0:00:04 > 0:00:09This is one of the most highly-tuned machines in the world.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13It was born for one reason and one reason only...
0:00:15 > 0:00:16..to race...
0:00:22 > 0:00:24..and win.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29In a just handful of seconds an F1 car accelerates
0:00:29 > 0:00:32to the kinds of speeds at which a jet aircraft takes off.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42In fact they're so fast
0:00:42 > 0:00:45that the engineers have to work hard to stop them taking off.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49And that kind of high performance calls for titanium carbon fibre,
0:00:49 > 0:00:51all those other exotic modern materials,
0:00:51 > 0:00:55but it also requires some surprising engineering connections.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58A revolution in artillery.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02A new design for a jet engine.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05- Any second now it's about to snap. - Oh yeah, there it goes!
0:01:05 > 0:01:06That's ruined.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08An ancient boat.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Protective armour.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16And a sword.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Chaps, broke my sword.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32An F1 car has just one purpose in life -
0:01:32 > 0:01:36to go as fast as possible around a circuit
0:01:36 > 0:01:40for roughly 200 miles on a Sunday.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Everything you see is engineered to improve performance,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47to shave weight and milliseconds off a lap time.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51The materials, the engine, the shape.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55Famously their sophisticated aerodynamics
0:01:55 > 0:01:57keep it pinned to the road so well
0:01:57 > 0:02:00that it could drive through the Monte Carlo tunnel upside down.
0:02:00 > 0:02:01Well, theoretically.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05But the thing is there is nothing superfluous about these machines.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Nothing that isn't about making it faster,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09pinning it to the road, or stop quickly.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12That's why there's no room for luggage.
0:02:12 > 0:02:13Or a map.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16The result - a thoroughbred machine
0:02:16 > 0:02:20that weighs about half as much as a small runabout.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22But it's still a car.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25It does the same things as ordinary cars, just a lot faster,
0:02:25 > 0:02:30a lot more expensively, and without the indicators.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34You might think that F1 cars would be built around monstrous engines.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39But the engines are smaller than those in many family cars,
0:02:39 > 0:02:41just 2.4 litres.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45The secret is precision, not brute force.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51And that precision is audible.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57It's the distinctive sound of components
0:02:57 > 0:03:01moving at speeds that would destroy an ordinary engine.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05The beating heart of any car with an internal combustion engine,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07be it a family hack or an F1 car
0:03:07 > 0:03:11is this - this is the piston in the cylinder.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14We have cut the cylinder away here so you can see what's happening.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17And it starts with an explosion from fuel up here,
0:03:17 > 0:03:21that's the internal combustion bit of an internal combustion engine.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Those expanding gases push the piston down inside the cylinder.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27That does two things, by rotating the shaft at the bottom,
0:03:27 > 0:03:29it sends another piston to the top
0:03:29 > 0:03:32ready for its explosion to continue the process.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36And that rotating shaft, ultimately is what drives the car's wheels.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38You can increase the amount of power
0:03:38 > 0:03:41by increasing the number of these pistons in their cylinders
0:03:41 > 0:03:44and by increasing the RPM, the number of times a minute
0:03:44 > 0:03:47the piston goes up and down and turns that shaft.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51While F1 engines might share the same basic design
0:03:51 > 0:03:55as an ordinary engine, a piston going up and down inside the cylinder,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58the engine in your road car would literally explode
0:03:58 > 0:04:02if it reached even half the revs that an F1 car is capable of.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05The heat and pressure would be too much.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09This is how F1 designers engineer the solution.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12They get more out of each explosion up here
0:04:12 > 0:04:16thanks to a huge leap forward in artillery development.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21Internal combustion engines are like cannons.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26They both use an explosion at one end to drive something along a tube.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Same process, very different effect.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32To get the most out of your bang
0:04:32 > 0:04:35you must reduce something called windage.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39Not good for a cannon or a finely-tuned engine.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45To find out why I have come to a typically sophisticated
0:04:45 > 0:04:50and glamorous F1 location with artillery expert Nick Hall.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55So this then is the point at which
0:04:55 > 0:04:59F1 technology and military artillery history come together.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03- What do we need to make it good? - It is important to have the fit
0:05:03 > 0:05:05between the projectile and the cylinder.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07And in the early history of artillery,
0:05:07 > 0:05:11because you couldn't bore a cylinder very accurately
0:05:11 > 0:05:15and you couldn't make an absolutely, reliably spherical cannonball
0:05:15 > 0:05:19there had to be a gap so that the cannonball wouldn't jam.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22And so you lost power through that gap.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25A windage gap was a safety feature
0:05:25 > 0:05:29to ensure that a cannonball didn't get stuck in the barrel.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32But there was a price to pay.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36So this is the gap between the projectile the cannonball,
0:05:36 > 0:05:37or in this case the piston,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and the cannon itself, the gap around the outside.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Yeah, that is the windage.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46Well, I've got two projectiles here, two pistons,
0:05:46 > 0:05:48now we've got one is smaller than the other.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50One is a bit smaller, there is a bit of a gap.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Do you reckon that is sufficient difference
0:05:53 > 0:05:56between the size on the projectiles
0:05:56 > 0:06:00- make a difference in how they perform in the cannon?- Yes, I do.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Because that gap expressed all the way around
0:06:03 > 0:06:06is allowing a lot of pressure to escape.
