so in F1 what determins the best car?
Discussion
just wondered.
look at how often the statement" he had the best car" or "he beet XXXX, and he was in the best car.
Look at some of the results some drivers have had and they are how often they get them, yet the claim is made that someone else had the best car.
I read a Senna book and they were on about his Toleman days. supposedly post season, at a test, (in the Toleman) he had a set of tyres that only Mclaren had been using all season and Senna supposedly blitzed the lap record? ( in the Toleman)
was the car great after all and just needed decent tyres?
was Senna now much more familiar ( in his rookie year) with the track, under no race pressure and so was inevitably going to go quicker?
I think the statement Best car is arrived at too easily and often detracts from the drivers effort, sometimes.
It is a thought I have oft laboured over as I sit on the bog reading old copies of autosport.
what say you?
look at how often the statement" he had the best car" or "he beet XXXX, and he was in the best car.
Look at some of the results some drivers have had and they are how often they get them, yet the claim is made that someone else had the best car.
I read a Senna book and they were on about his Toleman days. supposedly post season, at a test, (in the Toleman) he had a set of tyres that only Mclaren had been using all season and Senna supposedly blitzed the lap record? ( in the Toleman)
was the car great after all and just needed decent tyres?
was Senna now much more familiar ( in his rookie year) with the track, under no race pressure and so was inevitably going to go quicker?
I think the statement Best car is arrived at too easily and often detracts from the drivers effort, sometimes.
It is a thought I have oft laboured over as I sit on the bog reading old copies of autosport.
what say you?
Well, the best car is the one with the most power than can get it down the best, corner the most stable and be the most reliable...
The car that fits the most of those above sections will frequently be at the 'thick end' of the action, given most good drivers, and when in the hands of an exceptional driver, will frequently be at the front of the grid...
Simple really.. no matter how good a driver is, if he hasnt got the car under him, the chances of winning are practically nil nowadays (unlike the past)
The car that fits the most of those above sections will frequently be at the 'thick end' of the action, given most good drivers, and when in the hands of an exceptional driver, will frequently be at the front of the grid...
Simple really.. no matter how good a driver is, if he hasnt got the car under him, the chances of winning are practically nil nowadays (unlike the past)
It's a good question actually. Nigel Mansell during 1992 is the best example; I read a number of comments on these very pages following a recent talk by Adrian Newey that, in fact, the FW14B Williams was a bit of a pig to drive. Only Mansell's commitment and bollox-out style of driving made the car work in a way that exploited its potential. Look at Patrese's record from that season by comparison and you can see the difference (Mansell scored nearly twice as many points). The season has gone down in history as being a walk in the park for Mansell because of the car, but it is rarely questioned whether any other driver could've achieved the same result with that machine.
Then again, in 1993 the Williams was again the "best car". Only this time it would suggest from Prost's and Hill's results that the car was, overall, by far the most competent machinery.
A major factor in Schumacher's success has been the reliability of his machinery. Ferrari gets the credit for producing such incredibly reliable F1 cars during the early noughties, but Schumacher had a reputation for being exceptionally easy on his cars well before he got to the Scuderia. Did he have the best cars, or was it that his style of driving completely complemented the machine under him?
I'd argue that "the best car" is perhaps the one that allows a driver capable of winning a world championship to exploit his skill more than any other car. This involves the more objective tests of reliability and power, but also the subjective elements of being matched to the driver involved and his team.
Then again, in 1993 the Williams was again the "best car". Only this time it would suggest from Prost's and Hill's results that the car was, overall, by far the most competent machinery.
A major factor in Schumacher's success has been the reliability of his machinery. Ferrari gets the credit for producing such incredibly reliable F1 cars during the early noughties, but Schumacher had a reputation for being exceptionally easy on his cars well before he got to the Scuderia. Did he have the best cars, or was it that his style of driving completely complemented the machine under him?
I'd argue that "the best car" is perhaps the one that allows a driver capable of winning a world championship to exploit his skill more than any other car. This involves the more objective tests of reliability and power, but also the subjective elements of being matched to the driver involved and his team.
stumartin said:
It's a good question actually. Nigel Mansell during 1992 is the best example; I read a number of comments on these very pages following a recent talk by Adrian Newey that, in fact, the FW14B Williams was a bit of a pig to drive. Only Mansell's commitment and bollox-out style of driving made the car work in a way that exploited its potential. Look at Patrese's record from that season by comparison and you can see the difference (Mansell scored nearly twice as many points). The season has gone down in history as being a walk in the park for Mansell because of the car, but it is rarely questioned whether any other driver could've achieved the same result with that machine.
Interesting... That's the first time I have heard that. It would certainly explain a lot of things from '92, lke how Mansell ended up 2 seconds quicker than Patrese at Silverstone.
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