F1 myths?

[Astro85]

You often hear claims in F1 that you think maybe is not entirely correct.

One for me is the delta needed to make a pass, it was said that to pass around Singapore you need a 2 second delta. I don't believe this to be true, after certain cars yesterday made a pass they didn't pull away from the passed party at anything close to 2 seconds a lap, this is also the case at other circuits. Where does this "myth" come from?

[Rinde]

A 2 seconds delta looks extremely exaggerated. However, if you consider the sequence of corners and lack of long straights then it becomes clear why overtaking is hard. Most overtakes happened in drs zones only after a traction deficit out of corners or a send into unlikely corners. The traction deficit is a result of shot tyres which when collated over a lap, ie tentative entries into corners and lack of grip when exiting, the 2 seconds delta makes sense.

[Astro85]

A 2 seconds delta looks extremely exaggerated. However, if you consider the sequence of corners and lack of long straights then it becomes clear why overtaking is hard. Most overtakes happened in drs zones only after a traction deficit out of corners or a send into unlikely corners. The traction deficit is a result of shot tyres which when collated over a lap, ie tentative entries into corners and lack of grip when exiting, the 2 seconds delta makes sense.

But, if that's the case, once said driver makes the pass shouldn't he be expected to pull away from the passed driver at close to 2 secs a lap? As we know that is never the case unless there's a massive tyre advantage.

[Rinde]

Tyre management and letting the engine cool after running in dirty air. Singapore is one of the hottest races and the circuits shots the tyres plus the long 28 seconds pit loss time. It is a very conservative race.

[Astro85]

Tyre management and letting the engine cool after running in dirty air. Singapore is one of the hottest races and the circuits shots the tyres plus the long 28 seconds pit loss time. It is a very conservative race.

But, this never happens on other circuits as well, and as you know many overtakes happen with a driver on the charge, trying to overtake another car after he has made the pass. I think the deltas given are incorrect and overstated.

[Spoutnik]

The biggest myth for me is that "Perez is very good at managing his tyres"...

[jz11]

2 sec is a gross oversimplification for tv audience and to cope with boring situations where one car is following another for 25 laps in 0.5~1.5sec range yet doesn't even have a look anywhere for an attempt to pass

[Greg Locock]

My favorite F1 myth is that new techs are developed in F1 that then get used in production cars. Other than CF monocoques, nope.

[SiLo]

My favorite F1 myth is that new techs are developed in F1 that then get used in production cars. Other than CF monocoques, nope.

A lot of tech in F1 comes from road divisions.

[Just_a_fan]

You often hear claims in F1 that you think maybe is not entirely correct.

One for me is the delta needed to make a pass, it was said that to pass around Singapore you need a 2 second delta. I don't believe this to be true, after certain cars yesterday made a pass they didn't pull away from the passed party at anything close to 2 seconds a lap, this is also the case at other circuits. Where does this "myth" come from?

I think the delta mentioned is a tyre grip delta - you need enough tyre that you could, on a flyer, be 2 seconds faster. Not that you will automatically pull away at 2 seconds/lap. And that delta is really to give a decent excess of braking grip and traction over your "target".

[Just_a_fan]

My favorite F1 myth is that new techs are developed in F1 that then get used in production cars. Other than CF monocoques, nope.

Yeah, same here. Silly myth, that one.

[RZS10]

As Jz11 wrote it's an oversimplification, but imho for an easy pass where the car ahead cannot defend ... as soon *as certain variables get introduced it's not necessarily applicable anymore.

Those variables can be different car characteristics (traction, top speed), a difference in available ERS levels, tyres, tyre age and of course DRS or a DRS train.

We saw how easily the frontrunners got past the Red Bulls, in case of Lewis getting past Max he was roughly those 2s/lap faster (27/28) in free air until he started catching up to Norris and the Mercedes cars, whilst being up to 1.5s/lap faster than Sainz and Norris, could not make an impression on those two.

So maybe it's not really a 'myth' ... just a very very rough measure.

edit: correction

[AR3-GP]

My favorite F1 myth is that new techs are developed in F1 that then get used in production cars. Other than CF monocoques, nope.

Electrical energy management software, development methodology, and tools? yes

[Big Tea]

My favorite F1 myth is that new techs are developed in F1 that then get used in production cars. Other than CF monocoques, nope.

Yeah, same here. Silly myth, that one.

The rules are such now that they can not develop new technologies without contravening the regs.

[Just_a_fan]

My favorite F1 myth is that new techs are developed in F1 that then get used in production cars. Other than CF monocoques, nope.

Yeah, same here. Silly myth, that one.

The rules are such now that they can not develop new technologies without contravening the regs.

They never developed technologies. They adapt existing stuff from elsewhere.