To even a casual observer, it is clear a Formula One car would be largely useless without tyres, a chassis or an engine - but what about electronics? You may not think you see electronics at work when the drivers hit the track, but without such technical wizardry, the cars would not even leave the garage.
An electronic control unit (ECU) monitors and manages all aspects of the Toyota TF108’s electrical systems and it is this device which is fundamental to simply starting the engine, let alone getting the best possible performance from it lap after lap. “The ECU in the car is like the nerve centre for your body,” explains Ludwig Zeller, Toyota’s senior manager electric and electronic. “Basically it is controlling all of the functions.”
“There are two switches for engine control on the steering wheel. In particular one allows the driver to change the engine map, allowing him to choose one of several options - each one corresponds to a different fuelling of the engine. Typically number one is the performance fuelling map, and he has then four other possible maps where he can save fuel during the lap. Sometimes it’s very important to save fuel for delaying a pit stop, for example” Zeller reveals.
With such a vital role played by electronics, these systems - like everything else on the car - must be tested thoroughly to get the best possible performance, and for this a specialised testing unit, called a ‘hardware in the loop’ (HIL) system, has been developed.
The removal of driver aids and the introduction of a standard ECU may have taken Formula One electronics out of the spotlight, but those rule changes have not diminished the fundamental importance of electronics to the performance of the cars. Whenever the cars line up on the grid, remember, it is not just the atmosphere which is electric.
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