How do formula 1 cars compare to previous years?

[Thankyou4calling]

Just watching the F1 qualifying and I was wondering. I know the cars aren't as powerful as they have been but they handle and hold the road better I think. So, which are fastest around a track (given that tracks change too) today's cars or the cars of previous years?

[anonymous-user]

I think I've red numerous times that the Ferrari F2004 was the fastest F1 car of all time. The problem is, with all of the rule and track changes, comparing cars like for like is a bit of a pain.

[Papa Hotel]

279 said:

I think I've red numerous times that the Ferrari F2004 was the fastest F1 car of all time. The problem is, with all of the rule and track changes, comparing cars like for like is a bit of a pain.

I've often heard the Williams-Renault FW14B name being kicked about as the fastest. If anything, it just shows how right you are with the second sentence.

[m444ttb]

Schumacher and Montoya seem to hold quite a few la records in those V10 cars.

[williamp]

If you have a few hours, some kind fellow has uploaded hundreds of road tests onto flickr.

It includes a rod test of a JPS Lotus turbo F1 car from the mid 80s

http://www.flickr.com/photos/triggerscarstuff/sets...

Fascinating.

[Eric Mc]

They were commenting on BBC today that the Hungaroring lap record was set three years ago and the current cars aren't quite at that pace yet.

And, of course, next year it will be all change again.

[McSam]

Most lap records do seem to be held by early-2000s Ferraris. Schumacher has quite a few, as in fact does Raikkonen. Certainly these cars aren't quite at that level, peak tyre grip appears to be down and aerodynamics are more restricted than they used to be, as well as quite a bit less power than the V10s. So I'd say these cars are slightly slower in every respect.

[Scuffers]

be interested to see what the current cars could do with decent tyres.....

[luke111s]

McSam said:

Most lap records do seem to be held by early-2000s Ferraris. Schumacher has quite a few, as in fact does Raikkonen. Certainly these cars aren't quite at that level, peak tyre grip appears to be down and aerodynamics are more restricted than they used to be, as well as quite a bit less power than the V10s. So I'd say these cars are slightly slower in every respect.

Further to this, 2004 tends to have the lap records where track layouts have not changed as in 2005 the cars had to race the whole race on a single set of tyres and it was the first year that engines had to last two weekends. In 2006 the engines changed to V8.

I think the highest average speed over a lap is held by Montoya in the BMW Williams from Monza 2004, but the track layout or profile of curves may have changed since then.

[heebeegeetee]

williamp said:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/triggerscarstuff/sets...

Fascinating.

Good lord!

[luke111s]

Ok, I am bored and interested!

2002 - Old style qualifying, Michelin and Bridgestone tyres
2003 - Single lap qualifying, no refuelling between qualifying and race
2005 - Two single lap qualifying runs?
2006 - Current format, no refuelling between qualifying and race
2007 - Single tyre supplier Bridgestone
2009 - Slick tyres
2010 - Current format, fuel can be added between qualifying and race
2011 - Single tyre supplier Pirelli

Melbourne

Year	Pole	Race Lap

|| 2002 || Barrichello - Ferrari - 1:25.843 || Räikkönen - McLaren - 1:28.541 ||
|| 2003 || Schumacher - Ferrari - 1:27.173 || Räikkönen - McLaren - 1:27.724 ||
|| 2004 || Schumacher - Ferrari - 1:24.408 || Schumacher - Ferrari - 1:24.125 ||
|| 2005 || Fisichella - Renault - 3:01.460 (2 laps) || Alonso - Renault - 1:25.683 ||
|| 2006 || Button - Honda - 1:25.229 || Räikkönen - McLaren - 1:26.045 ||
|| 2007 || Räikkönen - Ferrari - 1:26.072 || Räikkönen - Ferrari - 1:25.235 ||
|| 2008 || Hamilton - McLaren - 1:26.714 || Kovalainen - McLaren - 1:27.418 ||
|| 2009 || Button - Brawn - 1:26.202 || Rosberg - Williams - 1:27.706 ||
|| 2010 || Vettel - Red Bull - 1:23.919 || Webber - Red Bull - 1:28.358 ||
|| 2011 || Vettel - Red Bull - 1:23.529 || Massa - Ferrari - 1:28.947 ||
|| 2012 || Hamilton - McLaren - 1:24.922 || Button - McLaren - 1:29.187 ||
|| 2013 || Vettel - Red Bull - 1:27.407 || Räikkönen - Lotus - 1:29.274 ||

