How have computers changed Formula 1?

[Dan953]

Hello all,
I am currently a student in the sixth form completing a technical essay on how computers have changed Formula 1.

I am stuck for ideas, so far I have:

Computational Fluid Dynamics - To simulate airflow.
Stress Analysis Software - Predict mechanical stress.
Electronic Management Systems - Fuel injection, DRS and gear changes.
Driver Technology - Drivers pulse, radios.

I am mostly looking for ideas about how computers have made F1 cars faster, cheaper, safer etc.

Thanks in advance,
Dan

[airshifter]

It depends on where you want to draw the line of considering is a "computer" vs other types of tech. Almost anything imaginable on the cars are monitored through sensors, and at some point the computers are graphing out the displays, and/or sending parameters and possible warnings to the people in watching the data.

Two way telemetry allowed engineers to make adjustments on the fly without driver intervention. The current earpieces have accelerometers in them, allowing for angles of impact and G forces sustained by a driver. Beyond the fuel injection, all timing and fuel mapping is controlled via computers on board, along with programming.

I'm not sure how in depth you would want to go on any particular subject, but what you have now is already more than enough for loads of essays. Just pick one you find more interesting, or with the proper needed resources, etc. I'd have to guess that you didn't pick F1 because you know absolutely nothing about it, so it seems like you already have a grasp on many of the major ideas.