What are the ideal F1 track conditions?
Discussion
There always seem to be a negative aspect to every track condition in F1, it is either too high, too hot, too wet, too bumpy, too sandy, reading the latest report from Bahrain, it is v hot, but sandy and a high wind with 43deg track temperature, is there such a thing as a perfect track/weather combination where man and machine can do battle without worrying about mother nature or some other man made intervention affecting the cars performance? Surely these things provide a challenge as opposed to a hindrance?
They still complain if they had them, its a constant search for an optimum set up for any given.
But is an interesting question, and worthy of batting around in here until second practice, from what I recall over the years, here's a few of them to get started.
1. Circuit is rubbered in with F1 rubber (typically this is at the end of the race! and why people find that despite the supersofts going off quickly all weekend and they can do 20 laps without much drop off).
2. Warm track, to help grip with the tyres, but not too hot, so that it overheats and blisters the tyres.
3. Contradicted by cool air temperature, colder the better, air molecules are smaller so that means more oxygen gets in the motor for a bigger bang, more power.
4. A mild head wind into and through each corner, no matter what direction the corner is, for increased airflow generating more downforce to aid cornering, but only directly head on at all times, as the cars are sensitive to cross winds!
5. Perversely a tail wind just pass the exit of each corner and down any long straight stopping before, of course, becoming head wind again into the braking zone. Tail wind aids acceleration, and top speed, by moving air ahead of the car forward reducing air resistance, less drag.
Come on there must be more, those are the easy ones. Kinda like F1 buzz word bingo...
But is an interesting question, and worthy of batting around in here until second practice, from what I recall over the years, here's a few of them to get started.
1. Circuit is rubbered in with F1 rubber (typically this is at the end of the race! and why people find that despite the supersofts going off quickly all weekend and they can do 20 laps without much drop off).
2. Warm track, to help grip with the tyres, but not too hot, so that it overheats and blisters the tyres.
3. Contradicted by cool air temperature, colder the better, air molecules are smaller so that means more oxygen gets in the motor for a bigger bang, more power.
4. A mild head wind into and through each corner, no matter what direction the corner is, for increased airflow generating more downforce to aid cornering, but only directly head on at all times, as the cars are sensitive to cross winds!
5. Perversely a tail wind just pass the exit of each corner and down any long straight stopping before, of course, becoming head wind again into the braking zone. Tail wind aids acceleration, and top speed, by moving air ahead of the car forward reducing air resistance, less drag.
Come on there must be more, those are the easy ones. Kinda like F1 buzz word bingo...
Edited by Northern Munkee on Friday 24th April 10:51
Edited by Northern Munkee on Friday 24th April 10:52
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