Scuderia Ferrari arrives in Las Vegas, the twenty-second occasion of the 2024 Method 1 racing season, the third-to-last race of the World Championship. Confidence in potential efficiency is current. On the Nevada observe, low temperatures and lengthy straights make the tire challenge central as soon as once more for the race weekend. The primary problem for the Maranello technicians and drivers might be on the entrance, the place the automobile’s axis is much less careworn by lateral forces, making it extra vulnerable to dangers of graining and the associated phenomenon of understeering. To handle these points successfully, the Maranello staff has performed “indoor testing” beneath excessive circumstances on the tires.
The purpose was to look at the mathematical mannequin of the tires to make sure that the technique for managing the compounds is as correct as attainable, offering the power to extract the optimum power profile, each in qualifying and within the race. At the moment, we need to analyze the difficulties confronted by Ferrari’s tire and efficiency engineers in defining an correct mannequin to deliver to the observe. Moreover, we are going to attempt to perceive how vital applicable tire evaluation is after every free observe run for the setup deliberation.
Within the try and predict tire conduct, the issues lie in the truth that the three attribute parameters of every tire, hundreds, footprint, and temperature, are solely estimated. Primarily, there is no such thing as a chance of utilizing a sensor to completely outline vertical load or working temperature; assumptions should be made. Moreover, tire conduct is solely nonlinear. Due to this fact, the outlined fashions could generally be incorrect, offering non-ideal output values.
All of it begins from the checks performed inside the sports activities administration with Ferrari, who, nonetheless within the battle for the Constructors’ Championship, determined to dedicate appreciable time to this issue throughout the two-week break earlier than Las Vegas. The technicians at Ferrari use a “magic components,” outlined by engineer Hans Pacejka within the Nineteen Eighties. An equation that requires enter of 18 parameters supplied by Pirelli, which outline a kind of identification card for the tire. These values should be mixed with the three standards talked about above via dynamic simulations on the circuit.
Since they don’t have the race tires in-house, as every F1 staff should return the tires on the finish of each race weekend, simulations are carried out utilizing software program. The Prancing Horse has based mostly its simulations on information collected on the observe throughout this season, altering the encompassing circumstances to simulate the Las Vegas race, additionally utilizing information gathered throughout the earlier version. Within the dynamic program, vertical forces and the form of the contact patch with the bottom are modified, simulating the camber acquire of the tire all through the lap.
If the load estimation on every tire is appropriate, the software program is routinely in a position to present the perfect temperature on the tire’s core as output. This manner, the perfect working window for the tire in numerous circumstances is outlined. After all, all of that is thought-about with the understanding that, as all the time, sure elements can solely be seen on the observe, and the staff should be expert in adjusting the technique to totally exploit the compounds. It’s a actually sophisticated job, one which appears really tough inside the present regulatory framework, particularly in sure aggressive contexts.
In the true world, figuring out vertical power, the scale of the contact patch, and the temperature on the coronary heart of the tire is way more sophisticated than within the simulation surroundings, the place basically it’s only a matter of inputting a worth. The ensuing vertical forces, for instance, are influenced by the displacement of the lateral load in corners and the longitudinal load throughout acceleration or braking. An identical dialogue applies to the footprint, which relies upon each on the vertical power for the reason that tire is deformable, however particularly on the camber acquire chosen by the technicians working within the dynamics division.
The rotation of the tire in a nook, across the axis parallel to the movement, due to this fact, modifications the portion of the floor involved with the observe floor, and in flip, the distribution modifies the strain contained in the compound. The temperature on the coronary heart of the tire should even be estimated, looking for a worth inside the vary outlined by the simulations, to maximise grip. This estimate defines the majority temperature, which refers to a woven metallic material inserted between the tread and the carcass. That is essential for making the tires work.
We are saying this as a result of it’s the worth on which the era of grip for the compound relies. The majority is inserted beneath the tread, so it isn’t attainable to make use of a sensor to immediately decide its temperature. Technicians should due to this fact estimate it by making a prediction derived from the temperature on the observe floor, crossed with each exterior and inside temperatures inside the tire. The latter worth is strongly influenced by convective warmth phenomena, generated by the brakes, which go via the rim after which warmth the inside a part of the tire.
The temperature enhance is outlined utilizing a sensor that determines the rise in strain, exploiting the linear relationship between the 2 values. The final parameter measured, through an infrared sensor, is the exterior temperature of the tread, the one sure worth out there to the engineers. These two final temperatures warmth the majority via convective phenomena: from the within via the carcass and from the surface via the tread, permitting the estimation of the temperature on the core. Nevertheless, the majority temperature is much less unstable than the floor temperature.
A component that enables technicians to measure it immediately on the tire as quickly as it’s faraway from the automobile is the “puncture” carried out by the Pirelli delegate, for Ferrari in addition to for different groups, passing via the compound to succeed in the majority and measure its temperature. This measurement, which doesn’t puncture the tire, is essential as it’s the solely measurable and true parameter associated to the core temperature of the compound. A worth that enables for changes, if essential, to what’s estimated by the mathematical mannequin.
This is a matter that Ferrari has not all the time managed with consideration. One solely must recall the varied race weekends the place the 2 SF-24 automobiles, regardless of having excessive potential, confirmed performances beneath expectations. Due to this, the Italian staff was usually pressured, when the values differed from what was assumed, to regulate the estimated information to supply consistency to the mathematical mannequin. Sadly, this work has not all the time been profitable. Nevertheless, expertise helps in these instances, and after 21 races, the Scuderia is aware of its issues very effectively.
Limits that stem partly from the traits of the suspension layouts. Regardless of this, Ferrari’s predictions have turn out to be more and more correct, bettering each in-house simulations and the reliability of observe information. By cautious evaluation of the majority temperature after every run, the Italian staff has gained related insights into the SF-24. Extra particularly, we’re speaking concerning the temperatures on the coronary heart of the tire, that are measured on the inside half (close to the suspensions), on the middle, and on the outer a part of all 4 tires.
The purpose is to attain uniformity throughout the complete width of the tire. If the temperature within the inside or outer half is simply too excessive, it signifies that the static camber angle when stationary shouldn’t be optimum. If, however, the temperature within the middle of the tire is analyzed, it signifies whether or not the chilly strain is appropriate or not. In Las Vegas, it’s anticipated that Ferrari’s weight distribution might be shifted to the entrance. This manner, the vertical load on the entrance axle may be elevated, with the clear purpose of accelerating the quantity of power utilized to the tires.
Moreover, particularly within the tire preparation laps, Ferrari’s engineers will be capable of depend on their drivers who, via the suggestions supplied, will validate a exact warm-up technique. Technically, shifting the brake steadiness to the entrance can assist. This manner, the better braking power generates the next temperature on the brake discs, selling convective results and bringing the tire to temperature extra simply. In line with our data, Ferrari believes it could actually handle the tire challenge effectively, contemplating it essential for the weekend.
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