F1 exhibition launched

A new Formula 1 exhibition has been launched at the Science Museum in London. ‘Fast Forward: 20 ways F1 is changing the world’ illustrates how the sport’s manufacturers and researchers have made an impact on the world outside motor racing.

McLaren chairman Ron Dennis, who was at the exhibition launch in March, said: “Fast Forward is not merely a chance to reflect the past and future role of F1, but to inspire the next generation of Britons to embrace science, technology and engineering, and provide answers to the challenges of tomorrow”.

The exhibition includes a Gen3 leg brace, which uses hydraulic damper technology developed in F1 to help protect a person’s knees. The device has been tested on US marines, who can experience the same impact on their knees that you would get from jumping off a 2.5 metre wall every few seconds when they travel in high-speed inflatable boats.

Other exhibits include a Wellington boot that has exploited the grip of race-compound rubber, and an Ovei Wellbeing Capsule that can capture healthcare data of the person inside and send it to doctors worldwide.

And the exhibition explains how the Great Ormond Street Hospital contacted McLaren recently to ask how they could use its pitstop routine to help in transporting child patients around the hospital. Apparently a suitable system is already in place…

The exhibition is free and will run at the museum for at least 12 months.