Wind tunnel breathes life into Sauber
The Swiss Formula One team, Sauber, have unveiled a $55 million (SFr70 million) wind tunnel designed to improve the performance of their racing cars.
The wind tunnel – which will be used to help shape and refine the aerodynamics of cars – is the biggest single investment ever made by the team.
“Aerodynamics is the primary factor affecting a modern Formula One car,” said team boss Peter Sauber. “The wind tunnel is the primary tool for creating a successful racing car.”
The tunnel, which took almost two years to build, can run wind speeds of up to 300kmh. It should be ready for use in February following completion of the calibration phase.
Sauber finished sixth in last season’s constructors’ championship and are one of only three privately owned teams racing in Formula One.
“With the top teams having made enormous progress particularly in this area in recent years, we have a lot to catch up on,” added Peter Sauber.
“This is a very important step for us and it shows we are planning to stay in Formula One.”
Tunnel testing
Sauber currently undertake around 2,500 hours of wind tunnel testing per year, compared with 8,000 hours undertaken by some of the manufacturer-funded teams.
The team said, however, that their ability to increase the number of hours in the new tunnel would be limited by budget constraints.
Wind tunnels are used to blow air over scale models to see what effect it has as it flows around the car’s contours.
Sauber will work with 60 per cent scale models although some tests will be made on full-size Formula One cars.
The building, sited at the company’s base in Hinwil in northern Switzerland, can also be used as a platform for sponsorship events.
The team will have a chance to see the possible benefits of their investment at the racing season’s opening European grand prix at Italy’s Imola circuit in April.
swissinfo with agencies
A fan with a maximum power consumption of 3,000 kilowatts enables wind speeds of up to 300kmh.
Sauber’s 65-metre-long wind tunnel may be rented out to other racing teams and road car companies.
The tunnel took 23 months to build and cost some SFr70 million ($55 million).
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