Scuderia Ferrari arrives in Las Vegas, the twenty-second occasion of the 2024 System 1 racing season, the third-to-last race of the World Championship. Confidence in potential efficiency is current. On the Nevada monitor, low temperatures and lengthy straights make the tire situation central as soon as once more for the race weekend. The principle problem for the Maranello technicians and drivers will likely be on the entrance, the place the automobile’s axis is much less confused by lateral forces, making it extra prone to dangers of graining and the associated phenomenon of understeering. To handle these points successfully, the Maranello crew has carried out “indoor testing” below excessive situations 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 potential, offering the flexibility to extract the optimum power profile, each in qualifying and within the race. Right this moment, we wish to analyze the difficulties confronted by Ferrari’s tire and efficiency engineers in defining an correct mannequin to carry to the monitor. Moreover, we are going to attempt to perceive how vital applicable tire evaluation is after every free follow run for the setup deliberation.
Within the try to predict tire habits, the issues lie in the truth that the three attribute parameters of every tire, masses, footprint, and temperature, are solely estimated. Basically, there isn’t any chance of utilizing a sensor to completely outline vertical load or working temperature; assumptions should be made. Moreover, tire habits is completely nonlinear. Subsequently, the outlined fashions could typically be incorrect, offering non-ideal output values.
All of it begins from the checks carried out throughout the sports activities administration with Ferrari, who, nonetheless within the combat for the Constructors’ Championship, determined to dedicate appreciable time to this issue through the two-week break earlier than Las Vegas. The technicians at Ferrari use a “magic system,” outlined by engineer Hans Pacejka within the Nineteen Eighties. An equation that requires enter of 18 parameters supplied by Pirelli, which outline a type of id 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 crew 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 knowledge collected on the monitor throughout this season, altering the encompassing situations to simulate the Las Vegas race, additionally utilizing knowledge gathered through 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 robotically 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 situations is outlined. After all, all of that is thought-about with the understanding that, as all the time, sure components can solely be seen on the monitor, and the crew should be expert in adjusting the technique to completely exploit the compounds. It’s a actually difficult job, one which appears actually tough throughout the present regulatory framework, particularly in sure aggressive contexts.
In the actual world, figuring out vertical power, the dimensions of the contact patch, and the temperature on the coronary heart of the tire is far more difficult than within the simulation atmosphere, the place primarily 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 because the 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, subsequently, modifications the portion of the floor involved with the monitor 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, searching for a worth throughout the vary outlined by the simulations, to maximise grip. This estimate defines the majority temperature, which refers to a woven metallic cloth 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 technology of grip for the compound relies. The majority is inserted beneath the tread, so it isn’t potential to make use of a sensor to straight decide its temperature. Technicians should subsequently estimate it by making a prediction derived from the temperature on the monitor floor, crossed with each exterior and inside temperatures throughout 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, by way of 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 skin via the tread, permitting the estimation of the temperature on the core. Nonetheless, the majority temperature is much less risky than the floor temperature.
A component that enables technicians to measure it straight 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 price that enables for changes, if vital, 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 assorted race weekends the place the 2 SF-24 vehicles, regardless of having excessive potential, confirmed performances beneath expectations. Due to this, the Italian crew was usually pressured, when the values differed from what was assumed, to regulate the estimated knowledge to supply consistency to the mathematical mannequin. Sadly, this work has not all the time been profitable. Nonetheless, expertise helps in these instances, and after 21 races, the Scuderia is aware of its issues very properly.
Limits that stem partly from the traits of the suspension layouts. Regardless of this, Ferrari’s predictions have develop into more and more correct, enhancing each in-house simulations and the reliability of monitor knowledge. By way of cautious evaluation of the majority temperature after every run, the Italian crew has gained related insights into the SF-24. Extra particularly, we’re speaking in regards to 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 your 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 will likely be shifted to the entrance. This manner, the vertical load on the entrance axle could be elevated, with the clear intention of accelerating the quantity of power utilized to the tires.
Moreover, particularly within the tire preparation laps, Ferrari’s engineers will be capable to depend on their drivers who, via the suggestions supplied, will validate a exact warm-up technique. Technically, shifting the brake steadiness to the entrance may also help. This manner, the larger braking power generates the next temperature on the brake discs, selling convective results and bringing the tire to temperature extra simply. Based on our info, Ferrari believes it will possibly handle the tire situation properly, contemplating it essential for the weekend.
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