logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2018
27m 45s

Formula One engineer Caroline Hargrove

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode
<p>How do you convince Formula One racing drivers that they are speeding round the race track at Le Mans when, in fact, they are sitting in a simulator in the McLaren offices in Woking? Apparently it’s all about getting the vibrations right. Racing drivers really do drive by the seat of their pants. They’re also highly attuned to the sound f the engine and ... Show More
Up next
Oct 6
Ginger Kerrick on manning Nasa's Mission Control and getting to Mars
What do you do when your childhood dream of becoming an astronaut is grounded at the final hurdle?If you’re physicist Ginger Kerrick, you go on to help run the missions instead. After failing the medical of her astronaut application process, Ginger went on to become Nasa’s first ... Show More
28m 31s
May 2026
Dean Lomax on discovering ichthyosaurs and defying nay-sayers
Have you ever been told you aren't good enough to do something, then gone ahead and proved the naysayers wrong by doing it anyway - in glorious, headline-grabbing style? That is the satisfying story of Dr Dean Lomax. Dean grew up in Doncaster with a passion for fossils but after ... Show More
28m 24s
May 2026
Helen Hastie on the future of human-robot relations
What if robots of the future weren’t just clever machines, performing tasks in isolation, but trusted teammates you could have a chat with? That could respond naturally to conversational cues and even explain their work? Making this relationship a reality is a focus for Helen Has ... Show More
28m 22s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2023
Why do F1 teams need simulators? - with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne
For learning racetracks to testing new car upgrades, simulators are a vital tool for every team in F1. Katie and Christian talk to four sim experts to explain why. Stoffel Vandoorne, Aston Martin's reserve driver, took a break from a long day in the sim to tell us why they're so ... Show More
46m 48s
Sep 2024
Coaching F1 drivers - Performance Engineers with McLaren's Tom Stallard
Precision at 200 miles per hour. Millimetre-perfect steering, Millisecond-perfect braking and acceleration. That's what it takes to race in Formula 1. Performance Engineers help the 20 fastest drivers in the world to be their very best.McLaren's Tom Stallard, a former Performance ... Show More
35m 38s
Mar 2023
Women in F1
<p>Kim Chakanetsa meets two women who work on the world’s fastest cars. Bernadette Collins is a strategy engineer from Northern Ireland. She worked for the Aston Martin Formula One team and with McLaren. She is currently a freelance engineer working on projects where she brings ... Show More
27m 22s
May 2024
Fernando Alonso, Pedro de la Rosa + Tom McCullough explain F1 car set-up
A Formula 1 car is like a musical instrument: to perform at its best, it has to be tuned. Aerodynamics, suspension, tyres, and transmission can all be changed to suit the racetrack, the driver and the weather.In Miami, Christian Hewgill joins Aston Martin to explore car setup, wi ... Show More
30m 10s
Jul 2024
How Formula 1 teams work - from factory to racetrack
To win in F1, hundreds of people have to work together. From the mechanics at the track to designers at the factory, every team member plays their part. How are F1 teams organised, and why does every team have to build a unique car?Katie Osborne and Christian Hewgill go back into ... Show More
35m 27s
May 2020
How Close To Reality Are Modern Simulators? with AVL RACING
With the current situation forcing all motorsport to temporarily pause, is there a virtual way for the drivers to remain sharp? When the season gets underway, how do the teams use simulators to improve those driver skills to gain an advantage over their competitors? That is the t ... Show More
47m 17s
Apr 2024
Alpine's Jack Doohan explains F1 brakes - with Brembo
Taming the insane speed of an F1 car takes extraordinary skill and incredible technology. The brakes glow red hot. The drivers feel extreme G-forces. How do F1 braking systems work, and how do drivers cope every time they slam their left foot into the pedal?Katie Osborne and Chri ... Show More
47m 23s
Oct 2024
Downforce + why F1 cars have wings - with McLaren Aero Specialist Emel Cankaya
F1 cars race round corners at more than 190 miles per hour. Those insane speeds are made possible by downforce - the invisible power which keeps F1 cars on-track. Emel Cankaya is an Aerodynamics Specialist at McLaren. She tells Katie and Christian what downforce is, how F1 cars c ... Show More
32m 30s
Oct 2025
How data helps F1 drivers go faster - with McLaren's Tom Stallard + Jolyon Palmer
When Formula 1 drivers want to go faster, they study squiggly lines on a screen. This is F1 data, showing how drivers accelerate, brake, steer and more. Hidden in the squiggles are the secrets of speed.Tom Stallard, Race Engineer to Oscar Piastri at McLaren, and former F1 driver ... Show More
35m 3s
Oct 2023
How F1 racetracks are designed
High-speed corners or tricky hairpins? Flat-out straights or tight chicanes? Every Formula 1 racetrack is a unique challenge for the drivers and teams, and the work to create them is a blend of artistry and engineering.F1 Explains how F1 circuits go from a sketch on a piece of pa ... Show More
44m 32s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami