Any energy management strategy must take into account not just the technical limits of how much energy you have to use, but also those imposed by the sporting regulations of a given series
Racing has always been about energy management, but in recent years it has become a sporting focal point of many series, not to mention a useful marketing hook in these environmentally conscious times. Whether it is Formula 1, Formula E or the WRC, understanding energy flows within a racecar are critical to success.
Ruaraidh McDonald-Walker’s career has spanned the who’s who of the cutting-edge powertrain development world, starting out at Cosworth before stints at Integral Powertrain (now Helix), then as development lead on KERS and ERS development at what is currently Mercedes AMG HPP, before joining McLaren as principal powertrain engineer. These days his role is technical director at McLaren Applied, the specialist electronics and software company that, until last year, was part of McLaren Group, but which has since been sold to Grey Bull Capital.
With experience across both Formula 1 and Formula E, as well as a host of other series, he is ideally placed to comment on how energy management dictates modern racecar performance.
Know your limits
Energy management in motorsport used to mean just one thing, fuel.
‘If you go right back to the 1980s, with fuel injection and turbochargers, then it was as simple as consumption over distance,’ says McDonald-Walker. ‘You project a
