SPEEDtv.com Forums

Rub blocks

2008-09-28T09:18:48-05:00

Question:

With the night race it was easy to see just how much the titanium rub blocks were hitting.

Where are they located? Front? Rear? If on the rear, don't they defeat the purpose of the legality plank?

The difference between weight and downforce?

2008-08-18T09:17:57-05:00

Not sure how to ask the question: what are the physical differences and similarities between the two forces? How are F1 cars or any car affected by the two?

Red Bull and STR?

2008-09-15T23:16:00-05:00

When did it become okay for teams to share technology? The Red Bull and Scuderia Toro Rosso teams apparently share a chassis, didn't that used to be illegal? I remember when it was rumored that the Benetton and Ligier cars shared a chassis and it was considered scandalous.

Also, do the teams all still have to develop their own transmissions, and if so, do Red Bull's and Toro Rosso's have to be different?

Anyone seen any conceptual drawings of next years cars?

2008-09-15T17:11:45-05:00

Just curious about how they will look.

Sensitive to Bumps?

2008-09-27T09:58:18-05:00

How can the electrons be sensitive to bumps at Singapore after
we saw these same cars bouncing off the bollards (speed bumps)
at Monza?

Bump Senitivity

2008-09-27T09:52:48-05:00

I don't understand why the Steve is saying the electronics on the cars are senitive to bumps at Singapore after we just saw these same cars
boncing over the ballards (speed bumps) at Monza? Sorry, just don't
buy that.

Ferris Bueller’s day off

2008-09-12T15:21:47-05:00

When the mechanics make repairs to the car who gets the take a joy ride? Do they just wait for the driver the next day or something? Do the mechanics ever get a drive?

Adjustments To Get More Heat Into The Tires

2008-09-17T14:16:04-05:00

How hard is it to make changes to the overall package to get the car to use its tires more effectively? Is it down to the chassis design? Or can minor adjustments be made from race to race?

Jerez Test Times - Development Comparison

2008-09-18T21:38:08-05:00

Last test of the season in preparation for Singapore (high downforce) compared to July's pre-Hungaroring (high downforce) prep test at Jerez and these are the single best lap times:

1. McLaren-Mercedes July 24, 25: 1:19.850 (de la Rosa), 1:18.385 (Kovalainen) ; .... Sept. 18: 1:19.281 (de la Rosa)

2. BMW-Sauber July 24, 25: 1:20.896 (Heidfeld), 1:19.915 (Heidfeld) ;... Sept. 18: 1:18.167 (Heidfeld)

3. Toro Rosso-Ferrari July 25: 1:18.746 (Bourdais) ; Sept 18: 1:19.574 (Sato)

4. Red Bull-Renault July 24, 25: 1:19.176 (Webber), 1:19.494 (Coulthard) ;... Sept 18: 1:19.878 (Vettel)

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/69451

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/70710

It goes to show you that these don't reveal a lot in terms of development comparisons in pace because of the different programs they're testing (varied fuel load, tyres, components being tested) even though some may have the same driver.

Drag reducing materials.

2008-09-17T12:13:30-05:00

I thought it interesting that Speedo's new racing suite (for swimming) lead to significant reductions in times at the Olympics; which got me thinking if anything similar has been developed in F1. Have any formula one teams experimented with different materials to reduce drag? In my research I haven't found anything. Maybe something like the lotus effect (superhydrophobic)? Is there a corollary for gases (air), similar to the lotus effect for liquids?