0:06:06 > 0:06:12- That tiny difference will make a difference in what we see fired out of that canon.- Yeah.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14So first the smaller of the two, with the slight gap.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18This should affect the performance of the cannon slightly
0:06:18 > 0:06:20but will make it safer.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23I've got the bigger one.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26'Which is just as well as this is the first cannon I have built.'
0:06:26 > 0:06:28OK, well let's load it up.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Just drop that in?
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- Yeah.- It's in, I'd say.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35Let's charge the cannon.
0:06:35 > 0:06:41My finely-machined cannon stores air up to a pressure of 5 bar,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45or 72 pounds per square inch, which when released
0:06:45 > 0:06:49will hopefully propel the projectile down our makeshift range.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52- Right, our cannon is charged. I'll go on zero.- So I can run.
0:06:52 > 0:06:553, 2, 1, go?
0:06:55 > 0:06:57OK, if we are ready, in...
0:06:57 > 0:07:01- I've never fired a cannon, you've fired lots.- Yeah.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03I'll just do it quickly. 3 2 1...
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Released by means of a hi tech lever and rope assembly,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16the pressure forces the piston along the cylinder and into the air.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20Well, it worked, didn't it?
0:07:20 > 0:07:22That was very good, wasn't it?
0:07:22 > 0:07:24That was the smaller projectile
0:07:24 > 0:07:26so what we must now do is go and mark the spot
0:07:26 > 0:07:27with my industrial golf flag.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Look at it!
0:07:29 > 0:07:34'A very respectable 48 metres on our first attempt.'
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Right, this isn't an exercise
0:07:37 > 0:07:40in demonstrating the effectiveness of my air cannon
0:07:40 > 0:07:43- but come on, it's pretty good? - It's not bad.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48So that was the slightly undersized projectile or piston
0:07:48 > 0:07:52with a slight gap in it around the cylinder bore which we call windage.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57This one is now a snugger fit, so if it were too big and we had to squeeze it in
0:07:57 > 0:08:01it would waste energy overcoming the friction to shove it out of the barrel.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06- Yes, but we've got very fine machining here, haven't we? - Only the best.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09OK, so that is a closer fit.
0:08:09 > 0:08:14'In fact such a close fit it may need just a little persuading.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21'With our snuggly-fitting piston finally in place
0:08:21 > 0:08:22'the air pressure is built up
0:08:22 > 0:08:26'to exactly the same 5-bar level as the previous attempt.
0:08:26 > 0:08:32'There is no windage gap in this one, no safety gap.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34'On my home-made high pressure cannon.'
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Right, the cannon is charged,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40we've persuaded the projectile into the barrel.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43I'll stand further away now, I'm suddenly more nervous.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44No windage on this one.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48No. If I go on 3, 2, 1? Go?
0:08:48 > 0:08:49OK, if we're ready,
0:08:49 > 0:08:513, 2, 1!
0:08:56 > 0:08:57Whoa!
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Pretty convincing.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Even sounded more dramatic at this end,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05and that's clearly gone substantially further
0:09:05 > 0:09:08- because of that tiny, tiny bit less of a gap around it.- That's right.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18So exactly the same force fired it much further
0:09:18 > 0:09:21and all because of a better fit.
0:09:21 > 0:09:27Well, we know it went further than the previous attempt of 48 metres but by how much?
0:09:27 > 0:09:2911, 12.
0:09:30 > 0:09:35- So this got an extra 12 metres. - From 48.
0:09:35 > 0:09:3925% increased range from just that
0:09:39 > 0:09:43tiny, tiny extra bit that closed the gap.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Yeah, so you're not wasting that pressure
0:09:46 > 0:09:48and gaining range by better fit.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51But I really could not see the difference between the two,
0:09:51 > 0:09:54you could just about feel it between the fingers.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Yeah, not much more than a thumbnail thickness.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00This one is 25% more efficient, same charge, same power
0:10:00 > 0:10:03so more efficient by cutting down on windage.
0:10:03 > 0:10:09Precision machining meant gunners didn't have to allow for windage,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12all thanks to one John Wilkinson,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15known in his day as "Iron Mad" Wilkinson.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18In the late 18th century he developed the cannon lathe,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21to machine cannon barrels very accurately.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26And Wilkinson also realised his cannon lathe could make
0:10:26 > 0:10:30more powerful steam engines with precisely bored cylinders.
0:10:30 > 0:10:35The same principle makes F1 cars faster, down the straights.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40So just that tiny difference, that tiny increase in size
0:10:40 > 0:10:44made all the difference in this as a projectile out of my cannon
0:10:44 > 0:10:48and if you think if this was working as a piston in an engine
0:10:48 > 0:10:51firing thousands of times a minute
0:10:51 > 0:10:54it would make all the difference there as well.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00F1 engines are so finely tuned
0:11:00 > 0:11:03and the fit between the piston and cylinder is so tight
0:11:03 > 0:11:07that you can't even start the engine when cold without damaging it.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11As Mike Gascoyne, an F1 techincal director, explains.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14- So this engine right now is stone cold?- Yes.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19And therefore inside those cylinders the pistons are actually...
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Too tight, if you start this now it won't break,
0:11:23 > 0:11:27but it will wear, and reduce its efficiency.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30So we have to plug in oil and water heaters
0:11:30 > 0:11:32and we actually have them on timers overnight
0:11:32 > 0:11:35such that they come on three hours before we get in
0:11:35 > 0:11:38such that the engines are sitting there at operating temperature
0:11:38 > 0:11:40and then we can turn them over.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43When you talk about tolerances which how finely,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46how closely things are engineered and made in terms of size,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49they are so tight that until they are at the right temperature...