Sepang

Year	Pole	Race Lap

|| 2002 || Montoya - Williams - 1:35.266 || Schumacher - Ferrari - 1:38.049 ||
|| 2003 || Alonso - Renault - 1:37.044 || Schumacher - Ferrari 1:36.412 ||
|| 2004 || Schumacher - Ferrari - 1:33.074 || Montoya - Williams - 1:34.223 ||
|| 2005 || Alonso - Renault - 3:07.672 (2 laps) || Räikkönen - McLaren - 1:35.483 ||
|| 2006 || Fisichella - Renault - 1:33.840 || Alonso - Renault - 1:34.803 ||
|| 2007 || Massa - Ferrari - 1:35.043 || Hamilton - Mclaren - 1:36.701 ||
|| 2008 || Massa - Ferrari - 1:35.748 || Heidfeld - BMW Sauber - 1:35.366 ||
|| 2009 || Button - Brawn - 1.35.181 || Button - Brawn - 1:36.641 ||
|| 2010 || Webber - Red Bull - 1:49.327 || Webber - Red Bull - 1:37.054 ||
|| 2011 || Vettel - Red Bull - 1:34.870 || Webber - Red Bull - 1:40.571 ||
|| 2012 || Hamilton - McLaren - 1:36.219 || Räikkönen - Lotus - 1:40.722 ||
|| 2013 || Vettel - Red Bull - 1:49.674 || Perez - McLaren - 1:39.199 ||

Interlagos

Year	Pole	Race Lap

|| 1993 || Prost - Williams - 1:15.866 || Schumacher - Benetton - 1:20.024 ||
|| 1997 || Villeneuve - Williams - 1:16.004 || Villeneuve - Williams -1:18.397 ||
|| 1998 || Häkkinen - McLaren - 1:17.092 || Häkkinen - McLaren - 1:19.337 ||
|| 2002 || Montoya - Williams - 1:13.114 || Montoya - Williams - 1:16.079 ||
|| 2003 || Barrichello - Ferrari - 1:13.807 || Barrichello - Ferrari - 1:22.032 ||
|| 2004 || Barrichello - Ferrari - 1:10.646 || Montoya - Williams - 1:11.473 ||
|| 2005 || Alonso - Renault - 1:11.988 || Räikkönen - McLaren - 1:12.268 ||
|| 2006 || Massa - Ferrari - 1:10.680 || Schumacher - Ferrari - 1:12.162 ||
|| 2007 || Massa - Ferrari - 1:11.931 || Räikkönen - Ferrari - 1:12.445 ||
|| 2008 || Massa - Ferrari - 1:12.368 || Massa - Ferrari - 1:13.736 ||
|| 2009 || Barrichello - Brawn - 1:19.576 || Webber - Red Bull - 1:13.733 ||
|| 2010 || Hulkenberg - Williams - 1:14.470 || Hamilton - McLaren - 1:13.851 ||
|| 2011 || Vettel - Red Bull - 1:11.918 || Webber - Red Bull - 1:15.324 ||
|| 2012 || Hamilton - McLaren - 1:12.458|| Hamilton - McLaren - 1:18.069 ||
|| 2013 || TBC || TBC ||

Sorry I have messed up the formatting, hopefully it is somewhat readable.

I chose Melbourne, Sepang and Interlagos as they have had very minor changes if any from memory. Qualifying in 2011 wasn't far from Qualifying in 2004, but the race pace in 2004 is much faster. I guess this is down to full race fuel loads in 2004 compared to 2011, and 2004 was during a 'tyre war' whereas 2011 Pirelli's first year.

All info from Wikipedia.

Edited by luke111s on Monday 29th July 00:53

[weyland yutani]

Imagine if they had proper slicks back then too

[Urban Sports]

Papa Hotel said:

I've often heard the Williams-Renault FW14B name being kicked about as the fastest. If anything, it just shows how right you are with the second sentence.

Cringeworthy. It's like you've shoe-horned that in just to show you know the number.

[luke111s]

I got carried away

[markcoznottz]

Good post. I wonder if any of those tracks have been resurfaced since?.

[TheHeretic]

There was a website that let you look at all the different circuits, and laptimes over the years. It was really good. Buggered if I can remember the name of it and my Google fu is failing.