The Physics of Motorsport

Richard Bower
University of Durham
©1999

Motorsport is dangerous! --- even for spectators. This lecture course is not intended to encourage you to take part in Motorsport or drive illegally or dangerously. The ideas presented in this course are simple approximation of a truly complicated system. You are in no way recomended to apply them to your own machine or driving style!

• Aims of the Course
• Power Talk
  • Aims of this Part
  • Units
  • Power and Maximum Speed
  • Pushing through the Air
• Power or Torque?
  • Aims of this Part
  • Torque - making things rotate
  • The Gear Box
  • What's the difference between Power and Torque?
  • The 0--60 Time
• The Straights
  • Aims of this Part
  • A Simple Model for the Tyre
  • Weight Transfer
  • Maximum Acceleration
  • Hard on the Brakes
  • Basic Racing Car Design
• The Racing Line
  • Aims of this Part
  • Motion on a Circle
  • The Traction Circle
  • Cornering Speed --- Constant Radius Turns
  • A Timed Corner
  • The Racing Line
  • The Fastest Possible Corner
• Skids and Why they Happen
  • Aims of this Part
  • The Traction Circle at each Wheel
  • Oversteer and Understeer
  • Causes of Oversteer and Understeer
  • Correcting Skids
  • A Numerical Example
• About this document ...