Nr. 11 Year 2011 MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY "Periodico regolarmente registrato presso il Tribunale di Parma (n.16, 03/09/2010)" INDY SAFETY IN RACING HAS UNDERGONE HUGE ADVANCES: TWO AMERICAN EXPERTS TELL US ABOUT DALLARA’S ROLE UNIVERSITY FOR PEOPLE WHO DREAM ABOUT WORKING IN MOTORSPORT, THERE IS A RICH PROFESSIONAL ROUTE

WIND TUNNEL INVESTING IN THE FUTURE TO OFFER HIGH QUALITY AT LOW COST. THIS IS HOW WE OPTIMISE THE TIME IN VARANO DE’ MELEGARI WS RENAULT ANDREA MANCINI OF DALLARA REVEALS THE SECRETS OF FUTURE F1 CHAMPIONS’ FAVOURITE CAR A GALLERY

WIND TUNNEL OF ACHIEVEMENTS

2 A RATIONAL USE OF THE WIND TUNNEL IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH CDF ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO STREAMLINE THEIR BUDGET AND WORKING TIMES THUS REACHING GOALS AND ABSOLUTE QUALITY. THIS TECHNOLOGY MUST CONSIDER THE ECONOMIC CRISIS AND ADAPT TO ANY PROJECT, FROM F1 TO SUPERCARS AND PROTOTYPES FOR LE MANS

3 WIND TUNNEL

f proof were ever needed of the value of “These facilities complete the resources automotive manufacturers have beaten a Dallara’s pursuit of excellence and belief existing in Dallara, second only to the path to Dallara’s door to have some of the Iin continuously investing in our facilities quality of the dedicated people working Italian design ‘magic’ introduced to their and extending the breadth of services at our here”” said Andrea Pontremoli, Dallara CEO. most exciting road cars. Collaborations and clients disposal, then perhaps the worst In its near 40 years of history, the consultancies have ranged from F1 financial crisis since the end of the Second continuous investments have proven to the Maserati MC12 to road cars such as World War has provided it! In its aftermath successful in obtaining the results that have the Bugatti Veyron supercar, Alfa A8C and the world market for wind tunnels and made Dallara one of the major racing car the KTM X-Bow. aerodynamic consultancies has changed constructors in the world. greatly. We now face the arrival of serious It has been due to the increase in demand competition due to world – wide over Led by an award winning engineer Dialma for Dallara’s aerodynamic services that the capacity and the availability of new facilities Zinelli, the aerodynamic department has new facility was built next to the main and the ever increasing pressure on always been at the heart of Dallara. Since factory complex. This new 60% scale wind efficiency, quality and cost of service. 1982, when through company founder, tunnel facility, includes 1000m2 of design Gianpaolo Dallara’s vision, the first moving offices, private meeting rooms, 4 separate Nestled away between Italy’s food valley and belt wind tunnel in Italy was built and model shops, a machine shop and a rapid the Apennine Mountains, is Dallara continuing today with the highest level prototyping department, all secured by RFID Automobili, world leaders in the design and customers that regularly use our services. It entrances to all areas. Since its debut in 2008 production of racing and high end production is generally appreciated that preliminary an extensive software and hardware update cars. The company has undergone some aerodynamic studies give advantages not has been performed aimed at offering incredible upgrades in the recent years, only to F1-level cars but also to road cars in customised solutions to our clients thus starting in 2008 with the creation of its new general. This has made it even more guaranteeing the service necessary to be at wind tunnel facility, continuing last year with challenging for engineering firms like the leading edge of competition. both a new supercomputer for the CFD and Dallara to efficiently and cost effectively FEA departments and a radical upgrade of cover all of the automotive spectrum from This has not stopped us from upgrading our our 40% scale wind tunnel and finally high end road cars to F1 or LeMans projects. smaller 40% scale wind tunnel in order to culminating this year with the upcoming offer highly competitive services also for inauguration of our state of the art driving Such has been the reputation of Dallara’s smaller budget projects. A new, re-designed, simulator. expertise that many of the most prestigious fully automated, internal model motion

