Competing successfully in a Grand Prix requires control, precision and perfect strategy calls – all of which are hard to achieve when confronted with challenging weather conditions.
NetApp helps Aston Martin F1 harness the power of data on and off the track, and NetApp’s Cloud Technology provides insight into something no one can control: the weather.
At AMF1, having weather updates in real-time can be the difference between the making the right strategy call and the wrong one at the track.
Peter Hall, AMF1 Head of Race Strategy, reveals: "There are many ways that weather influences the performance of a race car on track.
"While extreme weather can influence whether or not a race takes place at its scheduled time, any weather condition influences strategy decisions and car set-up.
"It is something we are always monitoring; in the build-up to a Grand Prix, over the course of a race weekend, and then minute by minute over the course of a session."
Wet or Dry?
A wet track is harder for tyres to find grip, and cooler air temperatures can impact tyre pressure. Less grip only increases the challenge faced by a driver and, although the risk of mistakes is increased, the potential rewards for mastering such conditions can be high.
"Wet weather gives us the biggest challenge, but these conditions also frequently provide the most exciting races,” says Peter.
"For a driver navigating a wet track, not only is it more difficult to tread the fine line between slip and grip, but the penalties also when they deviate from the racing line are greater too."
Grip levels do change on a dry track, but nowhere near the magnitude of variation that can be seen in wet conditions.
Drivers and engineers need to consider a number of factors when preparing for a wet race. The rate of rain, wet areas on the track, tyre selection, set-up and strategy all need to be calculated and investigated – and then changed and adjusted as the rain slows or stops.
"Grip levels do change on a dry track, but nowhere near the magnitude of variation that can be seen in wet conditions," says Peter. "This means looking to the Cloud for the best data on demand to determine the best course of action when rainclouds beckon."
Over the course of a race weekend, even wet practice sessions followed by a dry qualifying session or race can cause conundrums.
"The practice sessions in this sport are used for data accumulation," adds Peter. "If you have any wet practice sessions, then you don't have the same amount of contemporary data that you would otherwise.
"It leaves you having to do even more data processing, as you're modelling with historical data and what information you have been able to accrue in other sessions."
Being on the wrong tyre for the conditions can cost as much as ten seconds – or, in extreme cases, even more.
Tyred Out
Being on the right tyre is crucial if you want to win a Grand Prix, but knowing when is the right time to move from slicks to Intermediates or Wets can be a tough call.
Data from previous race weekends, practice sessions, and live monitoring can help engineers make strategic choices.
"A wet race – more precisely a mixed conditions race – is the most difficult on the pitwall," says Peter. "You need to be able to access data immediately.
"Being on the wrong tyre for the conditions can cost as much as 10 seconds – or, in extreme cases, even more.
"The worst scenario is being on the wrong tyre and ending up in the barriers or stuck in the gravel, retiring from the race. It's crucial that you make the right call, or at least avoid making the wrong one."
Hot or Cold?
There are two temperatures a race engineer needs to keep an eye on: ambient and track. Ambient temperature – the temperature of the air – impacts the driver, car and tyres. Track temperature has a direct impact on tyre performance.
Tyres need to be kept at their optimum operating temperature to deliver their best. If it's too cold, the tyre doesn't work properly, but if it's too hot and they can blister, chunk, or delaminate.
In a dry race, when the choice of which tyre strategy to use is marginal, a small change in temperature can have a big impact. It's another parameter we monitor very closely.
On sunny days, engineers need to be aware of how the track is heating up and how cloud cover might affect this. It's also crucial they pay close attention to how the air temperature is impacting the car itself, particularly engines, brakes, and batteries which all require cooling.
The drivers themselves are also at risk of overheating. A driver can lose as much as three kilos of body fluid during a race and risk dehydration.
"Even small changes in temperature during the course of a race can have an impact on performance," explains Peter.
"In a dry race, when the choice of which tyre strategy to use is marginal, a small change in temperature can have a big impact. It's another parameter we monitor very closely."
Blowing in the Wind
A headwind can assist in downforce generation, whereas a tailwind – especially an erratic one from behind – can make gauging braking points a challenge. A strong sidewind, meanwhile, can play havoc with the stability of the car in a corner.
"How a Formula One car cuts through the wind is something that occupies a tremendous amount of resources for the teams," says Peter.
"In the wind tunnel, we control the direction of the wind, but on the track, we're looking at real-world information to help us make decisions for wing level and setup. Strong and unexpected winds can make a car very difficult to drive, so anything we can do to mitigate against this is beneficial."
For all of these scenarios, we rely on the flow of data to enable decisions to be made, problems avoided, and success can occur.
"In 2022, controlling the level of porpoising is critical to keeping the car both legal and driveable. Predicting changes in wind that may affect the level of porpoising the driver experiences can allow the team to get closer to the race day optimum set-up."
Where NetApp comes in
At AMF1, we use NetApp's solutions to gain speed on and off the track – unlocking performance through data and constantly evolving insights from the cloud.
"For every scenario, we rely on the flow of data to make decisions, avoid problems and achieve successful outcomes," says Peter.
"We need to be able to access this data anywhere and NetApp is giving us the platform to do so."
Originally published on NetApp.com.
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