TECH TUESDAY: From best innovation to biggest development – dissecting the standout F1 tech of 2023

It was another Formula 1 campaign packed full of intriguing technical developments in 2023, with some teams leaping up the order, others making huge mid-season steps and one area standing out above the rest in terms of innovation. F1 Technical Expert Mark Hughes is here – aided by Giorgio Piola’s detailed drawings – to run you through it all…

Best innovation

Brake caliper technology

Brake caliper technology continues to advance, as one of the few areas where extensive design freedom still exists within the regulations. Ever-more detailed study of the temperature flows around the front brakes in CFD (computational flow dynamics) has paved the way for incredibly intricate forming of the aluminium-lithium alloy calipers, which are machined from solid.