4 control system and a new belt tracking program, resulting in a more efficient use of a third SLA 700 machine. We now have the system allow us to perform the whole motion our client’s aerodynamic budget, a more capacity of producing around 9000 wind envelope of any car without having to optimised series of components tested in the tunnel model components per year. This neglect any real car positions. Applying this wind tunnel, a higher quality of the results requires not only a very efficient use of the to smaller scale models without losing in and a reduction in the time necessary to machines, but also an optimised design of all stiffness has been a challenge but has been reach the desired project targets. Finally we model components, which in turn reduces proven successful. This has resulted not only also offer an integration with our structural the model shop fitting time and wind-off in more detailed results but has improved analysis department in performing fluid- time in the tunnel. The final result is an the testing time thus optimising even more structure interaction analyses of critical car overall reduced time-to-test (the time need to the wind tunnel usage of our clients. components. go from the design office to the end of the wind tunnel test) and a more efficient and It is widely recognized that both wind tunnel Having such a variety of clients we also need therefore cheaper use of our client’s wind testing and CFD alone may not be enough to a great selection and modularity in the tools tunnel time. reach the desired results. This is true not only we offer our clients. In the wind tunnel we on projects where performance is paramount have the capacity of customising the In 2009 the two wind tunnels ran on both in but also in projects such as high performance hardware on the models with features such 2 and 3-shifts, the rapid prototyping road cars. Our knowledge of acoustic, as active suspensions, steering systems, load machines performed with a laser productivity thermal and comfort analyses through the cells, pressure tapings and flow meters to of 78% based on 24 hours a day and 2 CFD use of state of the art CFD and post- mention a few and in the CFD department cases per day were averaged. This is a processing softwares are examples of the we have a full time R&D area dedicated to testament to the efficiency that can be integration we regularly perform between the optimisation of software and hardware offered to our clients. our experimental and numerical tools to be put at the disposal of our CFD aerodynamic areas. This is an added engineers. The combination of all the above and the advantage that allows our clients to receive a never ending pursuit towards offering an complete qualitative and quantitative In order to offer the best possible service we always improving service makes Dallara the analysis. Using CFD in preliminary stages of cannot forget the quality, efficiency and ideal partner with which to develop a vast aerodynamic development has also proven modularity that rapid prototyping can offer range of automotive projects. to be a cost effective method of preparing for in wind tunnel testing. Recently we have Andrea Vecchi a more thorough wind tunnel development added to our stereo lithography department Wind Tunnel Manager

5 INDYCAR SAFETY IN INDYCAR SYNONYMOUS WITH

TOTAL SAFETY IS THE HOLY GRAIL IN RACING. EVERYONE IS SEARCHING FOR IT, BUT NOBODY CAN FIND IT. HOWEVER THE PROGRESS WE HAVE SEEN IN THE LAST TEN YEARS SHOWS THAT IMPROVING SAFETY IS MORE AND MORE ACHIEVABLE ON THE TRACK. THANKS TO NEW TECNHOLOGY, MATERIALS, SURVIVAL CELLS AND STUDIES ON LOAD DISTRIBUTION, DRIVERS CAN NOW WALK AWAY FROM ACCIDENTS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAGIC EVEN IN THE RECENT PAST; FURTHERMORE THEY CAN SHORTLY AFTER RETURN TO RACING. THANKS TO ENGINEERS AND PLANNERS INDYCAR TOGETHER WITH F1 IS PERHAPS THE SERIES THAT UNDERWENT THE MOST IMPORTANT PROGRESS. ON AMERICN OVALS CARS RACE AT INCREDIBLE SPEEDS, BUT THANKS TO DALLARA’S COMMITTMENT TO, DRIVERS’ SAFETY IS MORE AND MORE SECURE. ONE OF THE REASONS WHICH LED AMERICAN SERIES TO RENEW THE CONTRACT WITH THE FACTORY OF VARANO DE’ MELEGARI IS ITS CARE IN SAFETY THROUGH THE SEARCH FOR NEW TECHNOLOGY AND THE EXTREME ATTENTION TO THE QUALITY OF COMPONENTS. TO DISCUSS IN DEPTH THESE ISSUES WE INTERVIEWED TWO EXPERTS: SAM GARRETT, DALLARA’S TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR INDYCAR, AND JOHN DICK, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR AT KV RACING TECHNOLOGY

