Table of contents for January 2024 in Racecar Engineering

The 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship was something of a walk over for Toyota, who won every round other than Le Mans, which went the way of Ferrari. There was controversy throughout, notably around the Balance of Performance system, which changed for Le Mans to ensure closer competition. There was also a new tyre specification from Michelin for this year, and a new category of cars with the arrival of LMDh competitors from Porsche and Cadillac for the first time. Toyota and Peugeot continued their programmes with updated cars, and faced new challenges from Ferrari in the LMH class. Privateer entries came from Jim Glickenhaus and Colin Kolles, which meant there was the variety that the organisers intended. However, each of these changes came with challenges for the governing bodies.…

There are a number of series in existence that feature cars capable of lapping in times close to those set by British Touring Cars, or even faster. It’s not unusual for a well-developed single seater or sports prototype, or even a highly modified saloon car, to rival or beat the UK’s premier motor racing championship across a lap. What is unusual is for a car to do so with no wings or diffusers, while also running on road tyres. One championship that does just this is Sports 1000. At Brands Hatch in recent years, its fastest times have been on a par with those towards the rear of the BTCC grid, which is little more than a second off pole. Not bad for cars with engines that only produce around…

Super Formula is one of the fastest single-seater series in the world and, alongside Super GT, is one of Japan’s two biggest motor racing championships. For several years, its cars have raced domestically at iconic circuits like Fuji, Motegi and Suzuka, fostering the best homegrown talent and testing some big name overseas drivers who have taken up the challenge. Last year, Super Formula introduced a new car, the SF23, built by renowned Italian racecar constructor, Dallara. Toyota and Honda supply their affiliated teams with bespoke, 2.0-litre racing engines that produce around 550bhp, while the SF23 has all the visual hallmarks of an advanced single seater. However, Super Formula won’t be the only place you can see these machines in action next year as, on 28 April, at Yas Marina Circuit…

With the birth of the Next Gen car for the start of the 2022 season, NASCAR embarked on one of its most ambitious resets of the sport, and industry, in decades. With teams no longer constructing their own chassis and components, the aim was to help them financially, while ensuring on-track competition would reach heights never seen before. The goal is that on any given weekend, every team has a chance to win. With its dramatic design departure from the Gen 6 vehicle, the hope that the Next Gen would increase competition across the schedule largely held true, with the 2023 season featuring 15 different winners, and over 150,000 total passes within the top 15 positions during the season’s races. NASCAR diligently reviews every race, both from a technical perspective…

Look at any Le Mans field from 1992 until the end of the LMP1 era, and you can guarantee there were cars at the sharp end of the grid designed by Paolo Catone. If fact, it may not be an understatement to say that no one else has penned as many sports prototype designs as he has. However, for Catone, his career did not start out in sportscars. It was single seaters where his involvement with racecar design began in 1982. ‘I started out as a gentleman racing driver, spending my Saturdays and Sundays running around, winning some races. But, at the end of the day, I was good, but not good enough,’ says Catone with refreshing honesty. Though he had an engineering background, he was not involved in racing…

For more than 30 years, Autosport International has been the leading show for everyone involved in motorsport. The four-day event, taking place between Thursday 11 and Sunday 14 January 2024, continues to combine business, engineering, thought leadership debates and live action but, for 2024, there will be a whole new look and feel to the show. As usual, the Thursday and Friday are a trade show for the motorsport and automotive industry to network, see the latest innovations and to kick start the new year together. Then, on Saturday and Sunday, the doors are opened to the public for enthusiasts, amateur racers and job seekers to see their heroes and learn from the best. The all-new main stage will allow cars to be driven from the ‘parc ferme‘ into the…

FORMULA 1 – MERCEDES W13/ 14 Mercedes continued to struggle with its return to form during this year’s Formula 1 World Championship as it continued to pursue the ‘zero-sidepod’ philosophy that set it apart from its competitors in 2022, but not necessarily in a good way. The team has won just one grand prix, in Brazil in 2022, over the last two years and has a long way to go to catch up with Red Bull, the team which halted Mercedes’ run of eight Constructors’ titles. The UK-based team hoped the 2023 season would see it awaken from last year’s nightmare and regain performance compared to the opposition with its new W14, but it was more of the same as Red Bull again accelerated away in dominant fashion, leaving Mercedes…

The one-make Ferrari Challenge is now in its 32nd season, and competitors around the world will have the chance to buy the latest model for competition in 2024. Based on the 296, which has raced in GT3 this year, winning the Nürburgring 24 Hours, it features the same V6 engine used in the GT3 and produces around 690bhp - more than enough for the customer driver. However, the area of the 296 Challenge that Ferrari is most proud of is the new braking system. The CCM-R Plus discs bring carbon ceramic brakes to the car for the first time. The manufacturing technology uses long carbon fibres in a 3D, multidirectional matrix that delivers better thermal conductivity, while the silicon carbide ceramic coating improves durability and delivers an excellent coefficient of…

IN BRIEF Mahle Powertrain has opened a new state-of-the-art battery development centre in Stuttgart, Germany. Battery development at the facility will go from initial prototyping to small-scale production and applications will range from e-bikes to trucks. The facility follows the recent creation of a vehicle and battery centre in Northampton, UK. Formula 1 engineering icon, Rob Smedley, has launched Global Karting League (GKL), a new initiative aimed at levelling the playing field and increasing participation in motorsport from under-represented groups, with a commitment to fairness, identifying young drivers and inspiring the next generation of STEM talent. The 24 Hours of Le Mans has sold out of race tickets to the 2024 edition, within hours of going on sale to the public. Those available now are only for the test days,…