0:11:49 > 0:11:53They're hot honed, they are actually fitted together when they are hot.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56So at the temperature they are going to be operating at,
0:11:56 > 0:11:59that's how they fit them together.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01This is why they end up sitting there
0:12:01 > 0:12:03looking like they are on life support.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05With warmed water being fed to them
0:12:05 > 0:12:08- and warmed oil to get them to operating temperature.- Exactly.
0:12:10 > 0:12:17An F1 car revs to 18,000 rpm, three times what a normal car manages.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24An average car produces about 200 horsepower,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27an F1 car belts out 800.
0:12:27 > 0:12:28Mind you,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30it only gets 4 miles to the gallon.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Its power translates into staggering straight line speed
0:12:36 > 0:12:38and that is a problem.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48A jumbo jet takes off at 180 miles an hour.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53An F1 car can exceed that speed 200 times during a race.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57Sometimes fast cars behave like planes.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Manfred Winkelhock was lucky to walk away
0:13:09 > 0:13:13from this famous crash in Germany in 1980.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22It's all to do with the aerodynamic shape of the car.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25Get it wrong and it takes off.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27Get it right and you win races.
0:13:35 > 0:13:40Thanks to an ancient, much slower and much quieter vehicle,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42a sailing boat,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46F1 cars can keep all four wheels on the ground.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49The same principle that allows mariners to sail into the wind
0:13:49 > 0:13:53allows F1 cars to pin their wheels to the tarmac and corner faster.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Sailing in the direction the wind is blowing is relatively easy,
0:13:59 > 0:14:03hold up a sail and you'll be blown along.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Sailing into the wind is more difficult.
0:14:07 > 0:14:13More than 2,000 years ago Arabian sailors mastered the trick
0:14:13 > 0:14:16by changing the shape of their sails.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21A triangular sail was the solution, because it's a kind of wing,
0:14:21 > 0:14:26as aerodynamicist, Phil Rubini, explains.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Phil, I'm familiar with the concept of a wing, it generates lift,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33but how is a sail in anyway like a wing?
0:14:33 > 0:14:35They are completely different, aren't they?
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Well, they look different, yes,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41but if you think about a wing, you know a wing will fly on an aeroplane
0:14:41 > 0:14:44and so to keep this wing in the air we need a force pushing up
0:14:44 > 0:14:48and that force is generated from the air when it flies over the wing.
0:14:48 > 0:14:54The aerofoil shape creates low pressure above the wing,
0:14:54 > 0:14:55and it rises.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59The same principle helps sailors, ancient and modern.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03The Arabian sailors, 2,000 years ago
0:15:03 > 0:15:07effectively invented the wing that we are using on aeroplanes.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11Now think of a sailing boat...
0:15:12 > 0:15:15The sail now looks a little bit like a wing.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Add a flat keel and the boat won't go sideways
0:15:20 > 0:15:23but forwards into the wind.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28And that sail shape helps F1 engineers.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36This is not an F1 car.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40But thanks to a few modifications inspired by Arabian sailors,
0:15:40 > 0:15:44here, in one of the world's most sophisticated wind tunnels
0:15:44 > 0:15:47we can make it behave like one.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Fast cars use aerodynamics
0:15:49 > 0:15:53to press themselves down to make themselves seem heavier.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55That doesn't sound ideal,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58but a heavy car is less likely to take off.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05In this tunnel they have sensors to weigh the car.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08It's about a ton now but should change when we unleash
0:16:08 > 0:16:10the small hurricane they keep here.
0:16:21 > 0:16:27The wind, pressing down on the upside-down wings creates downforce.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30You can see there, that's the downforce being produced,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32it's a minus number because the wings
0:16:32 > 0:16:35are pushing the car down rather than pushing the car up.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39- So it's minus lift?- It's minus lift, it's pulling it down, that's right.
0:16:39 > 0:16:44My aero modifications press the car into the ground,
0:16:44 > 0:16:49good for giving the tyres more grip and good for getting round corners.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52The wind blows at just over 80mph,
0:16:52 > 0:16:58but engineers here can calculate what its effect would be at 200mph.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02So this screen is showing the same figures
0:17:02 > 0:17:06if the car were running at Formula 1 speeds,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08and at those speeds it's telling us we've now got
0:17:08 > 0:17:13- 1,195, that's pushing down rather than lifting up.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15That's some downforce.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19My wings would make the car a ton heavier -
0:17:19 > 0:17:22it wouldn't take off.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26It's a significant downforce but look at that drag figure.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29It's enormous.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33The huge wings create huge drag, or air resistance,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36which would slow the car.
0:17:36 > 0:17:42And F1 engineers struggle to reduce drag while increasing downforce.
0:17:42 > 0:17:47My car probably wouldn't even reach 100 kilometres an hour
0:17:47 > 0:17:51unless I managed to fit several Formula 1 engines in there,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54it's an idea but it's not practical.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Well, a couple of things proved there I think,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03firstly that I'm probably not going to be employed
0:18:03 > 0:18:06as an aerodynamicist on an F1 team anytime soon,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08but the theory does work.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11These spoilers, these upside down wings,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13have the effect of pushing the car down
0:18:13 > 0:18:16and making it weigh twice as much as it weighs normally.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23So, in case you were in any doubt
0:18:23 > 0:18:27aerodynamics make a huge difference to how any car behaves.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29But you wouldn't need to tell that to Manfred.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36To achieve the sophisticated aerodynamics of an F1 car
0:18:36 > 0:18:39you don't simply bolt on a few spoilers.
