Tech Heads F1 Podcast - Ep. 10 (Mike Law - Head of Vehicle Dynamics at McLaren Racing)

Welcome back to a very special edition of the Tech Heads F1 Podcast! As we celebrate our 10th episode we are pleased to be joined by McLaren Racing Head of Vehicle Dynamics, Mike Law. Mike has enjoyed a truly impressive career in Formula 1, working on a number of exciting projects over more than a decade as a Vehicle Dynamics engineer at both WilliamsF1 Team and McLaren Racing. Mike shares with us some excellent insights into the key ideas behind Vehicle Dynamics theory, his thoughts on the struggles many teams had with porpoising in 2022, and the critical role of car mass on performance. Mike is also an author, sharing with us some powerful ideas from his new book "ACE Thinking: Life Lessons From Engineering the Ultimate Racing Cars" which seeks apply lessons learned from F1 to other aspects of daily life. All proceeds from this edition of ACE Thinking go to the Smallpeice Trust, an educational charity that inspires young people to pursue careers in science and engineering through events and workshops. Thank you Mike for stopping by, we enjoyed another great F1 conversation!!

Mike Law Background and Entry Into Formula 1 - (1:43)
Porpoising in 2022 and Vehicle Dynamics - (5:40)
The Critical Role of Car Mass - (11:20)
Temperature Window, The Contact Patch, & Tyre Grip - (16:19)
Pirelli Tyre Testing and Wheel Guns - (22:55)
The ACE Thinking Method - (35:14)
"Failure Is Not An Option" (Doesn't Mean What You Think) - (53:02)
The Role of Computer Simulations in Vehicle Dynamics- (1:01:42)
Tech Focus: Polars and Aero Development - (1:07:14)

Hosts:
Bryson Sullivan (@NaturalParadigm)
Dr. Obbs (@dr_obbs)
Molly Oxner (@mollym_o)

Guest:
Mike Law
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mike-law-29435395

"ACE Thinking: Life Lessons From Engineering the Ultimate Racing Cars"
https://www.amazon.com/ACE-Thinking-Lessons-Engineering-Ultimate/dp/B0BDXFMGPR/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LMTEP6MP3P0T&keywords=ace+thinking&qid=1670351484&s=books&sprefix=ace+thinking%2Cstripbooks%2C96&sr=1-1

Smallpeice Trust
https://www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk/