F1 pit stop procedure: Caterham F1 technical

 

credit: F1 Caterham F1 Team

How F1 suspension works: Caterham F1 technical

 

 

credit: Caterham F1 Team

Caterham Unchained: Guide to an F1 steering wheel

 

 

credit : Caterham F1 Team

Caterham CT3 – new rear wing in Canada but only for free testing sessions

Left image the raced spec – right images the tested spec

    The Canadian rear wing spec was actually the Bahraini spec with a more neutral and flat shaped main flap. Furthermore a gill-less endplate spec with launch style endplate cut on top was tested but not finally raced .

     Canadian circuit requires a lower amount of downforce than most tracks need, so Caterham choice not to race a lower downforce set up revealed once more the car’s inability to generate enough grip.

Caterham CT3 – New rear wing part of the major upgrade package launched in Bahrain

new spec , first raced at Bahrain on Charles Pic only

    At Bahrain Caterham pushed to launch a major upgrade package, including a new rear wing. However Charles Pic was the only driver to have the new rear wing and some of other upgrades for race.

     The new wing design had new straight endplate gills, also increased in number from four to five, new endplate vanes close to the diffuser roof, new endplate cut at top (bringing back in memory old Renault style endplates ) , a main plane with  curved upwards centre section (the old was flat)  and finally new beam winglet. All changes added more downforce and alongside with the rest aero changes improved the car balance and stability in both low and high speed turns.

    In Spain both drivers raced with the new wing.

shorter endplate vanes for the new spec

Below follows some key spots on the launch spec rear wing

Launch spec key spots

1. mini plane – resembles to old Williams style

2. endplate gills, reduce drag favoring top speed

3. the endplate has a distinctive cut on top for drag reduction

Caterham CT3 – new diffuser at 1st Barcelona test

B spec, tested at Barcelona test on February

   Caterham tried a modified diffuser at first Barcelona test, featuring a new perforated tab fence demarcated between the rear wing’s endplates . The new design improves diffuser’s suction ability, thus improving downforce production . The perforated diffuser concept is not new in Formula 1 but present since few years ago.

Caterham CT03 – winter testing (pre season) tech summary

Chassis :  CT03

Engine : Renault RS27 – 2013

 

 

  Caterham and Lotus are the only teams to retain the stepped nose refusing to utilize a modesty panel . CT03 features new significantly undercut  sidepods with multiple vertical flow conditioners on sidepod deck and  Coanda exhaust copied from Mc Laren which carries a disputed vane to help extract more aerodynamic performance  but later declared illegal and thus removed .

Winter testing updates :

   A new perforated diffuser was launched at Barcelona test on February while both the front and brake ducts undergone several changes through pre session testing .

 

 

EVALUATION :

Aerodynamic performance :  poor, the front end does not cooperate with the rear . However potential is there

Speed :. Seems to be the slowest car , even slower than Marussia and far behind the middle pack .

Tyres management  :   frustrating

Reliability  :  questionable

 

 

multiple flow conditioners on sidepod deck

 

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