6 R: H DALLARA

7 INDYCAR SAM GARRETT JOHN DICK

Are you satisfied with the active and in safety for the Indy Car Series. Good passive safety requirements, rules, logical design considerations have kept standards in terms of the current the standards high, but I believe that generation of Indycar? Dallara’s quality control of critical parts has been the greatest contributor to Sam Garrett, Dallara IndyCar Technical safety over the last 8 years. It is Support: “ We can never be completely extremely rare to have a component satisfied. Safety is a moving target, and failure with a Dallara part. And many requires the cooperation of the drivers have been shielded from harm constructors, the sanctioning bodies, the due to the high quality standards of race tracks, the teams and the drivers. Dallara manufactured components.”. Racing is inherently dangerous so, while we constantly strive to make the cars How can you compare, in terms of “safer”, we can never say they are safety, the Indycar with other race cars absolutely “safe”. you might experience – for example NASCAR, Dragster, NHRA, GT, Sportscars, John Dick, Technical Director, KV Daytona Prototypes… Racing Technology: “I think the current safety standards are state of the art, but Sam Garrett: “My recent experience things like safety should always be is with the IndyCar Series chassis, subjected to intense scrutiny so that they which clearly has the highest safety John Dick: “I am sure that Indy Car may be improved”. standards of any vehicle that I have racing is more potentially dangerous ever worked with. than all other forms of motorsports due Which do you think have been the When I think back over the years about to the high speeds that are achieved on main contributions of Dallara to the various series that I have been ovals. We have all seen crashes where achieve those standards? involved with, I have to cringe a bit drivers have experienced loads of 100+ regarding the relative safety of those G’s and walked away with nothing Sam Garrett: “Every generation of early cars. Although the standards were more than sore muscles. I am positive chassis includes everything we have acceptable for their time, no other form of motorsports, with the learned to that point regarding safety. the level of safety compared to what possible exception of Formula 1, could Each generation of chassis is the safest we have now is quite scary. apply such loads to their drivers and we have ever built. Club racing cars with their minimum have a safe result. They are simply not We constantly work to build a car that is roll cage requirements - at least the engineered to distribute those types of as safe as possible, and yet there are still speeds are relatively low! accelerations without driver injury”. accidents that result in people being The IMSA GTP cars - those cars were injured. Yet, historically, many of the really fast, and they all used Do you remember the situation that most significant safety improvements aluminium monocoques! made you realise that IndyCar had have come after a great tragedy. But none of them compare to the speeds such a high level of safety? We learn something from every accident, we see in the IndyCar Series, and the and use that information to improve the consequent violence of the crashes. Sam Garrett: “There have been so safety of all the cars for the future. We regularly see accidents with loads in many- Davey Hamilton and Kenny We try to take something positive from excess of 100G, and occasionally Brack at , Dario Franchitti at every bad situation”. as high as 200G! And still the Michigan, , Vitor Meira John Dick: “I think Dallara have been drivers not only survive, but are able to and at Indy, major contributors to the improvement race again”. and Nelson Philippe at Infineon...!!

