USF1 taking different approach to F1 design
USF1 claim to be trying new and innovative ways of designing an F1 car
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By Adam Leveridge
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Tuesday, 19, Jan 2010 11:41
By Adam Leveridge
USF1's senior designer Scott Bennett has said that, although modern-day F1 teams are restricted by stringent rules, the design of the American team's first formula one contender will be markedly different from their rivals.
The Charlotte-based outfit led by Peter Windsor and Ken Anderson will join three other new entries on the F1 grid in 2010, including Virgin Racing, Lotus F1 and Campos Meta.
Bennett, an automotive engineering graduate from Loughborough University, has worked with USF1 team principal and chief executive Anderson for 15 years while part of Indy Lights team Bradley Motorsport and the G-Force IRL (Indy Racing League) team.
USF1 have already completed the design and construction of their first chassis and plan to fit the car's electronic components soon.
Although Bennett admits the task of designing an F1 car from scratch was a daunting one, he said the sport's strict regulations don't leave much room for error or audacity.
"A strange quirk of my career is that every vehicle I have ever been involved in designing have all been clean sheet of paper designs," said Bennett.
"I don't know what it's like to start with something that already exists and try to refine it.
"When we started this car, we started with nothing but fundamentals. The majority of a modern F1 car is tightly defined by the rules, so there isn't scope these days to come out with a Lotus 88 or Tyrrell P34."
Bennett said he feels extremely fortunate to have been part of the USF1 project since the beginning and to have played a part in almost every step of their car's evolution.
"Primarily I've been responsible for the front and rear suspension, particularly packaging," said Bennett.
"This has been a huge challenge. F1 cars are small, and we are fitting a lot of stuff into a very tight volume."
But F1's strict regulations haven't prevented Bennett and his colleagues at the team's Charlotte facility from experimenting and approaching the project with "a fresh perspective."
"We're doing a few things quite differently than they have been done in recent years," said Bennett.
"I can't give specifics yet, but we've looked at everything with a fresh perspective and come up with some different answers.
"We'll know whether they were the right or wrong answers soon enough, but our car certainly won't be a clone of anything else out there. And we're the only one of the four new teams designing our own gearbox."
USF1 are the only team on this year's grid not to have signed a driver for their 2010 campaign and they have yet to confirm when they will make their debut during winter testing, which will take place in February.