Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team reserve and development driver Nico Hülkenberg has now completed his seat fitting for the AMR21.
Earlier this month, the team confirmed Nico would return to Team Silverstone, having stepped in on two occasions in 2020 to race for Racing Point at both the Anniversary and Eifel Grands Prix, as well as racing for the team in 2012-16.
That wealth of experience made him a natural candidate for the team in 2021 and one of the first priorities was for the German to visit the Silverstone factory and undergo a seat fitting, following in the steps of Lance and Sebastian earlier this year.
While in a road car, a well-designed and adjustable seat is essential for proper control of the pedals and comfort, there’s a key difference to consider for Nico. For the road, it’s about accommodating a wide range of potential drivers. In Formula One, it’s about creating a bespoke design that suits an individual driver down to the millimetre.
Nico suits up in green
Go behind the scenes as Nico Hülkenberg arrives at the factory to undergo his seat fitting and discover the science behind a driver getting comfortable in a car.
This is because, through a combination of a well-fitted seat and steering, a driver can get a read on the feel of a car and understand its behaviour, which is crucial to helping drivers refine set-up across a session too.
Every Formula One driver is different, so each one requires a bespoke seat fit. This is done by having a driver, fully suited and booted, climb into an empty chassis which is then filled with expanding foam. The driver then sits back for a long period of time as the foam takes shape around the pilot.
A team then uses the expanding foam to help create a mould and a seat shell for the driver and accuracy is paramount, so it’s not uncommon for teams to continually trim the mould to find a driver’s sweet spot.
The mould is then replicated in CAD and the eventual prototype is then made in carbonfibre to create a resilient and light seat, which is then modified to include openings for safety devices such as seatbelts and HANS.
Watch every video
Discover Lance vs Sebastian, the passions igniting our love of Formula One in #IAMSTORIES and watch every exclusive video from the team on our dedicated video page.
The positioning of a driver’s head is critical as their driver’s crash helmet and headrest will be a factor in the aerodynamic flow of a car and can have knock-on effects. Driver and car always go hand in hand, so a low-seated driver can also help improve the centre of gravity of the overall package.
Other factors need to be considered such as a driver’s field of vision behind the wheel and the ease in which a driver can precisely manipulate the pedals.
This entire process takes place within the confines of tightly regulated rules regarding the cockpit with safety paramount.
A seat fitting is often seen as a sign of a new season approaching. It’s a yearly process due to the ever-changing chassis of a Formula One car, as well as the natural human process of changing sizes and shape, requiring refinement ahead of each campaign.
Access I / AM to get closer to the team.
