collapse

* Welcome

Welcome to GPWizard F1 Forum!

GPWizard is the friendliest F1 forum you'll find anywhere. You have a host of new like-minded friends waiting to welcome you.

So what are you waiting for? Becoming a member is easy and free! Take a couple seconds out of your day and register now. We guarantee, you wont be sorry you did.

Click Here to become a full Member for Free

* User Info

 
 
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

* Newsletter

GPWizard F1 Forum Newsletter Email address:
Weekly
Fortnightly
Monthly

* Grid Game Deadlines

Qualifying

Race

* Shoutbox

Refresh History
  • Wizzo: :good:
    March 05, 2024, 11:44:46 PM
  • Dare: my chat button is onthe bottom rightWiz
    March 03, 2024, 11:58:24 PM
  • Wizzo: Yes you should see the chat room button at the bottom left of your screen
    March 02, 2024, 11:39:55 PM
  • Open Wheel: Is there a Chat room button or something to access “Race day conversation”
    March 02, 2024, 02:46:02 PM
  • Wizzo: The 2024 Grid Game is here!  :yahoo:
    January 30, 2024, 01:42:23 PM
  • Wizzo: Hey everybody - the shout box is back!  :D
    August 21, 2023, 12:18:19 PM

* Who's Online

  • Dot Guests: 329
  • Dot Hidden: 0
  • Dot Users: 3
  • Dot Users Online:

* Top Posters

cosworth151 cosworth151
16143 Posts
Scott Scott
14057 Posts
Dare Dare
12983 Posts
John S John S
11253 Posts
Ian Ian
9729 Posts

Author Topic: A forgotten room at Lotus F1 factory  (Read 4374 times)

Offline John S

  • F1 Legend
  • ****
  • Date Registered: Jan 2007
  • Location: Lincolnshire, UK
  • Posts: 11253
  • 11550 credits
  • View Inventory
  • Send Money To John S
  • Max for 3rd title! - to see more Toto apoplexy.
A forgotten room at Lotus F1 factory
« on: August 14, 2010, 11:49:30 AM »

An interesting insight into just what teams need to do ahead of putting an F1 car into production. Seems to reinforce, for me anyway, the old spirit of F1 with grown men tinkering in cramped conditions with toys and concepts to get the best for the car.
Was this room part of the factory tour Wizzo, or is it as James describes a forgotten room?


From jamesallenonf1.com, Today.
When I was doing some behind the scenes filming at the Lotus factory in Norfolk, I came across a room which houses the chassis mock up, made of what looked like clay, which the team built over the winter prior to building their first car.

This is also where the drivers have their seat fitting, making sure they actually fit in the cockpit.

It was amazing to see perfect replicas of the Cosworth engine, the fuel tank, the oil tank and so on, which the engineers and mechanics spent hours on, like a giant Lego set to make sure the car all went together as intended.

What struck me was how intense that work must have been at the time and how quickly things had moved on as now these items lay abandoned. They’d played their part, now they were obsolete.

Soon they will be cleared out as the 2011 chassis mock up will be constructed in there and the whole process will start again.

This video is short and sweet, but it shows a side of F1 few fans ever get to see.






Racing is Life - everything else is just....waiting. (Steve McQueen)

Offline cosworth151

Re: A forgotten room at Lotus F1 factory
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2010, 04:59:05 PM »
Some kid could have the world's absolute coolest soap box racer ever!  :yahoo:
“You can search the world over for the finer things, but you won't find a match for the American road and the creatures that live on it.”
― Bob Dylan

Offline SennaMan

  • Triple World Champion
  • ***
  • Date Registered: Sep 2007
  • Location: Gold Coast, Australia via Auckland, NZ
  • Posts: 1190
  • 1300 credits
  • View Inventory
  • Send Money To SennaMan
  • McLAREN MP4-12C Applied Genius
Re: A forgotten room at Lotus F1 factory
« Reply #2 on: August 14, 2010, 05:21:54 PM »

thanks John for this fascinating video - a good find
"In a Democracy, civil dissent and even disobedience is a responsibility and a duty. Indeed, the extent dissent is tolerated is in itself a test of a Democracy."

Bruce Elton Foulds - 2010.

Offline cosworth151

Re: A forgotten room at Lotus F1 factory
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2010, 07:27:54 PM »
I wonder if the larger, super computer equipped teams still use this sort of thing, or if they do it all virtually, via C.A.D. software.

It's a reminder of the vast difference in resources there is from the front of the grid to the back.
“You can search the world over for the finer things, but you won't find a match for the American road and the creatures that live on it.”
― Bob Dylan

Offline lkjohnson1950

Re: A forgotten room at Lotus F1 factory
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2010, 03:55:45 AM »
Good point Cossie! It would be very interesting to know if McLaren or Ferrari does much of this. Seems very labor intensive and time consuming.

Lonny
Lonny

Offline Wizzo

Re: A forgotten room at Lotus F1 factory
« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2010, 12:47:08 PM »
Yep I saw these mock ups and pretty amazing they are too. If you look in the background of the video you will notice the very accurate cutting machine that cuts out the blocks to the required shapes.

They also pointed out that these mock ups are essential to make sure the drivers feet could reach the pedals!
"No Matter how little money and how few possessions, you own, having a dog makes you rich."

GPWizard F1 Forum https://www.gpwizard.co.uk
:wizard:
Wizzo

 


SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal
Menu Editor Pro 1.0 | Copyright 2013, Matthew Kerle