0:18:39 > 0:18:45Every single surface of the car is profiled
0:18:45 > 0:18:47to produce the sweetest combination
0:18:47 > 0:18:50of maximum downforce and minimum drag.
0:18:50 > 0:18:55The right answers are the difference between just finishing, and winning.
0:18:55 > 0:19:01According to most F1 engineers, Mike Gascoyne included.
0:19:01 > 0:19:06So, Mike, aerodynamics, we all know instinctively,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10you think make something pointy and it cuts through the air
0:19:10 > 0:19:14rather than like a barn door pushing it out of the way and that's...
0:19:14 > 0:19:15kind of it, isn't it?
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Well, no, because if you want to go in a straight line
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and go very quickly that's what you do.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24You make it very pointy, very sleek, so you have minimum drag.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28But unfortunately those cars won't go round a corner.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31If you want to go round a corner, you want to push down on the tyres,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35because the more you push down on the tyre, the more grip you will get,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37the quicker you will be able to go round a corner.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41The classic thing, if you look at the grid in a Formula One race
0:19:41 > 0:19:45and if you look at the car on pole and you're two seconds slower,
0:19:45 > 0:19:491.9 of that is aerodynamics, always.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53An F1 engineer's brief is pretty simple -
0:19:53 > 0:19:56shave seconds off a lap time.
0:19:56 > 0:20:02Usually the answer is also simple, boost power or shed weight.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05But there is another way - through driver psychology.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13Making a car faster means thinking the unthinkable,
0:20:13 > 0:20:17about what happens when things go sideways, literally.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Because a safe, confident driver is a faster driver.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23And thanks to a jet engine,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27F1 cars protect their precious cargo very well.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Race cars, by their very nature, go very fast.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39And if something goes wrong, it goes wrong very fast.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Amazingly, this driver also survived
0:20:46 > 0:20:50because safety is now so important in motorsport.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Formula 1 engineers have to tread the fine line
0:20:56 > 0:20:59between making their cars light enough to be competitive,
0:20:59 > 0:21:00but strong enough to be safe.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07This calls for material that is stiff, light and strong.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11A stiff, rigid car corners faster.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16It doesn't twist, so the wheels never leave the ground.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19A light car accelerates and brakes more quickly.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21And a strong car protects the driver.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25A nervous driver won't push the car to its limits.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30Finding stiff, strong, light material would be
0:21:30 > 0:21:33the Holy Grail for F1 engineers.
0:21:36 > 0:21:4040 years ago the aerospace wing of Rolls Royce
0:21:40 > 0:21:41went out to do just that.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45They started work with a revolutionary new material.
0:21:45 > 0:21:51They used it for high-speed fan blades in their new jet engine.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54These had to be very light and very strong.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Remind you of anything?
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Just like aviation engineers, Formula 1 car designers
0:22:03 > 0:22:08are always on the look out for lighter, stronger materials
0:22:08 > 0:22:11and the answer to their quest
0:22:11 > 0:22:12lies beyond these doors.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17Only, it's quite special stuff, hence the need to cover up.
0:22:24 > 0:22:30Perhaps not surprisingly, it doesn't exactly look or sound
0:22:30 > 0:22:33like an industrial revolution factory in here,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37it's all rather clean and neat and quiet,
0:22:37 > 0:22:38but what they're making
0:22:38 > 0:22:41is capable of putting up with some pretty rough treatment.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51So this is carbon fibre in its raw, floppy state.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55You really wouldn't think that was much use for making jet engine fans,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57or Formula 1 cars for that matter,
0:22:57 > 0:22:59and you'd be right, in this condition.
0:22:59 > 0:23:05It needs two extra elements before it's ready for the track,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07heat and pressure.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11Basically, you stick it in a big pressure cooker,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14a really big pressure cooker.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27That is quite an oven door.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36OK, so, select gas mark six and... wait.
0:23:41 > 0:23:47The material that emerges is lightweight, but incredibly tough.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Tough enough to make an F1 car.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56All carbon fibre starts its life as string.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59It can be woven into cloth
0:23:59 > 0:24:02or made straight into a high-stress component.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06These carbon fibre drive shafts
0:24:06 > 0:24:10are destined for very expensive road cars and Le Mans race cars.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18Manufacturers and racers need to know exactly how much stress
0:24:18 > 0:24:21a carbon fibre drive shaft can take.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24And this is the world of Chris Jones,
0:24:24 > 0:24:28a test engineer for a leading manufacturer.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30So, Chris, test engineer?
0:24:30 > 0:24:34I'm guessing that means you get to test things to destruction?
0:24:34 > 0:24:35Yeah, pretty much.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38That's where I think you can help me because I know carbon fibre
0:24:38 > 0:24:42is used in Formula 1 because it's light and because it's strong,
0:24:42 > 0:24:45but how light and strong compared to other materials?
0:24:45 > 0:24:46And that's where you can help me.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48We've got two prop shafts here.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51I don't know if you want to pick that up?
0:24:51 > 0:24:53So this is a steel prop shaft.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56This big lump of metal connects the engine to the wheels,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59- so all the power goes through this? - Along the car, yeah.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03Here we've got the carbon fibre equivalent of the same thing, so if you want to pick that up?
0:25:03 > 0:25:06It doesn't weigh anything at all.
