TURBO BOOST!!! (KERS)

[jon-]

A good write up on KERS here.

http://www.itv-f1.com/Feature.aspx?Type=Mark_Hughe...

I can't help but think after this section

Mark Hughs said:

What in effect this means is an extra 80 horsepower available for 6.7s per lap.

The idea is not only to force F1 to develop green technology but also to help overtaking. A chasing driver could deploy his KERS device as he is catching the car ahead to give him an acceleration boost.

Of course the driver being chased can use his KERS device defensively at the same time

of playing outrun on the arcade and using your three 'turbo boosts'.

I'm all for more overtaking but this is a little mickey mouse. I wonder if the cars will also have the gameshow style sound effect so we know when they're using the KERS...

[MrKipling43]

jon- said:

I'm all for more overtaking but this is a little mickey mouse.

Talk about cheapening the sport.

[paulmurr]

'article' said:

The flywheel method looks set to be used by Williams (and possibly Honda and/or Toyota). Here the braking energy is used to turn a flywheel and when extra power is needed the wheels are coupled up to the spinning flywheel to give a boost in power

Wont a large, heavy, spinning flywheel add strange gyroscopic effects to the cars when turning?

I agree that its a half arsed attempt at embracing 'hybrid technology'. A power increase of 10% for 7 seconds hardly seems worthwhile

[skinny]

it's probably not very heavy - but will be spinning quite fast for energy density - i think they go around 40000rpm? not what i'd want near me in the case of a crash anyway...

[BoRED S2upid]

Will be interesting to see especially on a track where there are a couple of decent straights and opportunities to release this extra power, could make viewing that bit more exciting especially if we can see telemetry as to when they have pressed the button!.

[LaSarthe+Back]

Won't drivers tune into the best placed to use this boost, and therefore everyone using it in the same places. Thus, will everyone not just go round a little quicker???

[skinny]

yep! i can't see it changing anything on track really...

[MonkeyHanger]

skinny said:

yep! i can't see it changing anything on track really...

It might help Massa catch up a bit after he falls off

[skinny]

unless it puts him off in the first place...

[John D.]

jon- said:

I wonder if the cars will also have the gameshow style sound effect so we know when they're using the KERS...

Champ car has had 'push to pass' extra boost for a while. Pretty sure they have some way of displaying how much each driver has used/has left. The commentators always seem to know in any case.

I'm not sure the effect will just be cancelled out by all the drivers using it in the same place as others has suggested. Surely tyre life, aero, all the usual factors etc. will come into play too?

[ZeeTacoe]

paulmurr said:

'article' said:

The flywheel method looks set to be used by Williams (and possibly Honda and/or Toyota). Here the braking energy is used to turn a flywheel and when extra power is needed the wheels are coupled up to the spinning flywheel to give a boost in power

Wont a large, heavy, spinning flywheel add strange gyroscopic effects to the cars when turning?

I agree that its a half arsed attempt at embracing 'hybrid technology'. A power increase of 10% for 7 seconds hardly seems worthwhile

If they are clever the teams will spin two contra-rotating flywheels with some way of altering the spin speeds of each wheel as this could help turn a car into the corners.

[zac510]

jon- said:

of playing outrun on the arcade and using your three 'turbo boosts'.

So when they hit the KERS button little puffs of smoke will come from the rear wheels?

[smac]

It would be much more fun if the power boosts came in at random moments or better still controlled by buttons in other drivers cars.

[DeadMeat_UK]

smac said:

It would be much more fun if the power boosts came in at random moments or better still controlled by buttons in other drivers cars.

Or you can only use it in corners

[jon-]

smac said:

It would be much more fun if the power boosts came in at random moments or better still controlled by buttons in other drivers cars.

Maybe it's because it's friday afternoon but that killed me! I can just imagine Massa finally making an overtake on Lewis only to have Lewis press the FM button and watch him spit of into the armco... actually that could explain his recent form