Quote:
Originally Posted by NYG
Material science is a sub-discipline of structural. I spent most of my research on metallurgy. 
I highly doubt these gentlemen are inventing new materials, they'd probably have to outsource that type of expertise. They're just modifying load paths and alternating materials with lower densities that may only be useful in shear or tension or ductility or etcetcetc |
Exactly they're probably trying different patterns of carbon layering to get different strength properties, i.e. manipulating how the car will flex under load, which direction it'll flex etc. This is how flexi wings became a reality and I'm certain it was derived from hockey stick technology where Bauer pioneered their intellsense technology where the stick flexes in different areas depending on how you hold it. This flex could be useful in suspension components.
Or the teams are experimenting on what parts if the car they can get away with having less materials to drop weight.