Rallies World Cup in Canary Islands: Data Engineering tested

The Canary Islands rally, which will take place this week, is one of Three new events will be included in the FIA ​​World Rally Championship calendar in 2025presenting an unmistakable challenge that teams must overcome.

New rallies often balance the competition, as participants cannot support past experiences to gain advantage.

Unlike rallies in Paraguay and Saudi Arabia, held later this year, the Canary Islands Rally is not entirely unknownBecause it became part of FIA’s European Rally Championship. However, few WRC pilots and teams competed with 18 special asphalt performance this week.

Hyundai Motorsport. The Preparing for the Canary Islands rally They started almost a year ago. Hyundai sent an engineer to the ERC edition of last year to Perform stages of inspection and familiar with land conditions. According to Gerard Jan de Jonghh, Hyundai’s chief engineer for the WRC, it allows the team to “start putting a general -decision” and understand the challenges they will face.

To facilitate preparation, WRC teams will receive GPS data files from Rally Organizer, which They will include a video aboard a car traveling in stages at speed Non -Competitive. This information, along with one collected during the visit of Previous rally engineerIt helps the team to determine the characteristics of the stages.

“When we receive GPS files from stages, we conduct major simulations,” Jonghh explained. “We are allowed to get Information about energy that can be sent to wheels and brakesThat helps us identify if any critical system can be uploaded before reaching the event. So, we can adjust the brake cooling and other aspects of the car before the test. Carrying

Jonghh points out that, even though simulations are simple, they often provide important information that relates to reality. Compared to Formula 1, in which great sums are invested in simulations, the rally presents a more complex complexity, as the Competitors must adapt to approximately 150 kilometers of unique sections under different conditions.

“Rally simulations are more complicated, as F1 works Circuits of about four kilometersAs we face different lands, ”De Jonghh said.

The equipment conducts simulations to get information about new stages, though they don’t have the same budget as in F1. “We don’t have a cost limit like F1, but we also don’t have unlimited resources. We do what we can Get Visible -Promote Information on stage”, He added.

Once the simulations are completed, engineers review the data, which can lead to updates on car components before the rally, as happened in the Hyundai case. “We are working hard in preparation for the Canary Islands, Especially in the cooling of the brake“, Explained Jonghh.” Designers and mechanics are conquered, as we use a different chassis for this rally, indicating a completely new construction that usually lasts about 10 days. “

All learned was conducted on a trial before the event, Since Manufacturers’ teams have 21 -day test limitations per season. The next task is to choose a track in Europe that mimic rally conditions. This test is important for preparation.

Test days are limited, so every opportunity is counted. During the trial, further questions derived from simulations were addressed and working on car settings next to the pilots. Information about wearing tires and tears is also collected and compared to the data of simulations to identify possible problemss.

The test team is basic and usually the one who makes the most effort. “In the days of limited trial, each of them must be done to make the most of. They are an important part of preparation,” Jonghh said.

When it comes to a new event, it is necessary to be prepared to improvise and be more flexible than a well -known rally. During the event, Engineers carry out the stages of recognition to get more information from the technical point of view.

Then, they work with the necessary responses after the shakedown and check if there are missed questions before the event, or if adjustments are required based on conditions or novels followed. “If you have to work hard in shakedown, it’s a sign that you’re not in the best way. It’s hard to make specific adjustments at that time,”