2012 Lotus innovation was previously tested in Abu Dhabi

During the test days of young drivers in Abu Dhabi, the eyes of everyone were focused on the teams. Now, after two months, there is information that Lotus Renault team also tested something new, but their "invention" was definitely more difficult to trace. It is a concept of "self-adjusting ride height" or "constant ride height".

This team has always been at the front of everyone when it comes to solutions in the area of ​​the brakes. Stability during braking, it is extremely important in F1, and its absence makes it difficult to drive even for a hard driver. Any improvement in this area can give very tangible benefits.

The idea tested by a selected group of Lotus engineers in Abu Dhabi it is not new, but so far none of the other teams has effectively use it. The main goal is to stabilize the system of the front suspension when braking. Whit this development, the front of the car does not dive in to the asphalt, and in the circuit turns it maintains the aerodynamic characteristics of the structure. The system is fully mechanical and is supposed to be activated by the driver, which creates a natural association with the F-duct system.


The results achieved by the young drivers who have tested the Lotus car in Abu Dhabi can not say absolutely nothing about the system performance. If the engineers at Enstone actually managed to create a trouble-free height adjustment system for the front suspension, we are sure it will be considered a great success.

We are sure that this issue will cause a many discussions in the near future:

Article 3.15 of the F1 Technical Regulations states: "With the exception of the parts necessary for the adjustment described in Article 3.18 [the DRS], any car system, device or procedure which uses driver movement as a means of altering the aerodynamic characteristics of the car is prohibited."

Some days ago Lotus reveal that the adjustment of the ride height does not come from the driver action. Instead it is reactive to the torque of the braking and is related with the suspension. Therefore it cannot be classified as a moveable aerodynamic device. The driver is not involved, and the system is part of the suspension, so it means that it complies with the technical regulations.

You may like to read this article: Lotus works at Enstone

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Ferrari simulator

An Italian fan infiltrated in to the Ferrari factory to look for detailed information on Ferrari simulator. The results of this quest are at least puzzling. The Information is very limited, both in official and unofficial sources. It is not difficult to guess that this is one of the best kept secrets in Maranello.

The simulator is located in the heart of Ferrari's racing department. It is a concrete building, in which the design is referring more to a "Star Wars" film than a car factory. Simulator work is supervised from the control room, located on the second floor. There is a six giant crane tunable shoulder capsule, in which the driver completely sinks in the virtual world. In addition to the size of the device, it is also impressive the precision of action, able to give every little inequality of the track. The Ferrari simulator has benefited from the experience of the company Moog, who is a leader in developing similar solutions for aviation.


The cage is built mainly of aluminum and composite materials, and is a faithful copy of the interior of the car. The eyes of the driver are amazed by the giant five screens installed on the sides. For a fuller effect, the simulator also has the rear-view mirrors. This is for full immersion, in addition to visual effects and the stimulus of moving platforms. There is also the need of sound; by using multi-channel stereo system, the driver is surrounded by the sound, which would be impossible for even the best headphones.

The head of the whole system is a multiprocessor supercomputer, which is using massive computing power and RAM counted in dozens, and perhaps generates about 5GB of data each day. This is a huge portion of information that must be subjected to analysis.

Ferrari's engineers put the plug into the socket usually around nine o'clock in the morning. During this time, the test drivers perform an average of seventy laps of a track. The main emphasis is to put to work the new concepts in development of the car. The exceptions are in situations when the team is preparing to race at a new track. Then the work begins with the preparation of a virtual lap, a new track is virtually built on the basis of information in the form of CAD drawings, photographs, and sometimes even using a laser meter.

Lack of testing means that the use of the wind tunnel and simulator is critical. This is the reason for Ferrari to set up a special unit responsible only for the development of the simulator. The device is subjected to constant alteration, designed to bring even stronger results.

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