Giorgio Piola and Matt Somerfield explain the science behind the intricacies of air-intake design that goes into F1 roll hoops. It is amazing to think that up until 1983, the only part of a Formula 1 car had had to be signed off by a fully-certified engineer was the roll-over safety bar. Advances in car safety (plus ever tougher crash tests) have come thick and fast since then – but it is interesting to see that what was once an area of the car only there to protect drivers is now being exploited like never before to also find performance. The Mercedes W07's airbox is one of the largest in the 2016 field but, it is not the first time we have seen teams use this area and the roll hoop in...
Full Story »