Schipol SC02
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| Category | Gran-Prix One |
|---|---|
| Constructor | Schipol Group |
| Designer(s) | Hansield Landdown - Chief Engineer
David Fillen - Technical Director Sean Longfield - Head Aerodynamicist Ernst Grancello - Lead Engineer (Materials and Structures) Scott Flagon - Lead Engineer (Mechanical Systems) |
| Predecessor | SC01 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Chassis | SC02-2 |
| Suspension | Carbon fibre double wishbone, pushrod-activated inboard torsion springs, rockers and damper units |
| Length | 5,500 mm (217 in) |
| Width | 2,000 mm (79 in) |
| Height | 970 mm (38 in) |
| Wheelbase | 3,600 mm (142 in) |
| Engine | Renehan 1.6L direct injection, turbocharged V6 limited to 15,000 rpm Mid-mounted, rear wheel drive layout |
| Battery | Lithium ion battery |
| Weight | 789 kg (1,739 lb) |
| Brakes | Carbon Ventilated Discs with hydraulic 'Brake by wire' system. |
| Competition history | |
| Competition | Gran-Prix One |
| Notable entrants | Schipol Motorsports |
| Notable drivers | Maddox Chance Sebastian Chlebowski |
The SC02 is a development of the SC01 made for the 2023/24 Season of Gran-Prix One by the Schipol Group. Powering the car is a 1.6 Litre six cylinder engine configured in a standard 'V' format, with a turbocharger and an electric energy recovery system, making the car a hybrid.
Contents
Design and Development
The car is widely the same as the SC01 from the year before, with slight alterations to the front wing to improve the disruption of airflow round the nose of the car. Other more major changes are clearly visible throughout the sidepods and rear end of the car, switching the air intake structure to a more conforming 'P' shape, and reducing the curve off of the outer edge of the intakes, allowing more cut-in and airflow underneath the whole assembly. The rear wing is almost identical, with the only changes being refinements on the DRS flaps aerofoil profile.
Livery
During development the decision was made to save on weight by cutting down the amount of paint used on the car, and leave alot of sections with only a matte black protective coat, with areas of red to break the large blocks of colour up. This was not taken well by fans, who expressed their disappointment via social media.
After initial disappointment with the livery upon launch due to the bland nature, the team decided to completely redesign it from scratch. They replaced the red accents with a bright green colour, and got rid of the black in favour of a bare carbon fibre look. This bold colour scheme was commented on in an article written by George Cleaverman, a well known Jackian content creator - "The [new] livery makes the car stand out, and obviously they aren't exactly the fastest team on the grid, but in my opinion the cars look really good". The new livery received massive general support, with fans and team members expressing how it was a massive step up from the previous one.
Season summary
Launch
The car was unveiled on the 14th of February 2024 at the Rundkurs Buchthafen circuit in Kivu during a live event on the team's TuVu account. The car sported a bare black livery, with accents of the title sponsor Schipol's primary red colour. The main event was a lot of controversy and discourse that started about the initial livery on social media, as people were unhappy with the bland, monotonal appearance of the car. Maddox Chance completed the 15km viewing drive, which was followed a few weeks later by a 200km initial test drive at the Northern Lakes Circuit in Jackson.
Pre-season testing
The first testing session commenced on the 28th of February with Maddox Chance setting the 7th fastest lap around the Northern Lakes Circuit, a very good result for team. This trend continued through to the afternoon session, where Chance maintained his position on the leaderboard, setting a one minute twelve second lap, a record for the team at the time. He told the reporters he was "Happy to be in the car again, and the team have put a lot of work into the development this season and our lap times definitely show as much".
On day 2 Sebastian Chlebowski drove the car over a hundred laps of the circuit, scoring 7th and 8th position respectively in the morning and afternoon sessions. After his session, he said "The car has changed so much, it feels a lot lighter and nimbler, it really is a night and day difference. This season is shaping up to be a really good season for the team and I, and they deserve it, they have definitely put in the work".
The team ended the pre-season testing on a good stance, with both drivers setting personal and team record on the circuit. The chief engineer, Hansield Landdown commented "Well, the drivers summed it up pretty well. Both of them are exceedingly happy with the car, and if the drivers are happy, you know you've done something right".
Opening Races
The first race of the season in Baltanla started off well for Maddox Chance, achieving a points-scoring position on the first race, a first for the team. However due to a mistake on the second lap, Sebastian Chlebowski suffered extensive front wing damage after a collision with the barrier, and had to replace it, causing him to drop into 18th, where he would remain for the duration of the race. This misfortune carried into the next race at Ajakanistan, where the two drivers would make contact with each other, dropping them both down to a non-points position. Maddox Chance would then spin on the exit of turn 5 on the last lap of the race, ending up in 19th, after Esteban Cruz Albeño retired. This tend continued, as problems with the reliability of the engine and low grip coming out of corners plagued the team, with the only standout result being a P7 in Creeperopolis.
Upgrade package 1
For the race in Montesayette the team released the first set of upgrades, altering the design of the underfloor and engine cover, as well as small changes in the rear wing. This was hoped to solve the grip problem the team are currently having, and improve overall handling and performance. Sebastian Chlebowski said "Obviously the car is not at the performance point we initially thought, and we are suffering because of that. However, while saying that, it is a massive improvement over last year, and for that I am really happy".
Standings and performance summary
The enhancements made to the chassis, and the improved engine provided by Renehan provided the essential pace that was missing with the SC01, however the quality of the aero elements, and the reliability of the software changes to the engine, has proved detrimental to the teams success. Performance is "Expected to increase drastically" by the chief engineer, Hansield Landdown, which he hopes will cement the team in a middle-of-the-grid position.
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