F1: McLaren's 'J-damper' secret now exposed

22/08/2008 02:23. “aren has been using the inerter damper since 2005 - a year before Renault's mass damper system was banned. It has emerged that, three years ago,” // Auto123

21/08/2008 20:25. So-called 'J-dampers' are set to become commonplace on formula one cars, as the intriguing history of the previously secret technology is revealed.

We recently reported that Renault delayed debuting similar technology earlier this year because of the spy scandal surrounding engineer Phil Mackereth's defection from McLaren.

In the World Motor Sport Council hearings before Christmas, it was revealed that among Mackereth's McLaren drawings was a device referred to as a 'J-damper'.

"What's a J-damper?" Renault engineering chief Pat Symonds replied memorably to the press at Montreal in June.

Symonds' answer may have been disingenuous, but it subsequently emerged that Force India recently started using on its 2008 car what boss Mike Gascoyne referred to as an "inerter damper".

'J-damper'... // AutoCorse.it