From GMM

The so-called 'J-dampers' of Formula 1 team McLaren-Mercedes are set to become commonplace on formula one cars, as the intriguing history of the previously secret technology is revealed.

'J-damper' was simply a codename developed by McLaren and the technology's inventor to put their rivals off the scent of what the device actually did. McLaren has been using the inerter damper since 2005 - a year before Renault's mass damper system was banned.

It has emerged that, three years ago, McLaren penned an exclusive confidentiality agreement with the famous Cambridge University, the scene of the inerter's birth and the owner of its patent.

Business Weekly reports that, with the McLaren agreement now lapsed, Cambridge has licensed the inerter to the leading damper company and F1 supplier Penske Racing Shocks, thus allowing any other team to deploy the device.

This is how it works. Tuning the suspension systems was always a question of finding a compromise but Professor Malcolm Smith - who created the innovation - realised that things could be better resolved if a third component was added to the system.

The inerter looks like a conventional shock absorber with an attachment at either end and a plunger moving backwards and forwards inside the main body of the device, however this then activates a flywheel which rotates in proportion to the relative displacement between the attachment points, storing rotational energy as it spins. This reduces the effects of the oscillations and thus helps the car to retain a better grip on the road.