Vanja #66 wrote: ↑17 Nov 2022, 13:26
I was looking at those gifs and videos on YT to approximate the line, so that's just my view. This is the best approximation I can produce, the line has a varying radius, apex speed is just the speed in one point, etc... I don't think his hypothetical line would have been tighter than R50, there's just no evidence for that. Still leaves him room to correct, tap the brakes if needed and stay on the outside curb within track limits...
I drew below based on the following assumptions:
1. The center of the car is 1m from the inner edge of the white line at the 3rd white block of kerb on the right. The right rear appears to actually touch the white line in the gif but this is close enough.
2. The center of the car is almost exactly over and tangent to the seam between the white line and kerb prior to contact which occurs before the perpendicular white line, also as shown in the gif.
3. The centerline of the car will be 1m from the edge of the track on corner exit, on the exact edge of track limits.
4. The car will be heading in a direction parallel to the edge of the track by the time it reaches the right side of the image in Turn 3.
5. 3 degree entry angle. Due to how this sketch is constrained by the above criteria, only entry angles in the 2.X-5.X degree range are possible. To meet those criteria a higher entry angle actually lead to a smaller radius (turn in occurs unrealistically late) so I went with 3 degrees.
These criteria put the 'turn in' just after the 6th white block of the right kerb. I think this is a fine approximation because, as shown in the onboard, Max starts to turn right around the 2nd-3rd block and then adds a significant amount of angle around the 8th-9th block just prior to contact.
This radius given is R50.74 which is still a 9% increase in force from Hamilton's fastest lap. I would still consider this a significant increase in force, especially when you consider that Max's line demanded he run the right side on top of the inside kerb which would have unsettled the car. To make R55 work in this scenario he has to leave the track by 3-4m which would be pretty similar to where he actually ended up after the accident, just past the T3 kerb. That would make me think the collision didn't actually alter his line all that much.