Nr. 23 Year 2012 MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY DALLARA "Periodico regolarmente registrato presso il Tribunale di Parma (n.16, 03/09/2010)" WS RENAULT 3.5 THE CATEGORY, BASED ON A SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATION BETWEEN DALLARA AND THE FRENCH MOTOR MANUFACTURER, CONTINUES TO GROW AS PERFORMANCE LEVELS REACH THOSE OF THE MORE PRESTIGIOUS COMPETITIONS. VITTORIO GHIRELLI, THE YOUNG ITALIAN DRIVER, WHO HAS ALSO RACED IN GP3 IN THE PAST, EXPLAINS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW CAR, AND THE AERODYNAMICS COMMITMENT NECESSARY TO TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT THE APPEAL AND THE DIFFICULTIES OF DESIGN, IN THE WORDS OF DIALMA ZINELLI, THE ENGINEER WHO WAS ACCLAIMED THE “BEST AERODYNAMIC DESIGNER IN THE WORLD” IN 2008. IN A WORLD OF MOTORSPORTS THAT IS INCREASINGLY COMMITTED TO TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION, COMPUTERS AND TALENT COME TOGETHER TO OFFER TEAMS AND CUSTOMERS TOP PERFORMANCE, AT COMPETITIVE PRICES SIMULATOR THE FUTURISTIC MACHINE CAPABLE OF REPRODUCING TRACK CONDITIONS TO A HIGH DEGREE OF ACCURACY AT VARANO, NOW PROVIDES DRIVERS WITH AN EXTRAORDINARILY REALISTIC RACING EXPERIENCE IN THE COMPLETE RANGE OF DALLARA CARS. AND WITH A DATABASE THAT COVERS ALL THE MOST IMPORTANT CIRCUITS IN THE WORLD DALLARA AUTOMOBILI WAS FOUNDED IN 1972 IN VARANO DE’ MELEGARI. BUT THE YOUNG ENGINEER, GIAN PAOLO DALLARA, HAD ALREADY GAINED IMPORTANT EXPERIENCE AT FERRARI, MASERATI AND LAMBORGHINI, THREE KEY NAMES IN ITALIAN MOTORING. TO CELEBRATE THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF A COMPANY THAT HAS BECOME A SIGNIFICANT PLAYER IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MOTORSPORTS IN ITS OWN RIGHT, WE PRESENT A FASCINATING EXTRACT FROM THE INTERVIEW WITH GIAN PAOLO DALLARA PUBLISHED IN THE BOOK “E’ UNA BELLA STORIA” (“IT’S A BEAUTIFUL STORY”) Engineer, you graduated in aeronautical who owned a road construction firm, often I wasn’t involved in the racing activities, but engineering, so what prompted the took me to see the races. I remember watching that year I went to Montecarlo, paying my transition to motoring? the Mille Miglia pass through Parma, or the own train fare and ticket just for the pleasure «I initially attended the University of Parma, race up to the Poggio di Berceto». of attending the grand prix. To this day I’m which didn’t offer the industrial design course still a little ashamed of the way I left Ferrari: I that would have enabled me to qualify for the First job: Ferrari, in 1959. Not everyone gets didn’t have the courage to tell the three year graduate mechanical engineering a start like that… Commendatore (as they called him back them) course, so, once I’d completed my first two «While we were carrying out a series of trials that I was going to work for Maserati, and I years, I enrolled at the aeronautical for Ferrari in the wind tunnel at the Milan told him instead that I was going to work for engineering faculty at Milan Polytechnic. I Polytechnic, Enzo Ferrari asked my professor if the family business. When Enzo Ferrari found developed a passion for it: the aeronautics he could recommend a bright young man for out that I had gone to work for Maserati he course was more in line with what I wanted to his company. And professor Bianchi put my came to Varano, met my father, and do, and suited my aptitudes and skills. After name forward. I would have gladly walked all convinced him that the best thing for me graduating I expected to start working at the way to Maranello: the offer from Ferrari would be to move back to Ferrari one day; Aermacchi, I studied the structural problems made me forget all my other options however, I refused to change my mind, not that affect aeroplanes and similar subjects. immediately. I statrted work as engineer least because it would have meant making a But I’d always been interested in motorcars, Chiti’s assistant. Calculations, drawings using fool of myself twice in one month. After that, ever since I was a child, because my father, the drafting machine, vehicle dynamic studies. I always felt awkward whenever I met the INCREDIBLE YE 2 Commendatore; I felt guilty. Then, during a and Bruce McLaren and Roger Penske who arrived in Europe together with Chris Amon, Ferrari F.1 test session at Varano, he saved came fourth in their Cooper-Maserati. It was worked in the factory and was also my blushes by sitting down on a bench in then that I fell in love with motor racing, responsible for testing. But in reality, the front of my house and telling the people and I never fell out again!». real test drivers were our customers. Then who had gathered there the story of his came the Miura, which was originally racing career. I’d love to be a director But two years later it was time for another designed with the central engine used on the capable