Wind tunnel and more at Hinwil

The BMW Sauber F1 Team's facility in the tranquil uplands around Zurich numbers around 300 employees. By the end of 2007, the workforce at Hinwil will swell to more than 400. Learn more about the facilities Wildbachstraße.

To cope with the challenging development and testing programme, staff numbers in all departments will be ramped up, with the aerodynamics division receiving the biggest boost to allow for 24-hour operation of the wind tunnel in due course.

The Hinwil complex embraces three buildings. The main building in Wildbachstraße 9 houses the management, chassis concept and construction, and the administration. Along with the quality control department, the system and vehicle engineers as well as the race and test team are also housed here. The four-storey office and factory complex covers more than 6.800 square metres and also accommodates carbonfibre production, chassis assembly and storerooms.

Sauber had already moved into today's annexe in Wildbachstraße 3b back in the era of the World Sports Car Championship. When the planned involvement in Formula One put space at a premium in these premises, the company relocated to the new block in 1992. Today this is the main building, while mechanical production remains at the former company headquarters.

The state-of-the-art wind tunnel right next to the main building went on stream in spring of 2004. The structure measures 65 metres long, 50 metres wide and 17 metres high and is particularly striking for its glass facade. Working here alongside the technicians, who operate the wind tunnel are also the model designers and constructors, the CFD specialists and other employees in the aerodynamics department. 'Albert', the 18-tonne supercomputer for CFD calculations and one of the most powerful machines in Formula One and the motoring industry as a whole, was put on the ground floor. An event area rounds off this technological and architectural tour de force.

See more about F1 windtunnels here: http://www.f1technical.net/articles/47

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