Do you know your ERS from your ECU?

What actually is a Formula 1 car? – By Joe Murphy

We all hear the words, week in week out, but do we actually know what they all mean? It is perhaps taken for granted that all fans of Formula 1 know the basic terminology, let alone the detailed stuff. With that under consideration, let us dive into these key terms and break down exactly what it is they mean.

Chassis

The chassis is the main frame of the car, almost like a skeleton of a human being. The engine and suspension are attached to the basic framework, but are a separate entity entirely.

Sidepods

The sidepod is the part of the car that runs along, you guessed it, the side of the vehicle. This is where the radiators can be found.

Pit Wall

This is the area that is near to the pitlane but is its own section. Often, when TV cameras turn towards Team Principals, they can be seen sat up looking over the start/finish straight with the pit lane behind them. This area, with several seats looking at computers with a roof overhead is the Pit Wall.

ERS

ERS stands for Energy Recovery Systems and these capture energy that would otherwise be wasted. This energy can come from either the heat generated from the turbocharger or even from the actual motion of braking. The energy can be recycled and then re-deployed in propelling the car forward at a greater speed.

ECU

ECU stands for Electronic Control Unit and this is a unit that basically controls the entire electric components on all cars on the grid. This includes components such as the engine and gearbox.

Brake Balance

This is not where the car is balanced on the ground whilst braking occurs. Instead, it is the distribution between the front and back tyres. This can be altered depending on the drivers preference but does not have to be split evenly. In fact it often isn’t.

Graining

When a car moves on a race track, particularly in a side-to-side motion, rubber from the tyres breaks away from the main grooves. These “grains” then stick to the main head of the tyre, acting as a blocker so the tyre no longer has full contact with the ground. This can be cleared by the driver driving in a careful manner, depending on the track conditions.