RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – A win in Perth went a long way in proving that Austrian pilot Hannes Arch has what it takes to secure a second Red Bull Air Race World Championship title. With significant investment in telemetry and data acquisition technology from motorsport specialist Cosworth for the 2010 season, Team Abu Dhabi isn’t leaving anything to chance but is instead evaluating every control input to see what conclusions can be drawn from the detailed data.
Arch is bringing technology already proven in ground-based motorsport to the air race arena and this is a key part of his ongoing commitment to winning. Cosworth produces electronic products for teams in F1, NASCAR and Moto GP among others and is considered a leader in its field. The use of on board sensors and monitoring equipment coupled with complex wiring looms uses up valuable kgs but the new super light V3 Edge was designed to be significantly under the 540kg minimum limit to accommodate this kind of extra weight. As part of a long-term strategy for building a successful race team, Arch’s investment into in depth data analysis is expected to bring a new dimension to the sport as pilots foster a more scientific approach to finding the right line in the track.
“I have an engineer whose sole responsibility is to focus on this data,” says Arch of the 70-odd parameters that can be monitored via the technical gadgetry on board his new generation V3 Edge 540. “We can look at engine data but also so many other things that will help me as a race pilot. That’s the thinking behind the V3 and working with Cosworth – I want to be the Ferrari team of the future. I want to be the team who pushes the boundaries and sets the standard and which is always on top, with design, with everything.”
TIP OF THE ICEBERG
Arch’s technician is equally as enthused about the state-of-the-art on board equipment, which can quickly transmit data to the team’s hangar via wireless technology. Vito Wyprächtiger – a stickler for technical perfection – believes Team Abu Dhabi has only explored the tip of the iceberg so far in terms of what the equipment can offer. After only two races so far in 2010 with the new equipment on board, Wyprächtiger was able to confirm that the investment was already paying off.
“It’s really clever and we were able to very quickly see where we were losing time in the track in Perth,” he explains. “You can see the G-loading and identify why we might lose speed in the turns. Just being able to compare different lines is really important for us so we can work out the optimum G-loading and speed. Having someone here who can interpret this information quickly and accurately is an essential part of getting the most from the technology. That way we are all able to focus on our individual roles and perform well as a team.”
LEADING THE WAY
Being the first to really embrace a new development in the Red Bull Air Race arena does have its downsides too. Aware that others may try to imitate his strategy and glean knowledge from his efforts, Arch says he has little option but push on with developments such as the use of advanced telemetry. In particular, last year’s rookies Matthias Dolderer and Pete McLeod have both showed improvement this year after prioritising plane performance. Both are also rumoured to have V3 Edge race planes on order for this season.
“Sure we have the rookies and they can look at me and see what I am doing, what is good and then do it and add on their own spices,” Arch confides. “But I have big respect for that attitude because I came from there too you know. I am expecting them to do the same and then I’ve got the pressure behind me. So I have to push the boundaries.”
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