Racecar Engineering – September 2019

44 http://www.racecar-engineering.com SEPTEMBER 2019

F3 REGIONAL – TATUUS T-318 / LIGIER JS F3R

withtheNewZealand-basedToyotaRacing

Seriesbeingaddedtothemixin2020.

AlthoughtheconceptsfortheLigierJSF3R

andTatuusT-318weredefinedin2017,both

were hit with reduced development time-

frames, albeit for very different reasons.

According to Casiraghi, the concept for the

Tatuus T-318 was born during September 2017,

with development accelerating quite sharply

thereafter. However, the Italian manufacturer

was thrown something of a curve-ball when the

FIA announced that the F3 Asia Winter Series

would be using the T-318 in January, bringing

its competitive debut ahead by approximately

three months. ‘It was really a super sprint in

order to be ready, because originally the plan

was to have this car for 2019, but then the FIA

allowed for an early start in Asia,’ he says. ‘We

got the very last set of regulations published in

March 2018 and we managed to have 20 cars

ready by the end of June.’

Under pressure

Despite the shortened time-frame for

development Casiraghi says that the T-318

has not suffered any major reliability issues.

But the early start did create some pressure,

as it squeezed the homologation and crash

test process, and Casiraghi admits that had

anything gone wrong it could have spelled

disaster for the project. ‘We had to be extremely

carefulinthedesigntobesuretorespectthe

requirementsoftheFIA,’hesays.‘Ifanything

goeswrong,wehavetorepeateverythingfrom

thebeginningandsoit is somethingthatis

quite [worrying]. It was quite a long process to

have all of the FIA certification and an FIA crash

test. We went up to something like 33 static and

dynamic tests on the chassis, so it can withstand

[crashes]. We spent most of the month of May

last year just on the homologation itself.’

Safety push

For Ligier, its late start came about following the

F4 crash at Donington, which severely injured

Billy Monger. ‘Originally it [F3R] was designed

to be F4 with upgrades and after the Billy

Monger accident that changed,’ says Crawford.

‘We designed and built a new chassis to the

new rules and regulations, so it has all of the

features that an F1 car has for safety, including

the Halo. It changed the design time, because

we had already done a car and that had to be

binned, and we started another one. But on the

reliability side it’s been more than satisfactory.

It’s been a fantastic little car from the outset.’

All F3R cars have been drawn with a low

nose profile to help prevent the tip of the nose

from entering another car’s cockpit during

nose-to-side contact. The nose tip also has to sit

below the rear wheel axle. The idea is that if the

following car makes contact with the rear wheel

‘Originally Formula 3 Regional was designed to be Formula 4

with upgrades, but after the Billy Monger accident that changed’

of the car in front, it’s not projected upwards.

‘The idea is to avoid incidents where cars may

take off when touching the nosebox [on to] the

rear wheel of another car,’ says Casiraghi, adding

that as the position of this section is dictated

by a range of 5mm in the regulations each F3R

design will invariably look similar from the front.

The anti-intrusion panels have also been

bolstered, and now completely cover the

Chassis

Carbon composite monocoque; Tatuus Halo; Carbon composite front,

rear and side crashbox; roll hoop (all FIA homologated).

Bodywork and Wings

Carbon Fibre.

Transmission

Sadev SL-R 82 6-speed gearbox; paddleshift; Magneti Marelli ESA.

Suspension

Front: double wishbone with pushrods; twin shock layout; camber

and toe adjustable. Rear: double wishbone with pushrods; twin shock

layout; camber, toe, roll centre, anti-squat adjustable. Dampers,

Koni 2-way; springs by Eibach.

Electronics

ECU, Magneti Marelli SRG 140; LCD dash integrated in steering wheel;

data acquisition by Magneti Marelli;

Brakes

Brembo 4-piston monolitic calipers; Brembo discs and Pagid pads.

Wheels

OZ aluminium front 10x13in, rear 12x13in.

TECH SPEC: Tatuus T-318

(in Asian Formula 3 configuration)

‘It has all of the features

that a Formula 1 car has for

safety, including the Halo’

The Tatuus T-318 in action in Formula Renault Eurocup. The regulations have been designed so that manufacturers can ensure their cars will be able to pack a wide range of engines