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Design and Development Consultancy
News Release from: BAE Systems
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 13 March 2006
Partners celebrate a decade of F1
collaboration
BAE Systems celebrates a decade as a technology partner for Team McLaren Mercedes during 2006, and the company marked the anniversary with an event at the McLaren Technology Centre
BAE Systems celebrates a decade as a technology partner for Team McLaren Mercedes during 2006, and the company marked the anniversary with a ground-breaking event at the McLaren Technology Centre to showcase some of its cutting edge technologies With the Formula One season beginning in Bahrain on Sunday 12th March, scientists and engineers from BAE Systems' Advanced Technology Centre promoted technologies covering a wide range of fields, from new computer aided design and machining methods, to aerospace composites and electronics, and from weather sensors to communications, all of which might have a possible Formula 1 application
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 13 Mar 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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BAE Systems and Team McLaren Mercedes are working on technologies to enhance the team's chance of track success.
Last year Team McLaren Mercedes MP4-20 car was the quickest on the grid, and only narrowly missed out on the constructors' title, despite winning 10 races - over 50% of the season's Grand Prix.
In 1996 - when the partnership began - it was largely focused on aerodynamics.
Professor Dave Gardner, former BAE Systems Group Engineering Director, who, together with Ron Dennis, Chairman and CEO, McLaren Group, was originally responsible for setting up the partnership recalls: "The drivers at that time had been experiencing handling difficulties with the car and we helped the team to trace the problem to the aerodynamics of the front wing".
"We then got together with the Team McLaren Mercedes aerodynamicists and design engineers to optimise the wing design and Mika Hakinnen went on to win the Drivers' Word Championship in both 1998 and 1999".
Currently the partnership is researching and developing a host of other technologies to improve performance, including recent advances in carbon fibre techniques, wireless systems and fuel management.
Jonathan Neale, McLaren Racing Managing Director, said: "Obviously our ultimate goal is to improve the performance of the car, and BAE Systems has precisely the sort of technology that can do this".
BAE Systems aims to learn as much from Team McLaren Mercedes as it gives, particularly when it comes to studying the speed of the build and operations processes in Formula One.
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