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"It's a completely bespoke car for each circuit." This may give the wrong impression, so just to be clear there are strict regulations in F1 regarding the reus

by personZ 12y ago

"It's a completely bespoke car for each circuit." This may give the wrong impression, so just to be clear there are strict regulations in F1 regarding the reuse of components and static designs. http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8689/ http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/spor... Mercedes, who sit in #1 and #2 in the driver standings, and of course #1 in the constructors standings, is presumed to have an advantage because of the way they laid out their turbochargers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuBB2F6IutQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuBB2F6IutQ By F1 rules, no other team can change their own engine designs until next season.

exDM69 12y ago
While the engine, gearbox and chassis have strict regulations, the cars undergo major changes from race to race. Next week at Spa (a very fast track) we will see radically different cars from, say, Monte Carlo (the slowest track). The cars look visually different if you look at them in side by side images.
- personZ 12y ago
  The overwhelming bulk of the changes in the car from track to track are setup changes. These are designs they put an enormous amount of work into over the off-season, and a significant amount of test time, so it seems circumspect that they would radically if even marginally change them mid-season, before even considering the incredible tight restrictions of F1 (which are there for safety and fairness, but also to try to keep it within "reasonable" fiscal bounds). Teams come out with a season design, and from that they adjust wings, tire pressure, gear ratios or change points, etc, within the tolerances allowed. I've only marginally been following F1 for the past year, but I'm wholly unaware of any substantial construction change from track to track. Edit: To substantiate this a bit, here's the Ferrari car at Hockenheim (a very high speed track), compared to Monaco (a twisty, "urban" track). http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/bGZpJEcephz/F1+Grand+Prix+of+Germany/Y2745loz6A8/Kimi+Raikkonen http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/bGZpJEcephz/F1+Grand+Prix+of+... http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/5/15851.html http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/5/15851.html (click on the Ferrari picture)
  - CWuestefeld 12y ago
    they adjust wings, tire pressure, gear ratios or change points, etc This year the set of gears is fixed over the entire year (there's some wiggle room the details of which I forget, but that's the gist). A team has to elect at the beginning of the season what gearings they'll put into the gearbox. The tradeoff for this was that this year they've got 8-speed gearboxes compared to last year's 7. So in the past they had to pick 7 gears optimal for one track, now they've got 8 gears that must compromise across the whole season.
  - sseveran 12y ago
    The competitive teams will field a variety of front and rear wings tailored to different tracks.
    - walshemj 12y ago
      I believe they used to have different wheel base chassis' for some circuits - not sure if this is now banned.
      - tobylane 12y ago
        It's not banned, Raikkonen changed his Lotus wheelbase mid-season.

by personZ 12y ago

exDM69 12y ago

While the engine, gearbox and chassis have strict regulations, the cars undergo major changes from race to race. Next week at Spa (a very fast track) we will see radically different cars from, say, Monte Carlo (the slowest track). The cars look visually different if you look at them in side by side images.

personZ 12y ago
The overwhelming bulk of the changes in the car from track to track are setup changes. These are designs they put an enormous amount of work into over the off-season, and a significant amount of test time, so it seems circumspect that they would radically if even marginally change them mid-season, before even considering the incredible tight restrictions of F1 (which are there for safety and fairness, but also to try to keep it within "reasonable" fiscal bounds). Teams come out with a season design, and from that they adjust wings, tire pressure, gear ratios or change points, etc, within the tolerances allowed. I've only marginally been following F1 for the past year, but I'm wholly unaware of any substantial construction change from track to track. Edit: To substantiate this a bit, here's the Ferrari car at Hockenheim (a very high speed track), compared to Monaco (a twisty, "urban" track). http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/bGZpJEcephz/F1+Grand+Prix+of+Germany/Y2745loz6A8/Kimi+Raikkonen http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/bGZpJEcephz/F1+Grand+Prix+of+... http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/5/15851.html http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/5/15851.html (click on the Ferrari picture)
- CWuestefeld 12y ago
  they adjust wings, tire pressure, gear ratios or change points, etc This year the set of gears is fixed over the entire year (there's some wiggle room the details of which I forget, but that's the gist). A team has to elect at the beginning of the season what gearings they'll put into the gearbox. The tradeoff for this was that this year they've got 8-speed gearboxes compared to last year's 7. So in the past they had to pick 7 gears optimal for one track, now they've got 8 gears that must compromise across the whole season.
- sseveran 12y ago
  The competitive teams will field a variety of front and rear wings tailored to different tracks.
  - walshemj 12y ago
    I believe they used to have different wheel base chassis' for some circuits - not sure if this is now banned.
    - tobylane 12y ago
      It's not banned, Raikkonen changed his Lotus wheelbase mid-season.