I think its 30 sets of complete ratios (all 7 gears). Either way its a fairly large spread to loose.
Yes, you can't change it 30 times, you have 30 options you declare before the season. So one set has a third gear that goes higher than another track because its got loads of corners where they want higher speed in third than to switch between 3rd/4th constantly, another race has another setup.
this is such a joke........
It's not really, effectively it narrows the gap. While Ferrari can spend 5mil running simulations for every track and picking the best 30 ratio setups to suit the season dedicating hundreds of computers and a bunch of people to getting the best setup, and a midtable team basically has to guess 30 ratios and the bottom teams can't even afford 30 different ratios
We want cars that are fast, good, but we want some competitiveness, we don't want pure money to be the deciding factor between everything. Less ratios, less danger, less advantage for those who can pump hour after hour simulating and guessing, and everyone has to take a one size fits all setup. it's better for racing, worse for individual teams, we need MORE of that in F1.
How many races for instance have we seen this year where a gear ratio means one car who is driving the pants off his car, still has no chance of getting past the guy infront. Relatively level playing field is better for the sport.
To answer Abyss, I would think with the engine maps and the turbo they could move the power around to fit the track through the fixed gears.
Well I imagine that basically everyone will have to go pretty long with the 8th gear, and there IS an 8th gear, so while getting to top speed will be varying depending on where the 7th gear is setup, the 8th gear will effectively delimit the car on most straights throughout the season which is fantastic. An 8th gear gives you a lot of leeway over the other gears.
One of the reason for so many ratios is varying length of straights, drs on different straights, 8th gear will pretty much unlimit the cars on straights which for me means, more acceleration all the tracks where drs lets you catch up but then everyone hits the limit and every corner of the race is brake from the same speed... having a bit of an unknown, an 8th gear and different speed every lap depending on how good your corner is, how much of a pull you get from the car infront, drs, means cornering is more difficult and for me driver skill comes back into it more.
Then a lot more kers meaning more people pushing that 8th gear defending, and even more speed into corners, sounds pretty good to me.
Personally I'm not a fan of say Kimi being the fastest car in say the 15th race of the season, but because of a decision 6 months earlier, the car tops out before the end of the straight and can't pass anyone. "safer" gear ratios and an extra 8th gear to help avoid that particular problem will hopefully lead to more overtaking and more exciting cornering at the end of long straights, both desparately needed.
As for kers dying stopping you coming in the pits, is that really an issue... if your engine dies now you can't come in the pits. Most teams are pretty good with Ker's, red bull though sound like they'll need to actually get theirs working. While it doesn't happen often, stalling out on track does happen and more often with damaged cars than not, personally I think being able to start and potentially limp the car round a barrier could save a few safety car appearances throughout the season, maybe not.
Meh, I'm all for innovation and research but a good wing should help, being able to thrown 50mil at people perfecting that wing vs people that can't afford to is not so good.
Lastly, DRS should be in the regs, why, because we don't know the effect of the rules till they change.
Adding DRS costs money but doesn't really harm the car and isn't particularly expensive or difficult to add. What if they get rid of it, but people find that the teams come up with something new that makes the dirty air behind even worse despite smaller less complex wings? Then you have no DRS and worse over taking. If overtaking is mental with DRS you can always disable it midseason, you can't re-add it if things go horribly wrong and no one can pass anywhere.
8th gears, slipstreaming less engine limits(as Im' fairly sure they'll all choose an appropriate 8th gear to help in the fastest straights of the year so will be available everywhere) might mean overtaking is fine without it, but one more ultra diffuser, blown exhaust and some fancy new idea and dirty air might mean its all worthless. DRS is a safety measure I'd prefer was there and ready than not available at all.
