Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 3 (Martin Buchan)

Episode 3 of the Tech Heads F1 Podcast dives deeper into the world of motorsport aerodynamics with a very special guest! Bryson and Dr Obbs are joined by former Audi aerodynamicist and Force India/Racing Point aero design engineer Martin Buchan, otherwise known as the legendary B-Sport. Martin is well known for his insightful YouTube videos on the aerodynamics of Formula 1, prototypes, and endurance racing cars. We discuss technical details of the differences between designing aerodynamics for road cars versus F1 cars, the 2022 aero regulations for wake control, the importance of the floor edge design, and the (many) tricks teams have employed in service of aero development during the cost cap. Martin also shares some humorous stories about real-world aero developments in F1, and creative ways in which a person can improve their chances of being noticed in the industry. We enjoyed this conversation so much, this is an episode you won't want to miss!

Sections:

What makes B-Sport great (1:40)

Technical insights into the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix (3:52)

How Martin got into motorsports (6:33)

Passenger car aero vs. race car aero (9:30)

2022 regulations and F1 wake influence (16:00)

Aero development hacks under the cost cap (23:39)

Gurney Flaps and the Kutta Condition (26:39)

Floor edges and their importance in F1 (28:15)

The aero of Martin's favorite cars (32:58)

A meditation on F-ducts (37:50)

Key technical resources for learning motorsport aerodynamics (42:45)

Buchan Motorsport Services (47:36)

Hosts:

Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadign)

Dr. Obbs (@dr_obbs)

Special Guest:

B-Sport (@B_sport320)

Buchan Motorsport Homepage

https://www.buchanmotorsport.com/about

Reference Links:

B-Sport on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/c/BSport320

"F1 2022 - Floor Expansion - EXPLAINED" by B-Sport

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HBhDVpwbfU&t=5s

“Aerodynamics of Road Vehicles,” by Wolf Heinrich Hucho

https://www.amazon.com/Aerodynamics-Road-Vehicles-Engineering-Proceedings/dp/0768000297

"How to Build a Car," by Adrian Newey

https://www.amazon.com/How-Build-Car-Autobiography-Greatest/dp/000819680X

Racecar Engineering article on F-Ducts:

https://www.racecar-engineering.com/tech-explained/f-ducts-how-do-they-work-f1-2010-formula-one-technology/