If I Ran F1: Jay Beever

When we approached Jay Beever, Vice President, Interior Design and Brand Imaging of Embraer Executive Jets about the “If I Ran F1” feature, we thought we would get the usual: thoughts on how Jay would run the whole sport if he had the steering wheel of it all in his hands. We were pleasantly surprised when Jay’s team actually cultivated a great idea of a new and unusual Formula 1 car for us instead. So, this is their take on how to refresh the sport!

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Basically, we at Embraer decided to create a Formula 1 concept car based on one of our executive jets, inspired by Brazilian Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna.

Our concept car inherits Embraer’s DNA, embodied by the team jet. The Phenom 300 performs at the top of the light jet class, having recently set another cross-country speed record in the United States. This jet also became the most delivered business aircraft in 2013, holding that position to date and conquering a 56% market in its class. Designed for outstanding performance and low operating costs, this concept car delivers a top speed of over 500 mph, while costing significantly less to run than other Formula 1 cars thanks to the efficiencies of high-utilisation component design.

While the car’s DNA may not be so visible from a technology viewpoint, its style reflects the team’s passion for Ayrton Senna, Formula 1 and Brazil.

Analogous to the team jet, which was designed for one pilot, the cockpit of the concept car implements a quiet-and-dark philosophy, where the driver’s attention is only drawn to specific instrument displays when immediate action is required. The result is reduced driver workload and heightened focus. The man-machine interface in the car’s cockpit prioritizes situational awareness, delivering enhanced visibility with both live and synthetic vision, while intuitive display synoptics favor rapid-glance reading.

Another key design driver of the team jet is premium comfort. Considering that the pilot may very well be a Formula 1 driver, ergonomics do not stop at the jet’s cockpit door, nor are the design DNA elements limited to the aircraft interior.

Likewise in the concept car, the bio-range of the driver must well exceed 305 kilometres, lest fatigue impact the driver and jeopardize arrival among the top ten. Comfort is humane and so are the elements that define ergonomics for the driver that is under continuously shifting pressures.

While the car’s DNA may not be so visible from a technology viewpoint, its style reflects the team’s passion for Ayrton Senna, Formula 1 and Brazil. The colors best associated with the Brazilian legend organically contour the car as if it had been driven through a tribune banner to Ayrton Senna.