0:25:06 > 0:25:12Obviously, if carbon fibre is as strong as the steel one,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16- it's a no-brainer because this is so much lighter.- You'd use this.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20- Exactly.- But can you tell me how much so? Can you show me how much?
0:25:20 > 0:25:22If this is as strong as that?
0:25:22 > 0:25:25- I think we can do that.- What I'm asking is can we break them?
0:25:25 > 0:25:28- We can give it a shot anyway. - Good. OK. Right.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30'This rig uses torque, twisting force,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33'to test materials until they break.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37'Sensors can judge exactly how much force
0:25:37 > 0:25:39'it coped with before snapping.'
0:25:39 > 0:25:42So when this is working at full tilt and at full power,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44how much torque can go through it?
0:25:44 > 0:25:478,000 newton metres we can put through with this rig.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51- It's really not the kind of device to catch your tie in.- Not at all.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57To put this in perspective, it requires around two newton metres
0:25:57 > 0:26:00of torque to drive a corkscrew into a wine cork.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04This rig can produce 8,000.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06That's a lot of plonk.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10So that piece of plastic and those glasses will protect us
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- from the forces being unleashed? - That's the plan anyway.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Good. OK. A bit further back, maybe?
0:26:15 > 0:26:19You should be OK there. OK, that's on its way up.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21You see the numbers are rising here.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25293. That's a lot of newton metres of torque. This is twisting force.
0:26:25 > 0:26:26If you look at this end here,
0:26:26 > 0:26:29you can see this end of the machine will be twisting around.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31It's yielding already, look.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34- That's yielding.- What's this showing us?- That's yield.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38It's about to fail, any second now it's about to snap.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41It's distorting now. You should be able to see it necking.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43'Necking. Yeah, I know what you are thinking,
0:26:43 > 0:26:47'but here it's when a material gets thinner in cross section.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50'It's an indication it's just about to fail.'
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Oh, there it goes, look, look!
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Oooh! It's gone.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57- I think we'll stop that there. - That's ruined.- I think it is.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00You have broken it. What did it make it to?
0:27:00 > 0:27:02That got it to 1,376 newton meters.
0:27:02 > 0:27:071,300 newton metres and it's now a corkscrew.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09It is.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13There you go, then.
0:27:13 > 0:27:18It certainly didn't spring back either. That is quite badly spoiled.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Well, now we know the limits for that one,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23let's see what the carbon fibre equivalent can take.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25OK, shall we get that one in?
0:27:26 > 0:27:30And straightaway that's a reminder how much lighter this thing is!
0:27:30 > 0:27:35'Lighter, but, in theory, much stronger.
0:27:35 > 0:27:42'And much more expensive. £2,500 for this shaft alone.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- It certainly looks better, doesn't it?- It does.
0:27:45 > 0:27:46Quite attractive, aren't they?
0:27:48 > 0:27:52I can't believe it'll have any strength compared with the steel one.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00OK, shall we see what we can do with this one?
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Right, so 1,376 is the target.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07If it can match that, it's matched the much heavier steel one.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09- Yes, that's right.- Pile it on.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11We're off.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16So, it's climbing. 640, 7,
0:28:16 > 0:28:208, it doesn't hang about this machine, does it? 9,
0:28:20 > 0:28:2310, 11, we're getting closer to where the steel went.
0:28:23 > 0:28:2613. Well, it's just gone straight past it.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30- And it's completely blitzed it! - There is no damage to the shaft.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32So this much, much lighter prop shaft
0:28:32 > 0:28:35has just gone completely howling past.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37What will it make it to, do you reckon?
0:28:37 > 0:28:39I'm hoping for four and a half.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Compared to 1,300 for the steel, and it weighs so much less.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47We're on the way to that. 4,2, 3, 4, 5, oh, we're past.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53- I was about to ask what happens when it goes! - That's what happens.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Now I know. I didn't jump. I didn't jump! So, it made it to?
0:28:56 > 0:29:02- It made it to 4,728 newton metres, compared to our...- 1,300.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05And it's so much stronger than the big, heavy steel one.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08And let's not forget it's just made of this stuff, isn't it?
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Which is threads. Basically, it's just...
0:29:10 > 0:29:15Expensive string, isn't it? That's it. Just that.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21Thanks to a jet engine, strong carbon fibre is perfect
0:29:21 > 0:29:26for making light, which means of course fast, cars.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30You make an F1 car the same way you make a dress,
0:29:30 > 0:29:32by following a pattern.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Every shape necessary for making
0:29:37 > 0:29:40all the component parts is precisely cut from carbon cloth...
0:29:42 > 0:29:49..including this, the monocoque, or single shell.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52It's the cockpit for the driver.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58This ultra-light shell is also the body of the car itself.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00There is no internal frame.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04There's no need because the carbon fibre is tough enough on its own.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08All that shields the driver is a skin of carbon.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15But that's not the only thing that needs careful protection
0:30:15 > 0:30:16on these sleek beasts.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25F1 cars run on pretty much the same fuel you and I get at the pumps.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30But petrol is petrol and it's highly flammable,
0:30:30 > 0:30:33that's the point of the stuff.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37In races, F1 cars must might carry all their fuel from the start.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43200-litres of petrol travelling at 200 miles an hour,
0:30:43 > 0:30:45that is quite a missile.
0:30:45 > 0:30:50The tank has to be tough or the driver could be toast.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56Strength usually has a weight penalty,
0:30:56 > 0:30:59but in the anorexic world of F1, that isn't an option.