8 There have been so many in 2002. During practice for qualifying, hope that the concepts we are working times when a car has literally a mechanic left the front anti roll bar on to be used in the next generation, disintegrated before my eyes. disconnected after a set up check. such as systems that prevent the wheels In those cases, you hold your breath, Alex went out in the morning and went from getting stuck to one another, the your stomach is in a knot.... You fear flat through turn 1 and had the car aerodynamic stability that keeps, as the worst, and feel as though you’re snap loose on the exit. As I recall the much as possible, the car on the track, going to be ill, and you get no relief crash data, he had peak accelerations and prevents it turning over , they from these feelings until you learn that of over 100 g’s and sustained might be able to help and improve the the driver has miraculously survived. 78 g’s in an aft direction. Although safety in reducing both the severity and Afterwards, you get a chance to inspect Alex was extremely sore, he was back the probability of accidents”. the remains of the car. At first glance it in the T car two days later. It was a seems completely destroyed- bits of horrendous accident that occurred at John Dick: “The area which I think the jagged metal and carbon fiber, covered over 228 mph!”. open wheeled cars are inadequate is with oil and dirt- are all you can see. the position of the cockpit. Apart from But, on closer inspection, you see that Can you suggest an area where safety the helmet, the driver’s head is the monocoque, the safety cell for the could be further improved? Do you completely exposed, and we know from driver, has survived. It is massively have any advice for the engineers at experience that the helmet is scarred- scratched and gouged, with Dallara? completely inadequate in protecting a bits broken off, and sometimes even driver’s head in high speed impacts. I cracked open in spots, but still Sam Garrett “My suggestion is to believe we need to find a solution that basically whole. And you recognize continue to use the knowledge acquired can come between a tyre and a driver’s how the driver was able to survive”. in all the areas that we work in. We head. Something like the cage must not only increase the safety of the protection in dragsters”. John Dick: “I can recall an accident cars in case of accident, but work involving Alex Barron at Indianapolis towards preventing accidents. Let’s Alessandro Santini 9 WS BY RENAULT

Flies over the curb at Le Castellet. This model of Dallara car will retire at the end of 2011 to be replaced by the new T012

10 THE DRIVERS’ FAVOURITE

ACCURATE DESIGN, LOW COSTS, GREAT PERFORMANCE AND DRIVING PLEASURE: ANDREA MANCINI, TRACK ENGINEER AT THE TEAM DRACO EXPLAINS WHY THE F1 DRIVERS OF TOMORROW LIKE THE DALLARA T08 SO MUCH

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he World Series Renault 3.5 will be the first failures. The Draco team has raced every year European single brand Dallara since 2005, tens of thousands of kilometres, Tchampionship to set off this season (apart and I cannot remember having one serious the GP2 Asia race in Imola). The launch is set problem”. for 17th April on the Alcaniz circuit in Spain. As always, it will be nine races, including What do you like about the World Series Montecarlo, which support compliments the F1 Renault? championship. It is one of the most famous “I admire the organiser’s professionalism, we and most important categories in the continent have not seen any favouritism since we arrived which, thanks Renault’s “open gate” (and open in the competition. Everything is out in the open, paddock) policy, attracts an average of 150,000 the technical checks are impeccable and this is spectators every race weekend. It is the third important. Because all the teams including model of the Dallara car for the WSR 3.5. At the Draco know, that the team that wins, does so for three year period 2002-2004 began with the one reason only: because they worked better T02 model; when however the competition was than the others. It is a fact that there are no not under the control of Renault, but managed feuds in World Series Renault, unlike in other by the Spanish RPM organisation, using championships”. engines. It continued with T05 and finally the T08, which is still in use. In fact, to contain the What has impressed you about the cars that costs during this period of economic crisis, have been available to you? Renault has decided to extend the T08’s life for “The T05 was a development of the T02 and another year, it will retire at the end of 2011, I remember it as a robust, practical and making way for the car of the future, the T012. reliable car. The T08 immediately had some Andrea Mancini, track engineer at Draco, one modifications, the idea was to get closer to the of the most important teams in WSR since look of the F1 car at that time. The visual impact 2005, winning the championship in 2009 with was impressive, but it led to a loss Bertrand Baguette, describes the characteristics of speed as a result of the various wings and of the car that he worked on. spoilers. Later, these were removed with a positive knock on effect for the performance “We arrived at the World Series Renault with of the T08. We will use it again for the fourth Draco, coming from F3000. And straight away I season, one more than usual, but is has noticed a substantial difference: instead of successfully passed the bodywork, torsion and having four shock absorbers like the cars we rigidity tests. They are fully within the limits”. were used to, the Dallara had three, one at the front and two at the back. A different, interesting What do the drivers in WSR say about the and appealing philosophy, and once I Dallara car? understood the systems at work, I have to say “I do not remember one driver, of the past that I found it a very pleasant car to work with, drivers or current rivals that I have spoken to, which involves you completely in the saying a bad word about the car. They like the development”. down force at high speeds, it is very good and is close to the style demanded by F1, going What struck you the most about the WSR quickly into the bends to have the best possible Dallara? grip. And in fact, when Baguette and “The reliability of the vehicle, incredible, and the Winkelhock, my ex-drivers, tried the BMW and value for money that is incomparable with other the Spyker, despite the difference in power, categories. Maybe there are series which use they adapted quickly because they were used to more powerful motors and are therefore more going into corners at speed”. powerful than our cars, but this brings with it an inevitable increase in costs and mechanical Massimo Costa

