Australian GP 2010 - Melbourne

[segedunum]

The problem Red Bull have got is that the RB6 might not be has far ahead of everyone else in a couple of races time - if McLaren perfect a ride height control system they might catch right up. Red Bull should have been bagging points now while they have the advantage.

It's certainly true they need to win races while they have an advantage, but it's going to take others a fair while to catch up. McLaren are definitely not going to perfect a ride height system in a couple of races. The history of things like active suspension teaches us that, and to have something that is passive but automatic is a real puzzle. Ferrari themselves have got an awful lot of things right this season, and even they'll be puzzled as to how they're down on speed. Remember that RB are also going to have to develop their system further, as well as the other things that no on else has such as the rear pull-rod suspension and packaging so they can have the exhaust system they want.

That's why we've had some back-handed comments about the RB's legality and questions over their fuel tank from someone who isn't even in F1 any more.

Has anyone managed to find any decent images of the ride height adjustment? Is it a manual system, or is it some clever semi-auto system?

That's exactly the problem. There is suspicion, but no one can prove anything and people can only guess at what RB are doing, if they're doing it. Naturally, they're completely denying all knowledge of ride-height adjustment. I think this will be an area of development that is worse than traction control, that no one was supposed to have but no one could prove. Replicating something you don't know about is rather difficult.

[WhiteBlue]

It begins with his physical size (too tall, too heavy)

Are you size-ist, WB? I wouldn't have thought it. Since when did personal stature effect who can be a world champion?

In this day and age the cars are designed to the tallest driver in the team. It has a significant aspect on CoG and the ballast the team can use. You can verify that by the stories of Kubica doing massive diats just to stay a bit more competitive with Heidfeld in their BMW years. Heidfeld really is very small and lite which is a huge advantage.

The last tall WDC with high weight was Mansell and even he had huge problems in his last year with the McLaren. They build a special monocoque for him but he found the car was nowhere near competitive. All the guys since then were average weight and height or small.

[creedbratton]

I'm not completelly sure about who this happened to, but I'm pretty sure it was a red bull. Anyway I am sure that i saw sparks, the kind created from metal on metal contact, come from the pneumatic rattle gun come from the right front wheel.

Could it be the brake scoops hoovering up titanium dust from the front wing skids and debris?

I thought it looked more like the wheel nut was spinning on its mount, or that the rattle gun was spinning on the wheel nuts its self like the nut got jammed or something.

[horse]

You can verify that by the stories of Kubica doing massive diats just to stay a bit more competitive with Heidfeld in their BMW years. Heidfeld really is very small and lite which is a huge advantage.

I appreciate that there are some ballast advantages to being a lighter driver, but with the minimum weight limit increase, then this is not such an issue now. By your logic, Barichello should be WDC now rather than Button, Patrese would have beaten Mansell to the 1992 WDC, Jacques Villeneuve would have beaten Damon Hill in 1996, and, yes, Heidfeld would have been quicker than Kubica. Yes, it may be a disadvantage, but if it was such an important disadvantage every driver would look like a jockey.

Mansell was a big fatty when he made his comeback for McLaren, so I'm not sure that counts.

[WhiteBlue]

Well, I have said it begins with physical data. They surely have an influence or handicap as I have shown you. I did not even mention the length of the monocoque being dictated by the tallest driver. Teams employing lite and short drivers can gain advantages there as well.

But it isn't everything as contrary examples of Mansell have shown. I just think that in the last 15 years there is a definite trend towards jockey physique of the top drivers.

http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/f1 ... report.pdf

Scrutineering report

[raceman]

Replicating something you don't know about is rather difficult.

+1

.....and is ingenious if you strike the cord right.

[christopher.mahlon]

On a serious note:

I thought Ferrari’s lack of performance during the race could be due to the team turning the engines down a little after the issues they had in the last race.

To play pedant: please tell me, what does this have to do with the Macca? Go talk about the F10 in the F10 thread.

Giblet, I don't remember the asymmetrical exhausts in Bahrain. However, McLaren used this solution a lot last season, and my guess is that they're just going by what worked last year. Does make the car look weird, though.

