Performance Engineering Resources: The Complete Guide

I have been involved with vehicle performance for around 10 years, first in Formula Student, and then in racing series such as IMSA, WEC, ELMS, and some involvement with F2, WRC, among others. In this article, I will give my personal recommendations for learning performance engineering and data analysis.

We will cover resources for:

• Vehicle dynamics
• Performance engineering
• Data analysis
• Vehicle setup
• Tire performance
• Driving tecniques

Pick your favorite subject and take a look at my recommendations! Curious to know yours as well.

For learning vehicle dynamics focused on race cars

Everything starts with... Vehicle Dynamics! This is my biggest strength as a performance engineer at the track: the capacity to UNDERSTAND what is going on with the car and what to expect from a change. To learn it a very effective way, read these books (in this order!):

• Tune to Win to get an intuitive understanding (along with basic equations) of vehicle dynamics and setup changes
• Race Car Design for a more technical (though still intuitive) approach to vehicle dynamics, and you can focus on the chapters related to the subject.
• Race Car Vehicle Dynamics by Milliken & Milliken for a more advanced perspective on vehicle dynamics, vehicle modeling, and race car design. As a performance engineer, you can skip some of the chapters of vehicle modeling the first time you read the book and go back to it when you have to model vehicle motion. Part 2 of the book focus on car design.

For learning performance engineering

Next up, let's learn what performance engineering really is.

• Watch the Performance Engineering Series I recorded with OptimumG: Suspension Design Series. I first explain what skills a good performance engineer must master, before explaining real techniques
• Check OptimumG 's Performance Engineering Seminars taught by Claude Rouelle : Calendar Student: Seminar Calendar
• Study the multiple technical articles at OptimumG’s website: Technical Papers

For learning data analysis:

Data analysis is ONE of the many techniques (though some people think it's the only/main one...) that we should master for doing proper performance engineering:

• Read Making Sense of Squiggly Lines for learning the basics of race car data analysis Making Sense of Squiggly Lines
• Read Analysis Techniques for Racecar Data Acquisition by Jorge Segers for a practical approach in data analysis techniques: Analysis Techniques for Racecar Data Acquisition
• Find real examples in these videos: Time Vs Distance Data Analysis |Professional Race Driver Vs Normal Driver | Go Faster With Data | Deep Data Analysis of 2 Drivers Best Laps

For learning vehicle setup

As a performance engineer, we will be responsible for vehicle performance, which is heavily influenced by vehicle setup:

• The first step is to know the fundamentals of vehicle dynamics (go back to the first recommendations!)
• Watch the Q&A I recorded with OptimumG regarding setup adjustment (extremely interesting): Q&A - Vehicle Setup
• Summary of adjusting springs, ARBs, and aero to change car balance: Adjusting Car Balance
• Summary of adjusting camber and toe: Adjusting Camber & Toe

For learning tire performance

As a performance engineer, we will be heavily involved with tire performance, being the most important component for car performance:

• Watch the Tire Performance Series I recorded with MegaRide - applied vehicle research , containing great knowledge regarding tire temperature and degradation: Tire Performance Series ft. MegaRide
• Study these resources from Samir Abid how to measure and interpret tire temperature data: What Should The Temperature Of Your Racing Car Tyres Be? | How To Measure Racing Car Tyre Temperatures | Guide To Interpreting Tyre Temperatures In Motorsports
• Also from Samir Abid , you should know how to set tire pressures (though I personally use absolute pressure in the equations - just add atmospheric pressure): How to set racecar tyre pressures | How to set your racing car tyre pressures perfectly (every time)

For learning driving technique:

Learn about... DRIVING! It is extremely important to understand driving technique in order to understand driver feedback, how his inputs will influence car balance, and how to better coach him.

• Read Ultimate Speed Secrets, where you will learn how more about driving, analyzing driver inputs, and how they will influence car behavior (Ultimate Speed Secrets)
• Watch the Performance Engineering Series I recorded with OptimumG: Suspension Design Series. Episodes 2 and 3 are focused on driving technique.

But how to ACTUALLY learn?

Practice, practice, practice!

The science about how to learn more effectively is very clear about this: you have to apply what you learn. This will make sure you deeply understand what you learned, and it makes your studies actually useful since you will have a tool at your disposal.

Do you want some examples applied to performance engineering?

• Studying data analysis? Create reports/case studies, such as: compare two drivers, read car balance from the steering profile, understand if balance issues come from driver inputs or not. Then share with performance engineers you know, they might be available to give you feedback!
• Studying setup change and driver feedback? Use driving simulators (Assetto Corsa, iRacing, etc.) to practice the changes. Collect feedback, then make big changes to feel it, and try to work with good sim racers.
• Studying the influence of springs and ARBs on vehicle setup? Create a setup analysis tool spreadsheet where you can compare how different setups affect lateral load transfer distribution.
• Studying race strategy? Join online endurance races with good drivers, and take care of the strategy.
• Studying damping? Create a tool that calculates damping ratio for a given damper curve and vehicle properties.

I am genuinely curious to learn about the most effective performance engineering resources you found in your journey. Let me know!