0:30:59 > 0:31:06And, thanks to a bullet-proof vest, the cars stay safe, light and fast.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09For their solution, the F1 designers took a bit of a swerve.
0:31:09 > 0:31:14Rather than build strong, rigid fuel tanks to withstand impacts,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17they used something that works on principles closer
0:31:17 > 0:31:19to the way a car's suspension works. A bit of give.
0:31:19 > 0:31:24Down here I have a water bottle and a rubber gym ball,
0:31:24 > 0:31:26both with water in them.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28I'm going to drop them both off here, same height,
0:31:28 > 0:31:3115 metres, and then we will see the principle in action.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33The bottle first, I think.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36So, it's just up and over the edge, really.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38Here we go.
0:31:40 > 0:31:41Oh, dear.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45That didn't work.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48That would be bad in a fuel tank.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51And now the ball.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54Right.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58That's more like it.
0:32:00 > 0:32:05Now while our 15 metre drop may not have created F1 type speeds,
0:32:05 > 0:32:09it does a fairly good job of replicating the type of forces
0:32:09 > 0:32:13a fuel tank might experience during an impact.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18A lightweight, flexible material that bends
0:32:18 > 0:32:21and absorbs impact sounds ideal,
0:32:21 > 0:32:25but apparently it's tricky to make something flexible and strong.
0:32:28 > 0:32:33Professor Paul Hogg is a materials expert from Manchester University.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37Paul, all I've demonstrated there is, well, a solution.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Why don't they make Formula 1 tanks out of rubber?
0:32:39 > 0:32:42It's nice, it's conformable, it'll put up with of drop loading,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45but what happens if you've got something sharp
0:32:45 > 0:32:47that's going to puncture it?
0:32:47 > 0:32:50This material is actually quite weak.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54Most of the things that make materials flexible tend to make them weak.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58If you have something sharp that'll puncture that, you've got a problem.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02So, if it's sharp, pointy impact, something like, let's say, an arrow?
0:33:02 > 0:33:06- Like an arrow.- Good. Because over here master archer Steve Ralphs
0:33:06 > 0:33:09is going to fire a flaming arrow into this,
0:33:09 > 0:33:11which is going to be our fuel tank.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14It's another rubber ball full of fuel.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17I shall put it on the target, like so.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Steve?
0:33:19 > 0:33:23'Because our rubber ball has several litres of petrol in it, and we're
0:33:23 > 0:33:25'shooting it with a flaming arrow,
0:33:25 > 0:33:29'we thought it best if we had the local fire brigade on standby.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31'They have a lot of flaming
0:33:31 > 0:33:33'arrow related fires in Lancashire.'
0:33:37 > 0:33:38You reckon you can put a flaming arrow
0:33:38 > 0:33:41- in there from about here? - We can but try.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43If you watch Formula 1, you'll know this is
0:33:43 > 0:33:46the kind of thing that can happen in a racing situation.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51We are flaming.
0:34:03 > 0:34:08Yeah, and that is why they banned crossbows at racetracks.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12Whilst flaming arrows aren't usually an issue during a race,
0:34:12 > 0:34:15the 230 litre fuel tank in an F1 car
0:34:15 > 0:34:20sits in between a white hot engine and a vulnerable driver.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24Any spillage, and you can have a fireball.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Possibly overkill there.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46- That didn't work at all. - No.- The rubber is just not...
0:34:46 > 0:34:47It's flexible...
0:34:47 > 0:34:51It's not strong enough when you've got that point loading on it.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55Which could happen in an accident. Not an arrow, but a piece of metal could go in.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59How will we make something that is flexible enough and strong enough?
0:34:59 > 0:35:01We've got a bit of a problem there.
0:35:01 > 0:35:02I mean, we know things that make
0:35:02 > 0:35:05materials flexible tend to make them weak.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08And if you want to make something strong, it becomes very rigid.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11But we've got a trick we can use in materials,
0:35:11 > 0:35:14and we use this a lot, and that's by making things very thin.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18And if we make a very strong material into a fibre,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21it's very thin and it becomes very flexible. This is Kevlar.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25Its very strong material, it's actually a very stiff material,
0:35:25 > 0:35:29but in a fibre form you can see it's very flexible like that.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34Kevlar is so resistant to puncture
0:35:34 > 0:35:38it's become synonymous with bullet-proof vests and armour.
0:35:38 > 0:35:45It was originally invented in 1965 by chemist Stephanie Kwolek
0:35:45 > 0:35:48as a lightweight replacement for the steel bands in tyres.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55So this is very strong stuff made very thin,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58which means it's flexible. Brilliant.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01That material is about five to ten times as strong as steel.
0:36:01 > 0:36:06'Just like carbon cloth, this miracle fibre is stronger
0:36:06 > 0:36:11'than steel, between five and ten times stronger.'
0:36:11 > 0:36:16That's why they that can afford to make it so thin.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19So by making something like Kevlar thin,
0:36:19 > 0:36:23you can make it flexible and strong, but that won't hold fuel.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26- It'll fall out.- The first thing we've got to do,
0:36:26 > 0:36:28is turn that into some sort of fabric
0:36:28 > 0:36:30so that we can use the material to make a shape.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33But fabric isn't going to hold the fuel in, is it?
0:36:33 > 0:36:37So we've got to encase that in something which is still flexible.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39We combine that with the rubber.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42The rubber encases it and we get...
