Competition Drives Innovation

As seen at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix

The second weekend in May this year will see the 14th Monaco Historic Grand Prix. This wonderful event takes place every two years and is held two weeks prior to the modern Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The two events could hardly be more different in style and atmosphere. The modern event is as much about money and access as motor-racing. The historic event, in contrast, overwhelmingly attracts genuine enthusiasts who thrill to the sights and sounds of cars from the 1920’s to the 1980’s.

One of the most engaging aspects of the Historic Grand Prix is seeing cars from each decade racing in succession: 1920’s Bugattis and Mercedes Benz; 1930’s Maseratis and Aston Martins; 1940’s Talbot-Lagos; 1950’s Ferraris and Cooper Bristols; 1960’s Lotus and Brabhams; 1970’s Tyrrells and Marches; 1980’s Williams and McLarens.

In every era, these cars were the very best racing machines in the world; engineered to extremes using the latest materials and the most up-to-date knowledge of aerodynamics, power and handling. Each decade saw incremental innovations in the design of the cars and this evolution is palpably evident as the succession of cars roar into Casino Square.

Motor racing has been around as long as the automobile. The first races were staged in the 1890’s and the first Grand Prix was held at Le Mans in 1906. The sport really got going in the 1920’s, after the First World War, with the emergence of cars designed specifically for Grand Prix racing. Many of these early Grand Prix cars were of revolutionary design, like Karl Benz’s aerodynamic “Teardrop” racing car which appeared at Monza in 1923.

The cars, and the regulations that governed their design continued to develop through the 1920’s and 1930’s culminating in the famed Mercedes Silver Arrows. These sleek machines were a masterclass in incremental innovation and engineering excellence, marrying established technology with revolutionary chassis and suspension design and innovative two-stage supercharging. They dominated Grand Prix racing from 1934 to 1939.

When Grand Prix racing re-started after the Second World War the innovation continued. The 1950’s saw Mercedes develop direct fuel injection and the British team Connaught introduce disc brakes. In 1955 Jack Brabham appeared at Aintree in a Cooper with the engine, a 2 litre Bristol, mounted behind him. In 1962 Lotus introduced the Lotus 25 with a fully stressed monocoque chassis; the car which gave Jim Clark his 1963 World Championship title.

This relentless drive for competitive advantage continued through the 70’s and 80’s. In 1977 Renault introduced the first turbocharged engine to Formula 1, ushering in the “turbo-era”, the latest cars represented in the Monaco Historic. In 1982 Lotus pioneered active suspension technology and every year since has seen further evolution and an ever-growing list of technological firsts, many of which have crossed over into our road cars: sequential gearboxes, advanced tyre technology, aerodynamics, kinetic energy recovery and, of course, a great many safety-related innovations.

There is no great mystery about what has driven this innovation or indeed about what continues to drive it today. It’s competition and the results are impressive.

To compare the current Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull Formula 1 cars with a 1926 Bugatti 39A is to see an almost inconceivable gap. That this could be bridged simply by incremental improvements and innovations within the context of a single sport is quite astonishing.

So, if you’re grappling with the question of whether incremental innovation can deliver real change, look no further. The answer is yes, it can, especially when driven by competition and fuelled with passion.

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