barrier to performance. Typically the front of a Formula One car is run as low to the ground as possible, with a key determining factor being the front wing and its proximity to the ground under heavy braking.
If the car were to stop diving, or pitching, under braking the teams could run their cars lower to the ground, and therefore enjoy more downforce as a result.
To do so a method of counteracting the car's pitching motion is needed, which is what the Lotus reactive suspension is believed to do.
As mentioned earlier a traditional braking system relies on a caliper grasping a disc from a fixed position. What the Lotus system is believed to do is allow the brake caliper to rotate around the wheel.
Under braking the calipers push pads on to the brake disc. The Lotus system is believed to use the friction that process generates to rotate the caliper around the wheel until it hits a stop. It then returns to its original location using a simple spring, restoring the cars original ride height while being ready for the next braking point.
A respected industry insider explained exclusively to Pitpass that; "by linking that rotation to a hydraulic cylinder, and in turn linking it to a push rod, it's possible to change the ride height of the car.
"With an F1 car you are normally targeting to lower the front ride height as much as possible to increase downforce. The limit to how low you can go is sometimes that initial part of braking where the car may touch the ground and upset the driver," our source continued. "By compensating for this, the ride height will not drop at this point, so you will then be able to lower the static ride height and gain downforce. It may also be possible to deploy a system on the rear end of the car, but for other reasons."
Importantly the system is not considered driver operated in the same way as the F-Duct was, where it was operated by a specific driver movement, as it is engaged by applying braking pressure. In essence it means Lotus has developed a system which generates more downforce by preventing the nose of the car dipping under heavy braking.
However while some sections of the media have suggested its approval by the FIA is a cut and dry case, our source is more philosophical. "Although a system is allowed within the suspension, brakes or other articles, nothing can escape the all-encompassing Article 3.15. In simple terms this says that you cannot have moveable devices that affect aerodynamics (the only exceptions are brake ducts and DRS)."
As Lotus finds itself on the periphery of the leading teams it stands to reason that those around it will investigate the technology - indeed Ferrari already has.
While its long term legality is unknown, rivals would be ill-advised not to develop their own versions, especially those teams at the front looking to maintain their positions as heads of state. While there are potentially questions to be raised over the system's primary purpose those at the front would be mindful of Brawn's success in 2009 thanks to its early discovery of double diffusers which left the rest of the field playing catch up and ultimately snared the team an unlikely championship.
Pitpass approached Lotus for comment on the system for the purposes of this article however at time of writing had not received a response from the team.