0:36:42 > 0:36:44And this is the real deal,
0:36:44 > 0:36:46This is an actual F1 tank. They've lent us this.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50It doesn't look much, but it's very, very clever and also very expensive.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Thousands of pounds to make one of these.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56And that's combining the properties of these two materials,
0:36:56 > 0:36:59so this is stiff and strong and it will hold
0:36:59 > 0:37:00the fuel without it running out.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03It's a rubber matrix reinforced with the Kevlar
0:37:03 > 0:37:06to give it the strength that you need.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Really we should test this with another flaming arrow.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10- I don't... We can't really...- No?
0:37:10 > 0:37:13No, there'd be shouting. It's very, very expensive.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15We've been lent it, we've got to give it back.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19However, I have devised something here that might do the job.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23'I have brought along the industrial cousin of the material
0:37:23 > 0:37:26'used in the F1 tank, rubberised Kevlar.'
0:37:26 > 0:37:27This is the stuff.
0:37:27 > 0:37:32So this is the Kevlar fibre inside making it strong,
0:37:32 > 0:37:34and this is the rubber in it.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36It's still flexible, but very, very strong,
0:37:36 > 0:37:40combining the properties of the two materials.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45Steve, have we got any more flaming arrows? I think we need another one.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Even though it visibly deforms the rubber,
0:38:09 > 0:38:11the arrow can't pierce the Kevlar.
0:38:11 > 0:38:17The bag is never punctured, the fuel never leaks and the driver is safe.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23It works! OK, it was an unusual set up,
0:38:23 > 0:38:25but the principles are exactly the same.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29Those two materials working together can be flexible and strong.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32Most importantly, my fuel is safe in that rubber ball
0:38:32 > 0:38:34because it's quite expensive.
0:38:34 > 0:38:38The flexibility of the tank has an added benefit.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41It can be squashed to fit a tight space.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45And I get to enjoy the spectacle of two highly trained engineers
0:38:45 > 0:38:49using talcum powder to help post the crushed tank
0:38:49 > 0:38:50through the slot in the frame.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55The integrity of a stiff, strong frame
0:38:55 > 0:38:59would be ruined if you cut a big whole in it for your fuel tank.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01If you need a hand at any time just ask me.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03For the more technical bits, obviously.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08So, there you have it. F1s dirty little secret, talcum powder.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12Easy!
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Thanks to combat proven body armour,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21F1 drivers know that the fuel just behind their head
0:39:21 > 0:39:23is going to stay in the right place.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33And the only punctures they have to worry about are in the tyres.
0:39:33 > 0:39:40Tyres in F1 are not designed to last the full race distance.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43They have to be changed at least once during a race.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46How long does it take you to change a tyre?
0:39:46 > 0:39:4815 minutes? 20?
0:39:48 > 0:39:52In the speed obsessed world of F1 that wouldn't fly.
0:39:52 > 0:39:58Formula 1 mechanics can change all four wheels in less than ten seconds.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00The key is having a pit stop crew
0:40:00 > 0:40:04drilled with military precision and the right tools.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06Instead of four or five fiddly bolts,
0:40:06 > 0:40:10F1 wheels have one massive centre-locking hub
0:40:10 > 0:40:14which can be spun off with an airgun in less than a second.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23Looking at, and listening to, an F1 car you might think that only
0:40:23 > 0:40:26serious rocket scientists and design engineer types
0:40:26 > 0:40:29have anything to do with actually making one.
0:40:29 > 0:40:34But we must not forget the vital role played by prehistoric blacksmiths.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Because the technique used to make this sword
0:40:37 > 0:40:40also helps an F1 car flash around the track.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44Things that go fast tend to get hot.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48F1 cars are no different.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51Some of the hottest and most stressed parts
0:40:51 > 0:40:53of an F1 car are the wheels.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56They can rotate 150,000 times in a race
0:40:56 > 0:41:02and encase brakes that can work at temperatures of 1,000 degrees Celsius.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Road cars use wheels made of steel,
0:41:07 > 0:41:10no good for F1, it's too heavy and too weak.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14So, what's the alternative?
0:41:14 > 0:41:17The material they use is this, magnesium,
0:41:17 > 0:41:19which has many useful properties
0:41:19 > 0:41:23It is also used in this that I have in my hands, which is,
0:41:23 > 0:41:27well, it's a fire-starting kit, Which is a worry!
0:41:32 > 0:41:34Just in case you didn't believe me
0:41:34 > 0:41:36about this particular property of magnesium,
0:41:36 > 0:41:41I thought it better to come away from the expensive F1 car to demonstrate.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43First scrape some magnesium off.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Next, hit it with a spark off here.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54One of those.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03Now, do you really want that in the wheels of your F1 car?
0:42:06 > 0:42:10In rare circumstances, such as when a puncture allows the wheel
0:42:10 > 0:42:12to scrape along the ground,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15magnesium rims can catch fire, with dramatic effects.
0:42:20 > 0:42:25So, why does anyone use magnesium to make wheels for racing cars?
0:42:26 > 0:42:30Same again, magnesium is strong and light.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34On F1 cars, lightweight strength wins over the small risk of fire,
0:42:34 > 0:42:36and it's one that's worth taking.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41Magnesium is up to the stresses of rapid acceleration,
0:42:41 > 0:42:44high-speed cornering and braking.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50But to make it even stronger,
0:42:50 > 0:42:55the F1 engineers borrowed an ancient technique for manipulating metal.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01If you want to shape metal you can just cast it,
0:43:01 > 0:43:03melt it and pour it into a mould,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06as modern smiths Mike Rosser and Craig Jones show me.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11It will still be extremely hot.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15I can't undo it, I'm not manly enough.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19Oh, it's a test! I can't undo that. Ow!
