Most important technical development in F1?

[xpensive]

This could be a childish thread and it might have been tried before, though I couldn't find any evidence of that, but it should be technical enough to satisfy one of the moderators desire for technical topis?

Btw, my vote is for John Barnard's semi-automatic gearbox of the 1989 Ferrari 640.

[747heavy]

good thread Xpensive =D>

may we need to establish if we talk from a performance point of view or safety or in general, as shaping the future direction of the sport.

some of my candidates:

Carbon fibre chassis also by John Benard
use of ground effect aero by Lotus (some may claim Brabham)

[xpensive]

Thanx Jumbo, but naah, I was thinking more in general, something that had a long-term impact on the sport, the Brabham fan-car was for one race only and didn't leave any marks really.

[gridwalker]

Goodyear slick tyres, 1970 ...

[RH1300S]

After suggesting Mr & Mrs Chapman for having to 'warm themselves up' somewhere around Sept' 1927.

I would offer the brainchild of their offspring......

The Lotus 49

Bespoke engine and chassis designed as an integrated whole

IMHO the first modern F1 car

[raymondu999]

The start of the quest for downforce?

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Gurney flap.

[747heavy]

tire warmers / heating blankets

[spinmastermic]

Seat Belts

[WhiteBlue]

• Fully stressed rear engine by Cooper?
• radial tyres by Michelin
• turbo engines by Renault
• first electronic engine control unit and fuel injection

[siskue2005]

ECU

[marcush.]

ground effect aero..wasn´t this started at BRM (Tony Rudd?) who then took the project to Lotus?
or was it Mclaren with their CanAM cars ,I read a quote from Denny Hulme that they knew that there was something going on with rideheights..

as with carbonfibre ...lightweight construction technique as such is important for the world and where else than in F1 can you see this taken to extremes?

[siskue2005]

Flexy wings and floors

[PNSD]

Carbon Fibre for me.

That or pneumatic valves allowing engines to rev higher and higher...

[xpensive]

ground effect aero..wasn´t this started at BRM (Tony Rudd?) who then took the project to Lotus?
or was it Mclaren with their CanAM cars ,I read a quote from Denny Hulme that they knew that there was something going on with rideheights..

Mauro Forghieri found something funny when comparing the Ferrari F1 car with the full-body sportscar in a windtunnel, but he did not quite inderstrand it, why I think Tony Rudd with the Lotus 78&79 should be given the credit for ground effect.

Anyway, the first wings on the Ferrari 312 in 1968 were pretty groundbreaking too.