Formula One Technology Explained - Front Suspension

Suspension

Designed for passenger comfort in road cars, the front suspension on a Formula One car is built for a very different purpose. This section will focus on the front suspension - one of the most critical components of a Formula One car’s setup.

Front Suspension

What the front suspension does:

The purpose of a Formula One car's suspension is to maximise traction and stability throughout the lap, despite the bumps and undulations in the circuit. Much stiffer than road car suspension, Formula One’s version aims to keep all four tyres on the surface of the track for as long as possible. This is to ensure that the driver can maintain high cornering and straight-line speeds through maximised ‘mechanical grip’ – the grip generated from the tyres on the road.

How the front suspension works:

All the exterior pieces of the front suspension are made from ultra-hard carbon fibre and are designed to be as aerodynamically efficient as possible. This helps to shape air flow around the car and minimise drag. Often referred to as ‘double wishbone suspension’, two ‘wishbones’ or supports connect the top and bottom of the wheel to the chassis of the car.

It is the diagonal bar (A), called a pushrod, which actually transfers the bumps from the track to the suspension system. The pushrod is connected to the ‘crank’ which pivots with the ‘torsion bar’ (B) and in doing so, absorbs the shocks from the track. It is the rigidity of the torsion bar that causes the stiffness of the front suspension.

Rather than a vertical spring, as on a road car, the damper absorbs the shocks and prevents the suspension bouncing up and down uncontrollably. As a result of the torsion bar and damper working together the front suspension optimises the handling and maximises the mechanical grip of the car.

Regulations:

As with most critical components of a Formula One car, the Fédération International de l’Automobile (FIA) regulations are very strict and the front suspension is no different. The regulations prevent both automatic and manual suspension adjustments while the car is in motion to ensure fair racing and close competition.

Driver and spectator safety is also of paramount importance to the FIA. In order to prevent a wheel from becoming separated from the vehicle, flexible cables must be built into the suspension, known as wheel tethers. Each 15mm tether is capable of withstanding a force of 70kN (7,138 kg) and this helps to keep the wheel attached to the chassis of the car in the event of an accident.