Mechanical inerters, comprising a rotating mass on a ball screw, first appeared in Formula 1 in 2005, and for some time McLaren had a monopoly on the technology, thanks to a smart commercial agreement with the original inventor of the device, Professor Malcom Smith at the University of Cambridge.
The team managed to keep a lid on its new tuning device for some time, referring to it as J-dampers, the J standing for jounce (a combination of jolt and bounce). It even came up with a name for units of inertance, zogs.
From the very start of their development for racing, in 2003, Penske Racing Shocks was involved with inerters, but could not use any of their knowledge in the public domain until 2008, when the company entered into a commercial agreement with Cambridge as McLaren’s exclusive deal lapsed.
Since then, inerters have become commonplace on cars in the series and have been subject to extensive development, with a number of different variations on the theme now used. And from its single-seater roots, the device has found favour in many other areas of motorsport, too.
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