F1 Tech Question
 

This has been bugging me...

Can someone tell me what those CF drum like structures are that the wheels bolt over?

(And don't tell me F1 is going over to drum brakes! :p)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1202581199.jpg

I think that they contain and direct all of the air that comes into the duct through the assembly to cool it. It's also why you see the huge clouds of dust shoot out of the wheels under braking at the end of the straights.

Good question. Have wondered that myself...

I thought that they offered some protection for the fragile rotors along with cooling.

They keep MOST of the cool air that comes INTO the brakes from going out. It's kind of a chamber of sorts, a cool coller. Less air escapes. At least thats what I think I read some time ago.

they actually size those things up according to the track they use
smaller for low brake tracks such as Spa
bigger for tracks like Monaco

they take up 1.5% of the total drag on the car, so it's a big penalty if they go to big
there's also the problem of cold ceramic brakes if they have to much cooling on the long highspeed tracks...

I think the drums also serve to reduce aero drag by filling in the void inside the wheel, kind of like the covers they put on the outside of the wheel.