Australian Grand Prix 2013, Melbourne - Race 1/19

Granted they don't, but a setup like that helps prevent aquaplaning and softer springs would mean more grip in the corners. It's precisely because F1 cars don't function as well as they are designed to in the rain that makes it so compelling to watch, and why it's so frustrating when it's halted.

As said before up to the late 90s races continued until the front row of the grandstands had wet feet. Now you see a spot of rain and you can count the minutes until race control have a fit and send out a safety car or red flag.
 
The difference is cars used to be difficult to control, which meant you needed skill.

Now they just become impossible to control, and its just luck as to weather you crash or not.

If an F1 car now hits a deep puddle it floats and the plank acts like a hull spearing you straight at whatever it decides it wants to fire you at. I'm all for watching best drivers fight against difficult conditions, but I've no interest in watching a complete lottery where the driver has zero impact on what happens to his car.

I'd rather have a delay and watch a competitive session or race than just force them to go out and end up with 3 cars finishing a complete lottery where a Caterham wins.

There's other factors too, like if the medical chopper can fly.
 
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Skeeter said:
The cars. They are very different to the ones in the past.
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good point about the plank, this can often be a deciding factor in the rain (although saying that, if a team wants to push the ride height as low as possible and gets it wrong its only their problem surely?)

(and yes I saw your earlier post - but it has to be said, some cars react worse because of the rain than others - whether thats design "flaws" or setup issues is another matter)
 
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The problem with the plank is it extends below the reference plane. Its below the minimum ride height and basically skims the ground. Adding 5mm larger tyres doesn't make the car run 5mm further above the ground, it makes it 5mm above the ground, which is nothing when there is standing water.

There is a limit to how high they can go before they just loose all aero, and I imagine this is going to be less than the height they would need to raise them by to stop aquaplaning.

But for me it's more about the competition. There's a point where it stops being a race and just becomes a lottery defined by luck, and F1 doesn't need to be decided by chance, it makes a mockery of the whole thing.
 
Skeeter said:
The problem with the plank is it extends below the reference plane. Its below the minimum ride height and basically skims the ground. Adding 5mm larger tyres doesn't make the car run 5mm further above the ground, it makes it 5mm above the ground, which is nothing when there is standing water.

There is a limit to how high they can go before they just loose all aero, and I imagine this is going to be less than the height they would need to raise them by to stop aquaplaning.
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sorry this doesnt make sense.

If the car itself doesnt change, but you put bigger tyres on it (without self- adjustment, which I suspect would be illegal) it WOULD make the plank 5mm further above ground. Unless there is some other (manual) adjustment going on as well. Other wise its pointless putting the larger tyres on in the first place (ignoring the difference in tread effectiveness for the moment)


Skeeter said:
There is a limit to how high they can go before they just loose all aero

But for me it's more about the competition. There's a point where it stops being a race and just becomes a lottery defined by luck, and F1 doesn't need to be decided by chance, it makes a mockery of the whole thing.
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I totally agree with both these points without question.


Skeeter said:
and I imagine this is going to be less than the height they would need to raise them by to stop aquaplaning..
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This sounds to be a bit of a cop-out, but you may well be right.

We are "back" to the discussion about the cars being too "aero" reliant (in all conditions), which is the biggest problem and I think most fans agree that this is a pity, although we are stuck with it
 
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http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/03/16/fia-telemetry-glitch-drs-problems/

The race stewards are unable to disable drivers’ Drag Reduction Systems this weekend due to a fault with the telemetry link between race control and the cars.

Race control uses the telemetry to disable DRS in scenarios where drivers are not allowed to use it. This includes low visibility conditions, under local yellow flags and during the first two laps of a start or restart.

Due to the telemtery fault the FIA is having to rely on drivers not to use DRS when it is restricted.

During the final practice session Adrian Sutil activated his DRS while it was supposed to be disabled. The stewards decided against penalising him after Force India explained it had not seen the ‘DRS disabled’ message due to a power cut.

The same telemetry fault also means drivers cannot rely on their cockpit lights which communicate red, yellow and blue warning flags.

Nor will teams receive blue flag warning automatically via the official messaging system. “We will do our best to give as much information from race control as we can, however, it will be even more important that teams do what they can to ensure their drivers respect blue flags,” said an FIA statement.

Drivers will also have to activate the safety car mode on their cars manually if the safety car is deployed during the race.
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First race of the season and there is already a potential can of worms.
 
Sorry frank, I meant it makes the actual height of what is the proper bottom of the car, I.e. the plank, 5mm above the road. Its based on the assumption that with the plank the cars true ride height is 0mm, they touch the floor. Making it 5mm when there's 10mm puddles isn't really going to help.
 
Anyone know how long it takes the BBC to get things up on the iPlayer?

On the BBC website it says they'll be showing 'part 2' of the qualifying highlights at 5:15am tomorrow morning. I'm going to struggle to make that, but I want to see the qualify before the race coverage starts at 2:20pm.
 
Skeeter said:
Sorry frank, I meant it makes the actual height of what is the proper bottom of the car, I.e. the plank, 5mm above the road. Its based on the assumption that with the plank the cars true ride height is 0mm, they touch the floor. Making it 5mm when there's 10mm puddles isn't really going to help.
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ok I see what you mean - fair enough then.

You are correct, but if a team pushes this too much in the wet - its only them that are to blame (although given the small measurements we are talking about this is a fine line, but thats why they are the best in the business as it were lol)
 
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