Welcome back to the Tech Heads F1 Podcast. This week we are joined by IndyCar driver, STEM advocate, and all around interesting character, JR Hildebrand. JR has driven everything under the sun from IndyCars to F1 cars, competitive drift machines, Pike's Peak cars, rally cars, and even land speed record machines at the Bonneville Salt Flats. JR is the host of The Race IndyCar Podcast, and adjunct lecturer at Stanford University, and an advocate for STEM education using motorsports as a way to teach students about engineering and science. Based on years of first hand experience, JR gives unique insights into aerodynamic development in spec racing series and what it takes to drive a race car at 240 mph. He also gives his thoughts on the dramatic qualifying from the Miami GP and what F1 can learn from IndyCar (and vice versa). We think this was a great episode, we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed recording it!
Time Codes:
(00:00) Intro
(01:37) Welcome JR and Motorsport Background
(03:54) JR's Force India Test
(08:34) Miami GP Qualifying Reaction
(11:29) Driver-to-Driver: Absolute Commitment
(19:38) Most Memorable Racing Experience? (Pike's Peak & Bonneville)
(27:47) Biggest Misconceptions About Non-F1 Racing Series
(35:29) Philosophy of Motorsport (Designing Regulations)
(39:55) Adopting IndyCar Compound Rules in F1
(46:35) P2P vs DRS & Red Flag Rules
(51:08) The Shadow Development Wars
(58:31) Aero Development In Spec Series
(01:03:06) Wall Proximity Aerodynamics
(01:07:16) The Four Corners of IMS Are Not Identical
(01:10:12) Aero Preview of the Indy500 (New Parts for 2023)
