46 F1 RACING AUGUST 2019
PRO
RACING04 Engineering:Trickle-downtechnology
feedback on aero performance and all these things.”
CFD analysis at Enstone enabled Infiniti to improve
the coolingefficiency of the bonnet ‘nostrils’, initially
included just as a styling feature, by 10%. It also
informed the final look of the rear spoiler, the first
iteration of whichwas based on a single plane ofa
Monza-spec F1 wing.
“The vents are in a low-pressure zone so it pulls the
heat out from under thehood,” says Weaver. “Obviously,
we have these big turbo units underneath so there’s a lot
of convection. We roughly had them in the right place–
we were thinking we would be cooling from behind the
radiator core, but actuallywe moved them back. They sit
in one of the few places where you can see down into the
engine well, towards the MGU-Ks,
so they became really functional.
“We had a Monza[rear wi ng]
chordfromtheguysatRenaultSport
F1, a low-drag one, and we put it on,
but when it went to CFDtesting...
basicallythe ca r would have been
driving juston its two rear wheels,
there was so much downforce. We
had to change the angleof attack,
relax it off quite a bit.”
Once the rough edges have been
polished away, the Project BlackS
might be offered to awider audience to drive –
F1 Racinghas already thrown its hat into the ring –
but for now it’s a technology exercise. Nevertheless,
if F1 technology is to trickle down into the road car
world, that trickle must start somewhere.
“It’s an important milestone in quite an important
project,” says Abiteboul. “Bringing F1 technology tothe
road for the first time. It’s a projectthat will see also the
realisation of thedecision made by the sport to bring in
new power unit regulations in 2014 – being more road-
relevant, more fuel-efficient, to make it real, not just for
professional drivers but for you, me, anyone.”“IT’S A PROJECT THAT WILL SEE THE REALISATION OF THE
DECISION MADEBY THE SPORTTO BRING IN NEW POWER
UNIT REGULATIONS IN 2014 – BEING MOREROAD-RELEVANT,
MORE FUEL-EFFICIENT,TO MAKE IT REAL, NOT JUST FOR
PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS BUT FORYOU, ME, ANYONE”
CYRIL ABITEBOUL