It is one of the first steps a driver should always take when joining a new Formula 1 team: design your seat in the car. One of the first and most important. The comfort of the pilot is essential to find his best performance behind the wheel. Fernando Alonso He has already made his seat at Aston Martin, his new team starting this season.
The team has published on their website all the steps to create the “perfect seat”. A total of seven, all of them accompanied by images of the Asturian and his teammate, Lance Stroll.
The first and fundamental one is that the pilot sits with the overalls and boots ons. It can be directly on the chassis of the car or on a model. The second, that the pilot feels comfortable. That is, reproduce the usual movements when he competes in a race or in training.
Once the pilot has made all these movements, the team creates a mold that is made through a 3D image. It is a first prototype of what that seat will be like. And on that mold the seat of carbon fiberalready with openings for seat belts.
With the seat manufactured, the remaining small modifications are carried out. It is the case of the height at which the pedals and steering wheel are located. The teams can use a padding so that their driver adapts perfectly to the measurements required by the FIA for placement.
For the seventh and last step, the most important thing is for the driver to test that seat on the track, already driving his car. It will be there when he does the last one ‘feedback’ so that the team knows if it is 100% adapted.
These are all the steps to creating the “perfect seat”, officially published by Aston Martin.
Are you sitting comfortably?
no two #F1 drivers are the same, and neither are their seats. For a driver to feel at one with the car, perfecting the seat fit is essential.
Tap below to find out how.
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) January 30, 2023
