Ferrari 499P: electronics and reliability

The Ferrari 499P involved in the FIA WEC features electronic solutions that represent the cutting edge of racing technology: more than 300 sensors, wiring and control units make up a multi-function management system controlling everything from the car’s power to its reliability, the latter a key factor for guaranteeing the crews the chance of winning.

Bénédicte Prioul, Endurance Race Cars Electronics and Controls Manager, Davide Piccinini, Endurance Race Cars Vehicle Engineering Manager, and Giuliano Salvi, Endurance Race Cars Race & Testing Manager, oversee the study, design, development and application phases of two topics (electronics and reliability) in which the role of the drivers, who must be able to offer timely feedback, is of paramount importance.

Electronics. A term belonging to the common dictionary takes on a special meaning when applied to a prototype such as the Ferrari 499P. “The concept of electronics includes various elements,” explains Bénédicte Prioul, “with more than 300 sensors monitoring the state of the Hypercar; the wiring which run throughout the car, connecting the former to the control units; and the latter, which allow many functions to be managed, from the power unit to its reliability.”

A varied set of functions and applications in which the electronics, to give a few examples, control the switching on of the headlights, the safety lights for monitoring the hybrid system and the air conditioning for the benefit of driver comfort.

After fine-tuning the first control unit software in May 2021, “We developed the wiring and sensors to arrive, in about two years, at a complete electronic system that was performance, reliable and race-ready,” adds Prioul. “The most complex part was the integration of the hybrid system into the car, which made an impact on the sensors, the high-voltage wiring, the integration between the various components and the control strategies of the components themselves.”

Reliability. Having designed and built the 499P’s electronic engineering, the technicians of the Ferrari - AF Corse team continued their work, aiming to ensure the maximum reliability of the Hypercar. “During the design phase, we set up FMEAs - Failure Mode and Effect Analyses - to assess possible failures and the effects on the car’s main components: the electronics, the chassis, the mechanics and the engine,” outlines Davide Piccinini.

The work followed a progressive path.

“Once the first 499P was completed, we outlined the action needed to facilitate the assembly and correct functioning of every part and system of the Hypercar,” continues Piccinini. “Having conducted development and validation tests on the track, we covered a substantial distance to ensure utmost reliability.”

From the first Shakedown of the Ferrari 499P, on 6 July 2022, to its debut at Sebring in March 2023, the journey has encountered its share of challenges. “When an anomaly occurs, you have to understand the cause of it: the first diagnosis happens on the track, but the final verification is done at Maranello,” says Piccinini, who lists the three main stages of this process. “The detailed analysis of the component under observation; the identification of the cause of the problem and crafting corrective action.”

Role of the drivers. The drivers of the Ferrari 499P can count on a series of automatic electronic settings which can intervene during the main stages of a track event: qualifying, race, pit-lane entry. In the event of difficulties during the race, for example, there are reset systems that are implemented via the controls on the steering wheel.

“We happened to have a problem with the brake-by-wire system,” says Miguel Molina, who shares the cockpit of the number 50 499P with Antonio Fuoco and Nicklas Nielsen. “Thanks to the instructions we received from the engineers over the radio, we intervened directly through the steering wheel to carry out the necessary reset, without going back to the pit lane, thus saving precious time.”

Post-race analysis. Any setbacks that may occur are analysed on the return to the Prancing Horse headquarters. “We list the problems and divide them into three main categories,” explains Giuliano Salvi. “They concern, respectively, those anomalies that have a profound impact on performance or can prevent the race from being finished; those that do not cause immediate effects on performance and reliability, and the more minor anomalies.”

The issues found are processed in order of priority from the first to the third category. Finally, a series of observations are catalogued as valuable indications for designing further improvements and evolutions of the car.