0:43:19 > 0:43:23All right, I'm not actually a blacksmith, clearly!
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Look at that! And that's what we just made.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29One mallet.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34There we go, I just made that mallet.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40It's not just simple things like hammers that can be made by casting.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44More ornate objects like my sword here.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46See, that's cast iron.
0:43:46 > 0:43:51Really quite delicate and quite clever, again, made by casting.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53Oh, Lord! I have dropped my sword!
0:43:55 > 0:43:57And, yeah, I think what I've done there
0:43:57 > 0:43:59is demonstrate perhaps a weakness.
0:43:59 > 0:44:05Some things are best made by processes other than casting.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09Fortunately, they can do that here, as well.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11Chaps, broke my sword.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15Yeah, fortunately for clumsy swordsmen and F1 wheels
0:44:15 > 0:44:20there is another process which leads to a far stronger end product.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23The ancient technique of forging.
0:44:23 > 0:44:24Hit it, basically?
0:44:24 > 0:44:27Hit it, basically. If we work on the edges.
0:44:28 > 0:44:34Forging is the shaping of metal using localised compressive forces.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37Or smacking lumps of metal repeatedly with a big hammer.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42So this is forging.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44- Yep.- Forging most metal aligns its internal grains,
0:44:44 > 0:44:47which makes it naturally strong.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51You need to put it back in the fire now and get some more heat into it.
0:44:53 > 0:44:57By contrast, in cast metal the grains are randomly distributed,
0:44:57 > 0:44:59creating points of potential weakness.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02Tell you what, while nobody's looking
0:45:02 > 0:45:06do you want to straighten it for me? Just straighten it up.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08Cut this bit out.
0:45:16 > 0:45:21After many, many back-breaking, arm-wrenching hours at the forge,
0:45:21 > 0:45:23my blood, sweat and tears pay off.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27Oh, yeah, that's just about perfect.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29I did that. All of that.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32Normally, it would take someone a long time to learn this.
0:45:32 > 0:45:36- Can you go and finish mine off? - I'll go and have a look.
0:45:36 > 0:45:37Yeah.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40'With a little gentle buffing from my glamorous assistant,
0:45:40 > 0:45:43'my sword reaches showroom condition.'
0:45:44 > 0:45:46Thank you very much.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49And straightaway, my forged sword
0:45:49 > 0:45:51already looks a lot better than my cast one.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54It's lighter. Is it stronger?
0:45:54 > 0:45:58Yeah, clearly that's a lot stronger than my cast one.
0:45:58 > 0:46:03That's why F1 teams use forged magnesium wheels.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05Forging is better than casting,
0:46:05 > 0:46:10and that's before we even consider the weight because this whole sword,
0:46:10 > 0:46:12the forged one, weighs less
0:46:12 > 0:46:17than just this shattered portion of my cast one.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20And the same is true for wheels.
0:46:20 > 0:46:25A forged wheel will be lighter and stronger than a cast one.
0:46:25 > 0:46:30F1 teams have armies of blacksmiths turning out wheels. Not really!
0:46:30 > 0:46:35The process is somewhat more industrialised.
0:46:35 > 0:46:41A semi-molten alloy is crushed into shape using a force of 9,000 tons.
0:46:41 > 0:46:46The grains are aligned and you are left with some incredibly strong wheels.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50Just pray you don't get a puncture.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55Everything about an F1 car is designed
0:46:55 > 0:46:58to get it from the gridline to the chequered flag
0:46:58 > 0:46:59as quickly as possible
0:46:59 > 0:47:03and it's spell binder for millions of people all around the globe.
0:47:03 > 0:47:07But a huge chunk of that racing doesn't take place out there
0:47:07 > 0:47:10on the track because the engineers compete constantly
0:47:10 > 0:47:12with incredible ferocity to gain
0:47:12 > 0:47:15just a few milliseconds' advantage over their competitors.
0:47:15 > 0:47:21And that means being on the very cutting edge of science and engineering,
0:47:21 > 0:47:25discovering technologies which end up far from the race circuit.
0:47:25 > 0:47:29Almost as far as Mars, in fact.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33Usually technology trickles down from space exploration.
0:47:33 > 0:47:38Formula 1 cars turned that on its head.
0:47:38 > 0:47:43Yes, the hi tech plastics that went into the Beagle 2 Mars lander
0:47:43 > 0:47:45came thanks to F1 cars.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53And at the risk of over stretching the metaphor,
0:47:53 > 0:47:55they are like butterflies, say.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59Even in death, considered objects of beauty and prized by collectors.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03And it is easy to be seduced by the stark,
0:48:03 > 0:48:07functional beauty of these things, by the depth of craftsmanship,
0:48:07 > 0:48:10but it is worth remembering that they owe their existence
0:48:10 > 0:48:12to some surprising engineering connections.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15The first truly accurate cannon...
0:48:16 > 0:48:20The very first wing...
0:48:20 > 0:48:22A jet engine...
0:48:22 > 0:48:24Any second now it's about to snap.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26There it goes, there! Look, look!
0:48:26 > 0:48:27Body armour...
0:48:29 > 0:48:31And a sword...
0:48:31 > 0:48:34I look menacing, I know. All right.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:48:53 > 0:48:55E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk