Formula 1 has long established itself as the pinnacle of automotive technology. F1 cars are real “laboratories on wheels” where innovative solutions are tested during each Grand Prix. On the other hand, the aerospace and rocketry industries place equally high demands on technology – strength, lightness, reliability and efficiency are critical in launching rockets and spacecraft. It is not surprising that motorsports and rocketry have a close relationship. Many technologies developed in the harsh conditions of Formula 1 racing are used in the design of rockets and spacecraft, and vice versa, some aerospace solutions help F1 teams reach new heights.
In this article, we will examine how aerodynamics and flow modeling, advanced cooling systems, telemetry and control systems, and energy recovery systems (ERS), which were developed on the Formula 1 circuit, are benefiting rocketry today.
Aerodynamics and flow modeling: from a car to a hypersonic vehicle
Aerodynamics is a key success factor in both car racing and rocketry. In Formula 1, engineers spend thousands of hours improving the car’s streamlining: to make the car “magnetize” to the track due to downforce, but simultaneously have minimal air resistance on straight stretches. This experience is invaluable for rocket and spacecraft designers, as the rocket during launch and the vehicle during reentry face enormous aerodynamic loads. The aerospace giants themselves show considerable interest in cooperation. Back in 2004, Boeing signed a memorandum with the Renault F1 team on joint research and technology exchange. Boeing noted that there are interesting similarities between the technologies required to develop Formula 1 cars and aerospace products. Renault F1 also emphasized that this partnership will allow to use the natural synergies between motorsport and the aerospace industry.
One of the areas of exchange is Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), a computer modeling of flows. In Formula 1 CFD simulations allow you to virtually “blow” a car with air, looking for the optimal shape of spoilers and diffusers. The same modeling methods are suitable for analyzing the flow of a rocket or hypersonic aircraft at speeds of 5-10 Mach. Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the engineering division of Red Bull Racing, is known for applying its aerodynamic expertise far beyond the track. For example, Red Bull specialists were involved in projects to create high-speed aircraft (the Red Bull Air Race program): they completely redesigned the aerodynamic package of racing planes, making them faster and more maneuverable. Although those planes flew “only” at subsonic speeds, Red Bull’s developments can be useful in hypersonic aircraft projects. It’s no coincidence that Red Bull’s lead designer, Adrian Newey, was once invited to the United States to join the design of a spacecraft. Newey eventually stayed in motorsports, but the very fact of such an offer emphasizes how highly valued F1’s expertise is in the space industry.
Most Formula 1 teams have their high-tech aerodynamic laboratories that are willing to provide services to third-party clients. A striking example is the wind tunnel of the Swiss Sauber team (now Alfa Romeo F1 Team). This tunnel is used not only for cars, but also for testing cars, trains, and even rockets! Models of rockets were tested in the Sauber wind tunnel (for example, students launched a model with the Swiss Space Center logo) – the photo below shows a large-scale rocket in the Sauber wind tunnel.
As a result, the knowledge of airflow management gained on the track helps to build more streamlined and stable rockets. And joint projects between F1 teams and aerospace corporations are accelerating the emergence of new solutions, from optimized rocket nose fairings to efficient airflow control systems around hypersonic aircraft. The symbiosis of these industries is already bearing fruit, and the potential for further achievements is even greater.
Leading cooling systems: keeping cool minds up to speed
On a high-speed lap, a Formula 1 car experiences enormous heat loads: an internal combustion engine operating at its limits, a hybrid system with batteries and electric motors, and brakes all generate a lot of heat. If this heat is not effectively dissipated, the car will quickly lose performance or break down altogether. F1 engineers have developed extremely compact and efficient cooling systems: radiators with complex shapes, heat exchangers with thin channels, and controlled air flows that cool the brakes and power plant. In space technology, the problem of cooling is no less acute. There are electronics inside satellites and ships that have to dissipate heat in a vacuum (where there is no air for a conventional radiator), and rocket engines heat up to several thousand degrees during operation, which has to be cooled to prevent them from melting. Therefore, efficient heat transfer technologies are of common interest to motorsports and rocketry.
Cooperation between industries sometimes takes on the most unexpected forms. An interesting case is that rocket technology helped the Formula 1 team make a breakthrough in car cooling, which means that similar solutions can work the other way around. The British company Reaction Engines is developing the revolutionary SABRE rocket engine for hypersonic aircraft and spacecraft. One of its know-how is a super-powerful pre-cooler that can cool hot air (about 1000°C) to an acceptable temperature in a fraction of a second. This device was created for a rocket that would fly at five times the speed of sound, but it turned out that it is also perfect for… a Formula 1 car! Mercedes team engineers used Reaction Engines technology to develop a compact water intercooler based on a rocket precooler. As a result, Mercedes received ultra-thin radiator boxes on the 2022 car, which caused a sensation in the paddock.
This example demonstrates that extreme cooling solutions can be universal. Let’s imagine the opposite situation: now the developments of Formula 1 in cooling can find their way into space. For example, efficient micro-heatsinks and heat pipes designed to fit into the tight confines of a race car can be used in small satellites where every gram and cubic centimeter counts. The ability of F1-radiators to dissipate a lot of heat in a minimal area is exactly what is needed on board a spacecraft. Moreover, the materials used for cooling in Formula 1 (alloys with high thermal conductivity, composites) are perfectly suitable for operation in vacuum and cosmic radiation.
Another area is fuel cooling. In Formula 1 cars, fuel not only burns in the engine but is also used for cooling: it is passed through heat-loaded components to remove excess heat. A similar principle has long been used in rocket engines (the so-called regenerative cooling: fuel circulates through a jacket around the combustion chamber before combustion, cooling the walls). The experience of motorsports in creating reliable pipelines, pumps, and heat exchangers will be useful in designing modern rocket engines, especially reusable ones that must operate in a wide range of modes.
So, the synergy in the field of thermal management is obvious. Formula 1 knows how to “tame” high temperatures in a compact space, and space technology needs this very skill. Joint developments, such as experimental electronics cooling systems created with the participation of F1 engineers, can improve the reliability of spacecraft. Shortly, we may well see elements of race car cooling systems on satellites or rovers, which will guarantee their performance in the most difficult conditions.
Telemetry and control systems: online communication between the car and the spacecraft
Imagine a car racing down the track at 300 km/h, and dozens of engineers in the pits monitoring hundreds of parameters in real time – speed, tire temperature, oil pressure, fuel consumption, battery status, suspension loads, etc. This telemetry is the nervous system of modern Formula 1. Each car is equipped with about 300 sensors that continuously transmit data to the pit lane via a wireless network. In the team’s pits, there is a center with monitors that looks like a small Mission Control. The collected data is analyzed not only on the track, but is also instantly sent through secure channels to the team’s headquarters (often on the other side of the world), where hundreds more engineers help make decisions online. This complex system is made possible by the development of electronics and software in Formula 1. McLaren Applied Technologies has developed a standardized on-board computer (ECU) and ATLAS software system, which are used by all teams to collect and analyze telemetry. The reliability of these systems is exceptional, as a telemetry failure during a race can cost a victory.
In the space industry, the challenges are very similar: a rocket or spacecraft is also packed with sensors and constantly transmits information to Earth. F1’s sophisticated telemetry has become, in fact, the prototype of a digital bridge that is now used everywhere – “the digital revolution with telemetry, control, and analytics has influenced not only Formula 1 but modern engineering in general”, observers say. An example is the monitoring systems developed for motorsports that have migrated to aviation and space. For example, high-speed wireless data networks honed on the tracks are now being used in air-to-ground communications: to exchange information with airplanes or even reusable rocket stages in real time. Modern launch vehicles transmit terabytes of information about engine status, trajectory, vibrations, and fuel consumption during flight, much like a car shares telemetry with its team. Similar to racing, where engineers instantly respond to problems (for example, changes in tire pressure) and advise the pilot, space flight controllers can make critical decisions (course correction, engine reconfiguration, etc.) using telemetry.
There are also real cases of cooperation. For example, McLaren Applied supplies not only ECUs for F1 – its electronic systems have found their way into other racing series (NASCAR, IndyCar) and even aviation. Together with partners, the company has been developing ultra-fast wireless data transmission systems that can be adapted for aircraft. Another area is big data analysis: algorithms created to process car telemetry (where several gigabytes of data are accumulated during the initial stroke) are used to analyze data from rocket engine tests or space mission simulations. It is known that NASA uses its own TDRSS satellite network to relay telemetry from rockets and shuttles to ground centers. But in the ground segment – in particular, in software – spacemen can borrow solutions from F1. It is not without reason that in NASA’s mission control center you can see similar walls of monitors and the division into groups (engines, navigation, life support systems) – just as in the pit lane, each engineer is responsible for his or her part of the car.
An interesting parallel example is human health monitoring. In racing, the pilot’s vital signs are increasingly monitored: heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and stress level. In space, astronauts have been wearing sensors that transmit medical data to Earth since the Apollo missions. Today, the technology has become much more advanced: miniature sensors, wireless communication, analytics – and again, developments in racing (for example, biometric gloves for drivers) go hand in hand with developments for astronauts. Cooperation between McLaren Applied and NASA in this area is quite likely, as McLaren has experience in wearable sensors for athletes. Perhaps in the future, astronauts’ spacesuits will be equipped with systems that were partially born during the race – so that doctors on Earth can assess a person’s condition in real time, just like an F1 doctor, in extreme conditions.
Thus, the telemetry and control systems of Formula 1 paved the way for a new level of control over machinery. They have shown that even at a distance of thousands of kilometers, it is possible to receive a reliable flow of information and quickly manage complex systems. For space, this means increased safety and flexibility in flight control.
ERS (Energy Recovery System): braking energy for the benefit of space
Ten years ago, Formula 1 cars lost enormous kinetic energy during braking – it simply turned into heat in the brake discs. Today, a modern car is equipped with an energy recovery system (ERS) that collects this “loss” and converts it into additional power. During deceleration, the electric motor-generator works like a dynamo, charging the high-voltage battery, and during acceleration, it transfers energy back to the wheels. Such hybrid systems have made the cars incredibly efficient: the current F1 engine has a record thermal efficiency of more than 50% – largely thanks to ERS. Recovery technology (also known as KERS – Kinetic Energy Recovery System) was first massively tested in Formula 1, and now it has become the basis for all hybrid and electric cars. But where is space in this? It turns out that similar principles are also applied beyond the Earth.
First, it is battery technology. Formula 1, in its pursuit of every tenth of a second, has stimulated the development of high-capacity batteries that can charge and deliver energy very quickly. Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) has become known as a pioneer in this field: it was the exclusive supplier of batteries for the Formula E electric car championship in 2014-2018, creating batteries that can withstand extreme loads. Now WAE is bringing this experience to the aerospace industry. In 2017, Williams agreed with Airbus to collaborate on the Zephyr project, an unmanned solar-powered pseudo-satellite. Zephyr is a lightweight solar-powered airplane that flies in the stratosphere for months, performing satellite functions (surveillance, communication). The key to its success is ultra-lightweight and high-capacity batteries that accumulate solar energy during the day and power the vehicle at night. Williams has something to share here: their experience in creating lightweight composites and efficient batteries is directly used in the Zephyr program. An Airbus representative said that the company admires Williams’ technical expertise in electrification and lightweight structures and is happy to learn from the F1 world. Technologies from the race cars now help the aircraft to operate continuously at an altitude of 20 km for several months.
Another interesting project of WAE is its cooperation with Oxford Space Systems (OSS), a British startup that develops folding structures for nanosatellites. Nanosatellites are very small spacecraft, requiring ultralight antennas and booms that fold compactly during launch and unfold in orbit. Williams Advanced Engineering is involved in creating new generations of such lightweight folding trusses and antennas. The task is not easy: to ensure rigidity and reliability with minimal weight and volume. But for Formula 1 engineers, such challenges are commonplace: every part in a car is optimized for weight and size, and the same principles can be applied to space structures. Williams reports that it is working on this ambitious space project using the best practices from its plant in Oxfordshire, and emphasizes that such tasks are the daily bread for Formula 1 engineers. Successes in this area will be further proof that motor sports is capable of taking technology into space-literally and figuratively.
Mechanical energy storage systems are also worth mentioning. Before the advent of giant batteries, some F1 teams (such as Williams) experimented with flywheels for KERS – rotating rotors that store braking energy. This idea did not catch on in cars, but it has found application in transportation (buses, trams) and is potentially interesting for space. Satellites and space stations have long used flywheels (reaction wheels) for orientation; they can be combined with energy storage to serve as a kind of “space KERS”. For example, during the illuminated phase of the orbit, electricity can be used to spin the flywheel, and in the shade, the flywheel is braked and electricity is generated. Such systems can potentially provide longer-term energy storage without chemical batteries. Although this is still more of a concept, it is based on the same principles that have been tested in Formula 1.
Thus, in the field of ERS and energy storage, we are witnessing a powerful technology transfer from the racetrack to the spaceport. Hybrid systems have made race cars more efficient and environmentally friendly, and they are helping to create “green” satellites and solar-powered aircraft. Lightweight batteries and supercapacitors, energy management systems honed in racing – all of this contributes to making space missions longer, vehicles lighter, and energy use more efficient. And in the future, when humanity flies to Mars or returns to the Moon with new missions, there is every chance that their power systems will be powered by an “electric heart” created with the lessons of Formula 1 in mind.
A common course for innovation
The examples above clearly demonstrate the cross-fertilization of Formula 1 and the aerospace industry. Top-level motorsports accelerate the technology development cycle: the season lasts less than a year, and during this time, teams introduce dozens of technical updates. This frantic pace and culture of engineering innovation is being transferred to the aerospace industry, where projects have traditionally taken years to complete. Today, in the era of space commercialization and the emergence of private space companies, F1’s speed and flexibility are more useful than ever. SpaceX, for example, is famous for manufacturing and testing rocket prototypes in a very short time frame, an approach similar to F1’s methods, where the hypothesis is tested by “battle” at the next Grand Prix and improved for the next stage.
Cooperation between F1 and the aerospace sector has great prospects. First, new materials: the cars use super-strong yet lightweight composites (carbon fiber, Kevlar) and heat-resistant alloys that can serve as the basis for the hulls of spacecraft and next-generation rocket engines. Secondly, artificial intelligence and optimization: F1 teams are actively implementing AI to analyze data and find optimal solutions (from race strategy to part design) – similar approaches will help in the optimal planning of space missions, management of satellite constellations, and processing of large amounts of scientific data from space. Third, security systems: Formula 1 has done a lot to protect drivers (advanced helmets, fireproof materials, the Halo system for cockpit protection). These technologies can be adapted for the safety of astronauts, from heat-protective suits to spacecraft designs that dampen impact during landing (similar to the F1 chassis deformation zone).
The environmental aspect is also worth mentioning. Modern Formula 1 has set a course for sustainable development: starting in 2026, it is planned to use synthetic environmentally friendly fuel, and the share of electricity in the power plants of the cars is already significant. The space industry is also looking for ways to reduce its harmful impact: green rocket fuels, electric rocket engines, and reusable stages are being developed. By joining forces, the two industries can accelerate the emergence of breakthrough solutions, such as energy recovery systems for landing modules (to charge batteries during reentry braking, like ERS) or new cooling coatings that will reduce fuel consumption in both rocket races and launches. Scientific and technological progress is a team race where the speed of implementation and reliability of solutions are important. Formula 1 and rocketry, although they seem to be distant fields, are playing on the same team, sharing experience to achieve new frontiers. As one of the Renault F1 executives summarized after the deal with Boeing, Formula 1 is the perfect testing ground for leading technologies, and we are excited to work with Boeing to break new ground by leveraging the natural synergy between motorsports and aerospace. In the coming years, we can expect even more intersections: from F1 engineers participating in the design of lunar bases to the use of space AI systems in racing. The line between the highway and space is becoming increasingly transparent, and this cooperation promises to benefit us all. After all, the technologies born from this collaboration make transportation more efficient, flying safer, and our lives more comfortable. Together, Formula 1 and space are paving the way for a future where speed and stars go hand in hand.
