A day in the life of F1

During the F1 proceedings at the Yas Marina circuit, we were among the fortunate few to get a guided tour from the Renault F1 Team of its operations and more importantly, the R29 which took Fernando Alonso to ninth spot overall. We decided to pass the knowledge gained on to you, but first let's have a brief history lesson:

Renault entered the sport back in 1977 with a car known in-house as the RS01. It didn't fare too well on the track and soon got the tag ‘yellow teapot' from rivals. Although plagued by major setbacks, the design was certainly innovative. Being the first turbocharged powerhouse to enter the sport, this engine design eventually went on to win Renault a number of podium spots.

Nowadays, we can all look back on Renault's glory days in 2005/06 as affirmation of its credentials as one of the top teams within the sport. After Alonso left the outfit for McLaren in 2007, the team wasn't as much of a formidable force and even since his return hasn't managed to reignite the flame.

Anyway, the car itself is an awesome piece of engineering in its own right and with so many regulations in the sport, not that dissimilar to any other on the starting grid. Obviously, this is only a glimpse into the R29, as the Renault boys like to hold their cards close. And who can blame them? It's well known that their rivals read wheels too.

360kphR29's top speed. Well, given a nice long stretch, like the Mulsanne, anyway

Front Wing

The first bit that breaks the air is the front wing, which is made from a rigid carbon-fibre construction to sustain 500kg of downforce.

With six-degrees of movement, the hydraulically-powered adjustable wings can alter aerodynamics of the R29 from corner to corner. One of these costs around Dh329,000 — more than the price of a Porsche Carrera or anything in Renault's current model range.

Cockpit

Thanks to the carbon-fibre body and honeycomb carbon-aluminium construction, the weight of the tub is just 60kg. And due to its robust structure, the cockpit can sustain over 1,500kg of impact force from every angle. Contrary to popular opinion, the cockpit is not shaped to the individual driver as it is an integral part of the overall chassis. Only the seat is built to individual dimensions.

Engine

Mounted midship and built mainly of aluminium, the engine also doubles as a section of the chassis.

Regulated to 18,000rpm, each piston completes a single stroke 300 times per second. The naturally aspirated 2.4-litre V8 powerhouse makes 750 horses that, united with the seven-speed semi-automatic sequential transmission, is able to propel the R29 to a top speed of around 360kph.

Rear Diffuser

This bit of kit was the cause of much debate early in the season and the reason for Brawn GP's domination during the beginning of the championship.

The diffuser accelerates the airflow out from under the R29 to create a sort of vacuum under the bolide. This vacuum creates a downforce of over 1,500kg — almost three times the entire weight of the car. The forces created by the diffuser could theoretically allow the car to drive on the ceiling when travelling at 200kph or more. Any volunteers to test that theory?

Sensors

The Renault R29 has over 500 sensors covering more than 1,000 parameters that feed information to the pit crew thousands of times a second.

The information is monitored throughout the race and fed back to the driver, who can make alterations while on the track through his steering wheel controls. Sensors monitor parameters such as oil and air temperatures to chassis movement and ride height, many of which have found their way into the regular motors on the roads.

Wheels

The dimensions are regulated by the FIA to 332mm in diameter, while the width must be no more than 355mm up front and 380mm at the back.

As weight is a major factor, the wheels, including the Bridgestone tyres, weigh as little as 9kg and 11kg front and rear respectively. Even the tyre pressure is regulated to just 1.4bar as the wheels come under heavy scrutiny each race.

Tyres are heated to an optimum performance temperature of 90°C before the race and are constantly measured by a sensor located in the tyre valve.

Brakes