[marcush.]

process -pit stop and pitstop preparation is of course a part of the process management and of course a signe of proper quality planning,caims of sub 3 second pitstops is not a sign of proper planning when in reality the crew has yet to perform a sub 3 second stop officially...maybe it was as simple as a bit of debris ,a ridge or whatever jamming between mounting face on the hub and the rim ..who knows.
As the wheel did not come off completely it must have been the drive pegs sheared off or the holes on the other part securing the pegs worn off ..or could the whel go that far out till the stops and disengage from the hub drive?..

Hmmm, perhaps this is going to far, if I was wrong before.
Could the low mounted calliper and the resulting scoop design leave debris behind the wheel that dropped behind the new wheel on fitting?

You will inevitably bang the tyres on and use the Caliper as a guide ,just to be sure not to brush the carbon disc...which does not like any impacts especially as sideloads...brings up a further point with the low mounted calipers ..all thats falling in terms of debris will collect on top of the caliper and not fall to the ground....

[horse]

The following parts have been replaced during the Parc Fermé yesterday and today by the Virgin Racing team for parts with a different specification:

Car 24: Fuel collector with a different capacity

Interesting to see that they changed the scavenger. Is this a part fix to increase the overall capacity of the fuel system?

[Giblet]

Edit : Late to the punch.

[marcush.]

Replicating something you don't know about is rather difficult.

+1

.....and is ingenious if you strike the cord right.

I am under the impression the teams should know quite well what they loose where and and when because of the added load at the begining of the race.

this should enable you to quantify for every track just how much you loose in Qualyfying and in the race .

With this in hand you will be able to create a spreadsheet defining the areas you want to alter during the race (and from qualy to race)
then you will try and define what the varables in your system are and when you will be able to use them and how.

so will it make sense to have two ride height settings instead of 1 ,how much better would it be to have a constant adjustment?
Will it be of benefit to just alter the height or do you want more springrate as well
How would the system you conceive alter and influence the rideheight at higher speeds when aeroforces dominate?
what about car attitude ,will the system give you zero pitch and squat and allow you to reduce geametric antidive or anti squat...you will of course find out that certain approaches will have effects on your performaance elsewhere and the real trick is to minimise the bad sides for the whole package ...as weight,and volume,complexity,failsafe,performance reductions in other areas...
and and and.. you will inevitably ,once started to analyse what you really need arrive at a system that is adressing your issue.
to just go and try to look up what they have done may lead you into drawing false conclusions from what you want to see..

[donskar]

Race started 0100 my time, but was worth staying up for.

Good win for Button.
Immature of Hamilton to publicly criticize his team's decision
Very good effort by Alonso -- last to fourth!
Is there another designer at Newey's level? I don't think so.

[marcush.]

I´d say Virgin enlarging their catchtank was meant to help them avoid the fuel surge problems they experience with less than 15 litres fuelload....


reflecting on the Interview Schumacher gave RTL directly after jumping out of the car ,it was obvious this guy had big fun in that race..it was like ...I got a nudge from behind sending me into a spin ,fortunatelly(!) I got a second nudge in the front turning me back into the right direction....unfortunatelly making a replacement of the front wing necessary.. I had good fun chasing down Jaime ... and i´m not mad with him ,because he was really going fast and holding me not up too much.. eventually he waved me by..I was very pleased for my guys to be able to come home in the points....and it was a entertaining race for me.. the car was competitive today that makes me look forward to the next races or something like that ..

[RacingManiac]

sounds more like he was still enjoying retirement...lol

[Raftaar]

Hello everyone!
Just came online now. Reading raceman's previous post, I don't think Hamilton was blaming anyone on that radio message, I think he was regretting the fact that "THEY" opted for a second stop.
But that said, I don't think they had any other option, certainly the team didn't. We know how PUNISHING Hamilton is on tyres, that is just the way he drives, he doesn't do much well in looking after them. Had they let him finish with those 2nd set of tyres, they probably won't even have seen him finish, he would have worn them off before that!!

Coming back to the radio message, I just think the rant came out of frustration of not being able to pass Alonso; Of him thinking that he could have done better without the second stop, well, he was probably thinking too hard!!

He was annoyed at Alonso's defiance, nothing else.