12 Winkelhock, on the left, and Baguette, underneath with Mancini, the two Draco drivers who over the years have passed from the Renault Series to testing with F1

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THE FA

RACING IS A DREAM FOR MANY ITALIAN GRADUATES TOO . DALLARA IS ALREADY IN CONTACT WITH ITALIAN AND FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES AND AMONG FUTURE PROJECTS, THERE IS A SPECIFIC ROUTE FOR “PROFESSORS” OF MOTORSPORT

14 ACTORY OF ENGINEERS Turin Polytechnic), but currently we do , how do you judge Engineer Dallara not have any specific collaboration or many recently graduated Italian universities? contract”. engineers, who are keen on the “From a didactic point of view Italian between Dallara world of racing and cars in universities, I’m talking about the ill there be projects F W future? in the general, working for Dallara is a engineering departments, are excellent. and the universities dream come true. Work and personal Young people graduating from our “More and more, we feel the need to interests are inextricably united. universities have nothing to begrudge to create a Master in motorsport, focused Nothing could be more exciting, if the the good graduates from other on the vehicle dynamic, the saying “nothing great in the world has countries; they have developed the aerodynamics and the driving been accomplished without passion” is capacity to learn well, that is what our simulator. We are already in contact true. To achieve this goal, we asked business requires, a business in with an American university in Indiana Dallara management which features a constant evolution”. and with an Italian one”. young person aspiring to join the car collaborate with company in Parma should have, and Which universities The subject gets interesting and more how about the relationship with the Dallara? in depth in the following pages with academic world. We began from the “We have various contacts with Italian the engineer, Andrea Toso, head of top, with the person who started the and European Universities (Pisa, research and development and the company and made it grow, the Parma, Modena and Reggio, Bologna, American market. engineer Gian Paolo Dallara, who is Graz, Brescia, Milan Polytechnic and president of the society.

