Join Omicron

Many cars need custom made moulded seats. These improve safety as the driver is supported perfectly, and lower laptimes by holding the driver in position whilst driving. Traditionally these have been made using a two-part polyurethane expanding foam in a suitable bag whilst the driver is seated in the car. The foam expands around the driver, taking on their exact shape. We still use these for one-off test days as they are cheap and quick, but they do not last long before they go brittle and shrink.

We prefer to use the Schroth iNDi Seal (formerly HANS Seat) bead kits, and Omicron Motorsport is an official fitting agent. Having done seats for Formula 3, LeMans Prototypes and, also for the new Formula E championship, we are able to make a perfect seat very quickly.  These kits are a sealed bag filled with small beads. The driver is seated on them and the perfect position is found in the car relative to the steering wheel, pedals and any driver height restrictions. A vacuum is then applied to the bag, which makes the seat virtually rigid. With the driver out, the seat is inspected, and notes made of where the thin areas, thick areas and various cutouts need to be.  Finally, the seat is extracted from the car, and an epoxy resin is applied to the beads which starts the curing process that takes roughly an hour. The bag is placed back in the car, and the driver returns to the correct position whilst the resin cures under vacuum.

The seats are long lasting (3 years or more if cared for), energy absorbing, and they do not shrink or crack with age, meaning they will hold the driver as well on the 100th day as they do on the 1st.

The last operation is to trim off the excess material around elbows, seat belt straps and cockpit controls, then cover it in either TESA tape or a fire-retardant fabric cover.

We will prepare your car to the high standards you demand. Routine maintenance, such as oil and filter changes, will be carried out, and any repairs or renewals (particularly of safety-related items) will be completed. Fluids, brake discs/pads and bearings will all be checked, and the exhaust silencer will be repacked if necessary to ensure your pass your noise test.

A full setup is then carried out on the car, with the values varying with driver preference and track layout.  All suspension and aerodynamic options will be checked to a high degree of accuracy. Corner weights, bump steer, chassis straightness and other aspects so often ignored by lesser teams will be checked as well.

All setup values and maintenance is written and recorded for ease of reference.

Enough fuel is supplied for your race meeting and with any testing. This will comply with all national and championship regulations (from standard suppliers if required) removing any concerns about running out of fuel or failing fuel sample investigations.

Your vehicle will be transported by the team using our own vehicles. These currently include a Race Truck and a Van/Trailer combination. Every vehicle is carefully tied down in transit, and is fully insured.  Breakdown cover is also taken on all vehicles so that, should the worse occur, we can make sure that the car and the equipment get to the track regardless.

Our catering team is capable of providing the nutritional needs of the entire team, from mechanics to drivers, throughout the day. Our awning is available all day for the driver and their guests to keep out of the weather.

Clients are free to choose their own overnight accommodation, or we can arrange it on their behalf.

The team are able to prepare the car for individual test days throughout the season, or on the day prior to race meetings, depending on the needs of the client.  We provide the same level of care and preparation as for regular race meetings.

At testing or race meetings, your car will be cared for by our experienced and enthusiastic team. We will be on hand to make sure the car gets through scrutineering, noise testing and parc ferme with ease, and deal with any eligibility concerns such as fuel testing.  Between sessions, the car will be checked, refuelling, recharged and adjusted so that it is ready to compete.

Whilst the car is being turned around, our clients can expect to have a comprehensive debrief session, where the feel of the car and any potential problems are discussed. Onboard video in conjunction with datalogging is analysed to see where laptime can be gained or has been lost. Working with a race engineer, the car can then be optimised to get the most out of it, and the driver can be advised on how to get the most out of the car.

After each meeting all the data is carefully analysed all over again – it is common for extra information to become apparent away from the high-pressure circuit environment – and the client is involved in the decision making process for subsequent events.  Using past or calculated data we can create accurate track maps with data points, and provide video footage for circuits new to each client.

We are also happy to visit the client on a ‘track day’ with a roadcar so that circuit knowledge can be improved prior to the actual race meeting.