Cosworth uncover Grand Prix Motocross involvement

In their fruitful union with the Bike it Cosworth Yamaha team Cosworth explain their motives and details of their day-to-day involvement with the premier British squad in their push for FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship and MX2 Maxxis British Championship glory. Business Development Executive Andy Pascoe reveals the extent of the renowned engineering group’s new venture into this dynamic, youthful and exciting sport...

Why the reach into motocross? Is it the physical and technical demands of the sport that pushes material to the limit that holds interest?
AP: Cosworth has successfully undertaken an extensive diversification programme in recent years reaching out into a wide range of markets and applications both within motorsport and further afield. The group is always keen to apply our expertise where it can deliver performance gains for our customers. Motocross provides an important opportunity that enables Cosworth to employ our capabilities in high performance engineering and precision manufacturing to push the boundaries for powertrains in a sport that make big demands on engines.

Do the technical requirements of a motocross bike engine differentiate wildly from anything else you work or have worked on?
AP: Not wildly no, the fundamental principles of the engine are in line with our expectations. The engineering team at Cosworth have worked on a significant number of two wheel programmes, many under strict confidentiality agreements, and so have extensive experience of the specific demands of bike engines.

Are you just beginning your motocross experimentation with the Bike it Cosworth Yamaha UK team or is the project already some distance down the line?
AP: We’ve been working closely with the Yamaha UK team for some time and the first results of the partnership were delivered to the team for testing late in 2009. We are treating the partnership as a works effort; this means it’s not just a case of parts arriving at various points of the year, more a continuous transfer of knowledge and performance in all the aspects we specialise in.

What is the process from the standard bike to a Cosworth-equipped engine for the track? How long does it take to develop the material ready for implementation?
AP: Lead times are the bane of every race team the world over, the key is continuous, staged performance releases throughout the season as opposed to one single hit of all the parts and experience we have under our belts. Each change needs verification, back-to-back with its predecessor, before we sign it off. So initially we expect important performance gains which maintain ride-ability, moving through the season we anticipate 10 or more engine upgrades. Each new part or idea can take between 4 and 8 weeks to design and manufacture, so we started early and staggered the part releases to complement each other, this will mean the team has engine upgrades every 4 weeks or so.

Will the team be continually testing material throughout the season or is there a batch of components ready to race now with a view towards upgrades at key stages?
AP: Our development programme is geared around delivering upgrades to key components that we identified as the areas that would deliver the biggest performance gains. The base engine design is relatively old so it has some areas which are compromised compared to a more recent engine design, we’ve picked up on these areas first. New pistons, new camshafts, springs, rods, CNC heads were the first items to be brought up to a F1 and MotoGP standard, now we are into more significant fundamental engine changes which will take the performance to a new level, not just faster, but more responsive, more agile...the ultimate single cylinder engine.

What is the depth of interaction with the team? Is there daily/weekly contact?
AP: Our contact with Steve (Dixon, Team Principal) is daily, there is always something to discuss and add to the development plan, it has to be that way otherwise the relationship goes a little cold and it becomes more of a supply chain than a technical partnership. Also we will either visit the team on location a couple of times each month or they will come to our premises here. The team can literally bring the bike here and walk away with materials, ideas and modifications the same day.

Is there much room within the technology and rule limits to be adventurous or innovative? What are the main technical goals for the company?
AP: We were very pleased to see the regulations which allow a high level of innovative approaches, most materials are allowed, various configurations, that’s what makes the racing so exciting to us. When you can bring to the table everything you have learned in the last 50 years at the pinnacle of motorsport it proves for a very exciting result. There is no shortage of Cosworth senior engineers keeping their hand in on this project because of that. The main technical goal for us is to not only prove our excellence in a series we haven’t raced in before, but also to bring a new and hopefully exciting level of engineering and performance to the team and the fans. The parts we supply to the team WILL come to the market, more on this will follow.

What can Cosworth hope to achieve with their motocross project?
AP: Like all businesses we survive on generating income, we are fortunate to be held in very high regard in the Motorsport sector, some of these projects however have to completed under strict confidentiality rules, the Motocross involvement is the opposite, we felt it was time to allow the rest of the world a chance to experience what we can do. The Motocross scene is a thriving one and we highlighted it as one with relatively low levels of performance upgrades available to the dedicated fans. The Yamaha team allows us to partner a highly respected and very skilled group while releasing superior products to the market. We hope people will see the gains the team make throughout the season and then pick up a brochure from our distributors.

Does a hard-riding racer like Zach Osborne actually assist development more than say a more fluid, gentle rider?
AP: Zach does have a unique riding style and he does give the engine a harder time than many riders could, this works for us, although we have engine and bike dynos to simulate over-rev and other issues, Zach can test the engine in ways that are costly to simulate.

Do you enjoy the accessibility of motocross compared to sports such as F1, MotoGP?
AP: We’re fortunate to be able to work with such a wide range of customers throughout the many motorsport disciplines across the globe. Every series and formula has different technical and physical challenges and these go a long way to creating the experience for the competitors and the fans. It’s always great to get involved and meet fans, media and competitors, something that’s been really easy in the world of motocross and very enjoyable for the Cosworth team.