Why might F1 cars mount their suspension in the monocoque?

[Roxi]

Hello!

Today was a slow day for me at the office, so I found some time to do some research on certain mechanics of F1 vehicles and Motorsports in general.

I wanted to talk about my personal experiences on a few things, and highlight my thought process. I spent some time at a Motorsports park the other weekend, and had a good behind the scenes look at F3, and F4 cars. I even got to sit in a F3 car which was the first time I have ever stepped foot in a open-wheel vehicle.

The one thing that did spark my interest, is the way the suspension was mounted (basically on top of your knee's). I always thought (because I couldn't see it) that F1 cars didn't have suspension, and were strictly just riding around without it. This opened my eyes a bit, and really let me understand a bit deeper on why things are setup the way that they are.

Well, my interest got the best of me, and I decided to do a bit of digging on why such suspension would be mounted there.

After about a half hour of google searching, reading, and coming to a conclusion from watching example videos. The rule of thumb here is the "Polar moment of inertia" in other terms a good example is a "see-saw" with 2 equal weights on other end. It is physically harder to move the object up or down, if the objects are further away from the fulcrum (pivot) point on the see-saw. If you bring them closer, it is easier to move the weight from side to side, in a F1 car format. So, this would explain why the suspension is mounted on top of the monocoque (above your knee's) vs being attached to the push-rods/suspension arms outside of the body of the car.

From my knowledge, I also assumed this helps with keeping the car more aerodynamic, and creating less drag. Firmly more, keeping all of the weight in the car centered.

Some of you may already knew/know this, but It was something that I stumbled upon today that really made my brain come alive. It's truly about the little things you learn about in Motorsports that make it a great sport. To some, it's just cars going around a track, but no one understands the actual mini concepts that make up each piece, to serve a purpose.

Just thought I would share some of my experiences. Was really cool to sit in the F3 Car!

-Roxi

[Roxi]

On a side note, I love to learn new things. If I might be wrong, or if someone could show me more information on this. I would be happy to learn and be taught!

[humble sabot]

There's also a not inconsiderable aerodynamic benefit to tucking those things inside the narrow nose of the car.

[Roxi]

There's also a not inconsiderable aerodynamic benefit to tucking those things inside the narrow nose of the car.

I guess any bit helps at the level of Formula 1

[Jolle]

I think it was one of the innovations of John Bernard. Before 1989 almost all cars had pull rod front suspension with the springs and dampness vertical in the chassis. The cars were still quite high without their raised noses and could easily fit a conventional spring and damper.

Williams had in their FW11 already push rod instead of pull rod suspension and Bernard combined the push rod with even longer (longer then car was wide or high) suspension members flat on top of the monocoque. This made it not only easier to work on but also saved weight because the monocoque only had to include the drivers feet, not the suspension members as well. The 640 was a size zero for its time, with not only this front suspension but also the paddle gear box that didn't need any space for a manual gear leaver.

So, it's a lot to do with making the overall shape as narrow as possible, saving weight and making it easier to work on. The only downside is a slightly higher center of gravity.