of recapturing those unbelievable change and you moved on to Lamborghini. Mini. Ferruccio Lamborghini’s avowed intent moments». «Yes, because at a certain point Maserati was to produce faster and more attractive took the decision to pull out of motor cars than Ferrari. Initially the bodywork was Maserati, one of Ferrari’s competitors… racing. I got a call from Giotto Bizzarrini, to have been produced by Touring, but they «I loved competition and in 1961 Maserati who knew me from my days at Ferrari. were replaced by Bertone, who was also in offered me the chance to follow my dream. I Lamborghini wanted to move into racing competition with Pininfarina and Ferrari. I was hired by Giulio Alfieri, who was a friend and was looking at the 24 Hours of Le remember when Nuccio Bertone arrived in of my future father in law. Then, all of a Mans. However the structure was too small the factory on Christmas Eve with the sudden, I was on a DC6 to Florida for the 12 for the factory that was beginning to original sketch: it was an immediate success, Hours of Sebring. At 25 years of age I was develop. My first responsibility was the 350 we were really impressed. And that was how representing Maserati, incredible! The race GT, working on the chassis, gearbox and one of the greatest phenomena in Italian featured Vaccarella and Bonnier’s Birdcage workshop settings. Bob Wallace, who had motoring history was born». EARS 3 SIMULATOR SIMULATOR 4 THE WORLD AT YOUR FINGERTIPS ENGINEER ALESSANDRO MORONI, WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE DALLARA’SSTATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY FOR DRIVERS, TEAMS AND MANUFACTURERS, REVEALS THE LATEST “UPGRADES” IMPLEMENTED ON THE SIMULATOR IN VARANO. IT IS NOW POSSIBLE TO RUN VIRTUAL TESTS IN ALL THE CURRENT DALLARA CARS, AND THE DATABASE HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO INCLUDE EVEN MORE CIRCUITS, AND TO AN EXTREMELY HIGH DEGREE OF ACCURACY. AND THERE’S EVEN A PROCEDURE DESIGNED TO COUNTERACT THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE “REALITY EFFECT” Engineer Moroni, drivers and teams development was in the number surveying the tracks with lasers, and continue to praise the Dallara available circuits. We have included using photographs and video simulator. What are the latest practically all the GP2 and GP3 recordings. This is followed by a innovations? championship circuits, as well as an graphic and physical modelling stage, "As of the beginning of this season, in assortment of IndyCar, World Series and which we do “in house”, together with addition to GP2 and Indycar, which F3 tracks: from Brands Hatch to our technicians, before defining the were already present, we have added Sebring, from Indianapolis to Mid-Ohio, final configuration". all the other current Dallara models. and Le Castellet to Lausitzring". The virtual cars now include: Grand- How many parameters are used? Am, F3 with all its different engine and What factors determine the decision to "We use thousands just for the car, then tyre configurations, GP3 and World add a new circuit? And how do you go there are all the parameters that Series". about acquiring the data? describe the track conditions and "We decide on the basis of requests geometry. All these factors are Have you also increased the number received from drivers and teams, monitored, which means that they are of circuits? in order to satisfy specific traceable, and can be analyzed, "The other important recent requirements. We acquire the data by duplicated and memorized etc". ➔ 5 SIMULATOR SIMULATOR What level of detail is it possible to performance against our reference drivers to become fully confident in new reproduce? The state of the asphalt, drivers". car or on a new circuit and to start roughness, etc.? achieving the same performance levels as "The current laser scans allow us to Have you ever had any drivers get the others. They can easily cover 500 or reproduce the track surface with a carried away and react as if they were 600 km in half a day". resolution of a few millimeters". really out on the track? "That happens fairly regularly when Could you give us an idea of the costs Can the simulator be used to drivers attempt a manoeuvre at the limit involved? “challenge” other drivers, or race of the car’s capabilities. Also, on the Indy "Even though our platform represents the against the champions? oval, you often see drivers preparing state-of-the-art in professional "The simulator is not configured themselves for an impact as if they were simulators, at the same level as the to be used simultaneously with other in a real race situation". systems the F.1 teams use to develop units, so it is not possible for two their cars, our costs are in line with the drivers to race against each other at the What’s the average duration of a session other simulators currently available in same time.