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Moog to build F1 simulator for Ferrari

by on25 August 2008

 

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F1 team taps into military contractor for an edge


Formula 1 is the highest level of motorsports racing in the world and teams are always looking for an edge to win. Ferrari will try to get that edge by having a military-grade simulator built for them by Moog.

Moog was brought to the table by Ferrari partner AMD and has been known in the past for their construction of products for the military and aerospace industry. The latest project is to construct a next generation simulator for Ferrari that will be installed in Ferrari facilities at Maranello.

Moog will use next generation versions of AMD and ATI hardware to construct this advanced dynamic simulator to do virtual testing that will simulate the real feel of the environment and be able to react to the driver’s actions.

With F1 testing expected to be further reduced in the coming years, it is expected that simulation technology will be employed to pre-test and determine how improvements and modifications to the car will pan out prior to real world testing. This, in turn, is expected to give Ferrari an edge over rivals that have yet to embrace this level of virtual testing and simulation.

Drivers, on the other hand, have mixed opinions on the value of such virtual testing simulations. Some suggest that it can help save time and expense by avoiding going down the wrong path with improvements and modifications, while other drivers remain quite skeptical that the investment will lead to usable breakthroughs that will translate to real world racing advances.

Our take is that F1 is the pinnacle of motorsports technology development, and with the use highest levels of technology comes a cost that will continue to lead to the “haves” and the “have nots” in the F1 paddock.

It is logical that higher levels of simulation, such as what Moog is developing for Ferrari, will follow trends like CFD that will be required in order to make sure that your team is running up front. Still, the costs for these technologies continue to spiral out of control; however, the renewed focus on research and development should translate into breakthroughs that should make their way to the cars that we drive at some point in the future, which ultimately is a good thing.

Last modified on 25 August 2008
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