TVR in Formula 1
Discussion
V8 GRF said:
Yes but I'd imagine even a 1500cc single seater will annilate a roadcar round a racetrack?
I agree, I had 10 laps around Silverstone's Stowe circuit in a Formula Ford years ago which lapped much faster than I could have done in the Griff I had at the time, mainly down to roadholding.Having looked after quite a few historic grand prix cars, with the exeption maybe of a tuscan challenge car, no road going TVR would come close in overall lap time. You'd be amazed how quick the early GP cars are. I looked after a 1936 ERA grand prix car at Goodwood FoS last year and it was quicker up the hill that most of the modern cars (bar Le Mans prototypes, F1, and pike peak cars)
skiver said:
Just a thought on a wet Sunday afternoon; how far back in Formula 1 history would you need to go before one of the fastest TVR's, in standard form, would be competitive on the grid?
Complete guess, but I imagine if you could get the lap time for a Sag (quickest out the box Tiv?) on a circuit that hadn't changed since the 50's or 60's then you might be able to get a comparison....Saw a programme some time back (might have been Top Gear) where they ran a top spec 80's factory rally Audi quattro against an off the shelf contemporary Scooby or Evo that the missus takes to Tesco's and it left the 80's championship rally winning car for dead
In some ways I find it quite scary that any incompetent fool with enough cash can buy a car that is dangerously fast... simply by passing a driving test that is geared to percentage pass not skill or ability...
But then I'm a grumpy old barsteward that probably lives in the past
TA14 said:
I suppose that you could compare the lap times for the first F1 race at Silverstone and see how they compare with Tuscan race series times; then make nominal adjustments.
The trouble is that the circuit has changed massively over the years. Corners, complexes, cambers, grip etc etc. I guess you could look at a section of another circuit which hasn't changed as much, preferably one with mostly corners as I suspect it is cornering speeds the largest difference will lie?
skiver said:
Just a thought on a wet Sunday afternoon; how far back in Formula 1 history would you need to go before one of the fastest TVR's, in standard form, would be competitive on the grid?
A long way back I would guess. Have a look at some of the hillclimb times to get an idea. I owned a griff500 with a really strong rebuilt motor in it and uprated shocks etc and thought it was pretty quick. I then sold it and bought a 1370cc GSXR engined Jedi single seater to go hillclimbing in which is pretty old fasioned technology in that it's a basic tubular space frame with simple wishbone/coil over suspension and a small high reving engine on carbs bolted into the back, ( admittedly it has slicks and wings on it + is v.light ). The difference in performance is huge - night and day! To put it into perspective the jedi is much quicker than stripped out 700bhp + evos, 430 scuderias, gt3s,any TVR you care to think of. An 1100cc Jedi holds the outright lap record around Cadwell Park,( quicker than any other car or Leon Haslam on a superbike! ). The reason is simply the lack of weight that needs to be stopped, turned, propelled etc + a very low centre of gravity + small size/footprint which makes it very agile/nimble and easy to place on the track.People talk about caterhams etc being responsive/direct etc but any single seater is another step again.
A jedi is not an old f1 car I know but it suggests to me that you would need to be pitching a Sag at someting like an early 60's rear engined cooper or lotus. Anything later/64 ish onwards and I think wider tyres/bigger power/early aero would win the battle?
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