The only chance you'll usually get to see the secrets of a Formula 1 car is in the aftermath of a racing incident (otherwise known as a crash) just before the obligatory veil of secrecy in the form of a tarp cover is hurriedly thrown over the exposed secrets. Even then it is usually up for debate and difficult to discern what purpose the mangled carbon fiber might have performed prior to the incident. So we are indeed privileged that Mercedes GP recently commissioned an exploded view of one of their cars revealing many of the inner workings of their prized design.

According to a BBC article the F1 exhibit had 3,200 parts suspended in various exploded positions. Laid bare are all the major components of an F1 car, such as the engine, cockpit, brakes, and my personal favorite the aerodynamic devices, including the wings (front and rear) and the undertray.

The exhibit was arranged by the artist Paul Veroude, but clearly the stars behind the exhibit were the engineers who designed and packaged this complex set of components into a state-of-the-art racecar for speeding around the world's premier racetracks.