The use of metrology equipment from Leica Geosystems is helping a Formula 1 car racing team newcomer beat out its rivals.

The Red Bull Racing team, which joined the Formula 1 circuit this season, announced that it’s already beating its rivals when in comes to the speed and accuracy of crucial pre-race design tests. The team, which uses the Leica LTD800 Laser Tracker and Leica T-Probe, will be the second on the circuit to install a Universal CMM in its wind tunnel test facility.“Our goal, of course, is to win races, and the only way we will achieve that is by fully optimizing the performance of the car,” says Steve Nevey, RBR business development manager. “To achieve our goal, we must be able to use the wind tunnel test facility on a round-the-clock basis to continuously reduce turbulence and increase down force.”

Nevey says the Leica equipment offers many advantages, including unprecedented accuracy and excellent customer support. Until recently, the RBR team used height gages to set up the race car in the wind tunnel, a process that required two hours to complete. Now, it takes only 20 minutes.

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