F1 car at la sarthe

[nick francis]

as a matter of interest if an F1 car and Le mans car lined up at a) le mans and b) siverstone, which would win and what would the differential be?

[Eric Mc]

At both circuits at the same time?

[Northern Munkee]

Oh dear.

It's really like comparing apples and oranges.

However if you mean over one lap, F1 car, if you mean over a GP distance, F1 car, if you mean 24hrs, the LMP1.

Horses for courses, or rather race distances.

[ChiChoAndy]

I always look at Le Mans as endurance F1... The same thing, designed to do things differently.

[mchammer89]

I would've guessed the LMP cars would be quicker to be honest.

[marcosgt]

In the pre-chicane days, there's a chance an optimised Group C car might have beaten an F1 car around Le Mans, but not now.

Might be fun to see though

M.

[DiscoColin]

mchammer89 said:

I would've guessed the LMP cars would be quicker to be honest.

Not a prayer over a single lap IMHO. Remembering that in such a situation, the F1 car with it's greater power, much lighter weight and smaller frontal area would be geared and wearing appropriate wings for the longer circuit. In fact, the only thing that the LMP really has going for it is the drag advantage of faring in the front wheels. I just can't see that being enough. However, for an F1 car to do the distance of the 24 hours it would have to do roughly the equivalent of a full season's racing non-stop. That obviously isn't going to happen...

[Dan Friel]

F1 cars at Silverstone - 1min 30sec
LMP cars at Silverstone - 1min 44sec

[davepoth]

At Le Mans though, the straights are far longer, and there aren't a great number of high speed corners. I'd wager an LMP1 may be faster around there.

[Dan Friel]

I'm not certain, some high downforce sections at the start and end of the lap.

2010 qually laps from Spa.

F1 - 1m 45sec
LMP - 2m 01sec

[mrmr96]

Northern Munkee said:

if you mean over one lap, F1 car, if you mean over a GP distance, F1 car, if you mean 24hrs, the LMP1.

How's that then?

[27dickie]

mrmr96 said:

How's that then?

Well, consider that the winning P1 car at Le Mans covers a distance similar to every race in the F1 season. So the F1 car would be quicker on-track, but to complete the distance would need several engine changes, gearbox changes, rebuilds etc.

[ChiChoAndy]

mrmr96 said:

How's that then?

F1 car would blow up. The engine is designed to do x amount of hours/miles. The 24 hours would be far too much.

[mrmr96]

Do they change any filters on the LMP1 cars during the race? I could have sworn they said something about replacing air filters or something. Does that happen?

[kiteless]

During the early 70's - in the era of the Porsche 917 / Ferrari 512 - it was accepted that the LMP cars were faster than F1 cars over a given track. In 1971, Jackie Oliver recorded a lap time at La Sarthe of 3' 14"

Which is rapid.

[RJames]

mrmr96 said:

Do they change any filters on the LMP1 cars during the race? I could have sworn they said something about replacing air filters or something. Does that happen?

They will replace anything to keep the car running, they do full oil/brake changes very quickly and its great to watch.

Over the last few years there has been some big shunts, Audi going airbourne and the Vette crash last year they can rebuild the cars in lightning fast time. Watching the Vette being rebuilt last year was quite a eye opener in regards to every man having his job.

[mollytherocker]

The aero on an F1 car is in a different league and would muller an LMP1 car over say a 2 hour race.

Anything more than that and the LMP1 car would take advantage of its tougher mechanicals.

However, an F1 team could 'adjust' the design of the car to last 24 hours.

So the answer is F1 car!!!!

MTR

[blueST]

The current LMP1 cars have maybe 150hp less than an F1, in addition to 250kg-ish more weight.

Also an F1 car may well have bigger fuel tank so would need to stop less often.

I would guess Monza is a place where similar low downforce/drag requiremnts apply as at Le Mans. From a quick Google, an F1 car goes around in about 1:24. In 2008 a Peugeot 908 could manage about 1:31. That Peugeot would have a chunk more power than the 2011 model too.

From that I conclude that an F1 car would destroy a P1 until it's engne blew up.

[Parsnip]

blueST said:

From that I conclude that an F1 car would destroy a P1 until it's engne blew up.

This. You will struggle to find a type of racing (ignoring rallying and drag) where a F1 car could not be set up to win over a few laps - but eventually it would give up.

A LMP1 does a F1 season's distance, at a higher average speed in 24 hours - a F1 car could not do this and could not to be set up to do it without a major redesign - so much so that I reckon the 24 hour F1 car would no longer be faster than a R18/908 just because of the drag and power loss. A LMP1 car is designed to go for 24 hours straight, a F1 car is not. If you told RBR to design a 24 hours car, I would imagine it would be some sort of closed top, non-open wheel car (i.e like a current LMP1)

[mchammer89]

Parsnip said:

This. You will struggle to find a type of racing (ignoring rallying and drag) where a F1 car could not be set up to win over a few laps - but eventually it would give up.

A LMP1 does a F1 season's distance, at a higher average speed in 24 hours - a F1 car could not do this and could not to be set up to do it without a major redesign - so much so that I reckon the 24 hour F1 car would no longer be faster than a R18/908 just because of the drag and power loss. A LMP1 car is designed to go for 24 hours straight, a F1 car is not. If you told RBR to design a 24 hours car, I would imagine it would be some sort of closed top, non-open wheel car (i.e like a current LMP1)

I know it doesn't fit the regs, but looks close enough