Testing Tag

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Sauber reserve driver and Ferrari junior Antonio Giovinazzi set the headline time today at the Hungaroring when he slapped a set of hypersofts on his SF71H and broke Sebastian Vettel’s track record by over half a second. His 1:15.648 lap was two and a half seconds faster than second place man Marcus Ericsson in the Sauber C37, but it was overshadowed by our first look at what the new 2019 front wings will look like. Red Bull, Force India and Williams all brought prototype front wingsRead More

By FIA The FIA has released a new top-end helmet standard that will bring about increased protection for racing drivers in all major championships. This follows over a decade of research to create the ultimate standard for helmet manufacturers to meet to further increase safety. The latest standard, called FIA 8860-2018, outlines the design and performance requirements that the helmet manufacturers must achieve to provide equipment for the FIA’s top series. It will be mandatory for Formula One from 2019 and in other championships soon after. These new helmets willRead More

By FIA Fernando Alonso posted the only timed lap of the day as snow and then heavy rain turned day three of Formula 1 testing in Barcelona into a wash-out. Overnight snow and freezing temperatures led to a long delay in the morning but the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was eventually declared fit for running at midday. However, persistent rain throughout the afternoon meant that few teams ventured out on track. Alonso completed the most laps, with 11, and the McLaren driver claimed the timesheet honours for the day with theRead More

By FIA Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel set the quickest time of day two of the first pre-season Formula 1 test in Barcelona, outpacing Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas by three tenths of a second. McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne finished third on the timesheet a further three tenths back. The day began in muted fashion as overnight snow and rain meant conditions were tricky early on and many teams avoided significant running before the halfway point of running. One of those was Red Bull Racing, with the Milton Keynes team being restricted to the garageRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Chip Ganassi’s lead driver Scott Dixon has completed the first test of IndyCar’s new windscreen driver protection concept at ISM Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona. This was the first time the windscreen has been used on track after two years in development which included lots of work in the wind tunnel, CFD and simulators. The main aim of the test was to be see how the screen worked in different lighting conditions and how that would effect the driver. To that end the four time series champRead More

By INDYCAR INDYCAR is providing ample time for manufacturers and teams to learn the new universal aero kit during offseason testing, with the sanctioning body for the Verizon IndyCar Series announcing testing guidelines for the 2018 season. The testing regulations, developed in cooperation with series teams and manufacturers, have been distributed to INDYCAR stakeholders and are split into offseason and in-season testing categories. The offseason testing window began Monday and runs through March 29, 2018. The in-season testing window runs from March 30-Sept. 16, 2018. Team testing highlights • Each VerizonRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor Dallara has begun production on the new 2018 universal aerokits for the Verizon IndyCar Series. After successful tests at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Mid-Ohio, and Iowa Speedway; Tino Belli and his crew have signed off on the first run of kits to be built at the Dallara factory in Speedway, Indiana. The kits will come in super speedway trim (top), road course trim (middle), and short oval trim (bottom) They have 15% less downforce than the current kits from Honda and Chevrolet, and develop much more ofRead More

By Adam Tate, Associate Editor IndyCar officials are close to producing an aeroscreen for the new 2018 IR12 bodywork with the goal of testing the device this fall. The screen will be similar to the aeroscreen concept Red Bull pushed for in Formula One and the shield concept that Sebastian Vettel tested during practice for the British Grand Prix. Speaking to Racer, Tino Belli IndyCar’s Director of Aerodynamics said that a prototype is due to be produced soon, after extensive CFD work and testing with Dallara’s simulator. “First and foremost, thereRead More

A gallery of the Verizon IndyCar Series’ new 2018 universal aero kit for road/street and short ovals from the test at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. All photos below are courtesy of INDYCAR. And below, reminder of where we are now for comparison. IndyCar is set to get a lot better looking soon.Read More

By INDYCAR LEXINGTON, Ohio – One thing is certain following another successful test of the new Verizon IndyCar Series universal aero kit: Any misconception of drivers not earning their keep in the cockpit will be put to rest in 2018. The new aero kit – developed by chassis supplier Dallara and set to be used by all competitors next season following three years of manufacturer aero kit competition between Chevrolet and Honda – was put through the paces in the road course/street course/short oval configuration for the first time todayRead More