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Engineer Toso, what are the months. The final phase is a practical experience. Furthermore it is characteristics that a graduate who permanent contract”. not unusual for American universities wants to work for Dallara must We were speaking about Formula to participate in European events and have? Which courses should they SAE, where Dallara has been sponsor vice versa. This mixture of students follow? for few years. How important is it for and professors is the best example of “If we think about an engineer a student to get this experience? the creation of links and interested in working for Dallara now, “We are more than a sponsor, I would collaborations. in particular in technical areas refer to Dallara as a sure and In my opinion participation is worth (planning, structural analysis, passionate partner. The economic more that attending a master (which aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics, contribution that Dallara will bring you usually have to pay for) because research and development etc.), to the competition is limited. Dallara it gives young people solutions to he should choose mechanical managers voluntarily take part as many matters such as managing engineering or aeronautical judges during the competition, free of time, economic and human resources, engineering. We have recently added charge. Furthermore, our young knowledge organisation. Everything is to our assessment the participation in engineers work as board members for reflected in the quality of the results: Formula SAE competitions, where technical briefing or as assistants performance, lap times, costs, etc...”. young people can design, construct during practice sessions. and drive competition cars and where During Formula SAE events Dallara is Are there Dallara scholarships to all is based on a single set of able to watch out the best prospects study in America? international regulations, shared by and it is not unusual, after the “I would not say scholarships. There universities across the world. competition, for some of them to be is no need to promote or give Formula SAE offers competition at a contacted for an apprenticeship. incentives for the training of these national level in Italy, Germany, Personally I think the participation in skills. Universities educate many more in the United Kingdom, Austria, this competition is even more students than can be taken on and, Brazil, Australia, Japan and in the important than attending certain which is more important, the average United States (in the near future also courses”. level is very high. Not everybody who in Spain, India and China), with a wants to work in the racing sector is world final reserved to the best Is there some link between American able to fulfill his or her dreams, in teams”. and Italian Universities? general only the best, or the most “Universities in general, and technical committed and passionate, are able Is there a perfect “route” for a faculties in particular, teach you a to achieve it. student who wants to work for job. Being a graduate in Italy gives Anyway, the racing experience, even Dallara? Which steps would you you a legal standing, it is not the only Formula SAE, remains a crucial suggest? same in the United States. There have stage of training, both cultural and “The first optional step is the been many attempts at proposing a social, valid for any profession”. development of a thesis about grade valid in both countries, but so Dallara. Next step is an far without success. Through the What kind of career opportunities apprenticeship for both students and participation in Formula SAE young exist and how do you decide which graduates. At the end of the European engineers, Italian ones in experience is important? apprenticeship, which would last particular, are able to complete their Could you tell us some figures about about six months, a fixed time theoretical training, in general at a these job opportunities? contract can be proposed, which much higher level than their “I would not talk about a market, would last from twelve to eighteen American counterparts, gaining when opportunity meet ability and

16 passion. It is quite clear that the manufacturers or their suppliers. emphasis is put on emerging profiles motor industry is going to evolve Honda in Japan is an example of a like software, robotics and graphic towards the electric propulsion and company that has provided a clear engineers. hybrid cars, with more and more professional route, successfully offered Secondly, there is always more interest importance being put on aspects to young engineers”. in the car industry compared to connected with the consumption of racing. This industry requires more fossil fuels, emissions and noise Finally we talk to the Engineer than just technical skills, such as reduction. Andrea Pontremoli, MD and Director managing abilities and customer care. As a consequence the cars of General who has over twenty years of Finally, all these factors affect the tomorrow will be designed according experience with IBM. company at a strategic level, pushing to weight, acoustics and energy it more toward the automotive world, efficiency; it is not difficult to imagine Engineer Pontremoli, is the business but keeping its racing soul and its how motor racing will adapt to this opening up to the non-specialist racing DNA. new system of social and economic departments? What are the non The idea of making a Dallara road values. Racing will always exist, but technical skills that an excellent SME car, will require marketing and the systems of values will change, and like yours might need? communication skills”. therefore the technical regulations. “In the past, business was very At a world level, there are less that connected with the product, and Our long interview ends here. 100,000 people employed in therefore with the type of mechanical We leave satisfied with this “factory motorsport and it is common that and aeronautical/aerospace engineer. of engineers”, this technical school after few years engineers change Today products are changing and as a that is slowly opening to new occupation, for example moving to the result the range of requested skills is horizons. R&D departments of large car broadening. First of all more Alessandro Santini

17 • Consultancies, design and production of racing cars and high performance road cars.

• Aerodynamics: wind tunnel and computational fl uid dynamics (CFD).

• Research & development: vehicle dynamics and driving simulator.

Dallara is a performance partner of www.dallara.it