Who's running KERS and will it damage the racing?

[Figure8]

A simple question...

must be's:

Mclaren
Ferrari

almost certainties..


Red Bull
Renault
Mercedes

none of the 'new' teams will I assume, so that leaves a middle pack of uncertainties:

Williams
Sauber
Force India
STR

Surely all those not running it are going to be unable at any point to effectively fight and race with the (potential) KERS 5?

I've only just really taken on the magnitude of what this means, given that the weight distribution advantage has been neutralised this year. Are we going to see KERS cause as many issues for the users as in 09, or are we quite worryingly set for a split championship?

[mx_tifoso]

I believe Sauber and STR are running Ferrari's Magnetti-Marelli based system. IIRC Ferrari reported something about training their customer teams with proper safety procedures to handle KERS.

And Force India are supposed to be running Mercedes'.

Williams are running their own [battery] system.

Has it been confirmed that RBR will run KERS? Source please?

[raymondu999]

No no, he's quoting popular speculation. That's why it's "almost" certain

[mx_tifoso]

Alright. But there must be some source for the speculation.

And as for Mercedes, I would think that if McLaren run it it's obvious that the suppliers themselves should run it as well.

[Figure8]

I was basing it on my own (potentially flawed) logic that if 4 top team around them have it they can perhaps not afford to go without, off the start line if nothing else.

I hope they don't run it as that would mean the benefit is still rather small.

[myurr]

Sauber have also confirmed usage of KERS.

Source - last paragraph: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89157

[WhiteBlue]

All the established teams will run KERS. The drivers have been talking about shedding weight or not been able to do so. In my view it really is an issue of money. If you are aiming for the upper half of the grid you cannot afford not to have it. If you are happy to get to eights or ninth place you may get away without it. IMO only the new teams will run without it and Team Lotus may even introduce it later if they find it is needed.

[raymondu999]

Alright. But there must be some source for the speculation.

And as for Mercedes, I would think that if McLaren run it it's obvious that the suppliers themselves should run it as well.

Is McLaren's unit produced by MB HPE? Or another entity?

[mx_tifoso]

IIRC Zytek designed the Mercedes unit. Or a collaboration between the two.

[pob]

Zytek and MB HPE designed the McLaren KERS link.

I thought Ross Brawn had confirmed that Mercedes would be be using a development of Honda's KERS (which wasn't used with the 2009 Brawn as it wasn't compatible [not enough room because of the Mercedes engine placement]).

[andrew]

I can see KERS making very little to no difference as the drivers will for the most part be deploying KERS in much the same locations on each track. I guess the intention is good in the theory of saving fuel, though carrying the added weight of the KERS unit would surely increase fuel consumption.

Basically KERS is just a push to pass gimmick which only masks over the real problems which restrict the amount of overtaking. I'm not sold on KERS yet.

[WhiteBlue]

I thought Ross Brawn had confirmed that Mercedes would be be using a development of Honda's KERS (which wasn't used with the 2009 Brawn as it wasn't compatible [not enough room because of the Mercedes engine placement]).

I remember that this myth was corrected by Scarbs. I just don't remember the URL. It will not work because IMO it was the positioning of the battery in the nose of the Honda KERS which isn't compatible with the high noses we currently see.



Mercedes GP, McLaren and FI will definitely use the MBHPE Ltd. KERS system according to N.Haug.

And there is the return of KERS following a one-year absence at the end of the 2009 season when our Mercedes system recorded a historic first race win. This will play a massive role amongst all of the performance-related components, both for the additional power and for the strategic options it makes available. As in 2009, it is our ambition that Mercedes-Benz builds and runs the best hybrid system and that all three teams which use it benefit significantly from this.

I can see KERS making very little to no difference as the drivers will for the most part be deploying KERS in much the same locations on each track. I guess the intention is good in the theory of saving fuel, though carrying the added weight of the KERS unit would surely increase fuel consumption. Basically KERS is just a push to pass gimmick which only masks over the real problems which restrict the amount of overtaking. I'm not sold on KERS yet.

Adrian Newey's judgement on KERS is different and I would be inclined to follow his expertise. Source

Packaging is a challenge with KERS and the big challenge is to try and come up with a solution that doesn't compromise the aerodynamics too much, otherwise you drop the performance benefit that you get from putting KERS on.

We are here to try hard to try and develop it through the pre-season so that we are confident that it does give us performance. I think one of the things that came clearly in 2009 was that the start-line performance of KERS was important.

Fortunately the team that we were battling with, which was Brawn that year, also didn't have KERS so neither had an advantage over the other in that sense, so this year I think no doubt with McLaren and Ferrari and Mercedes having KERS and being extremely competitive, then we need to get it to work if for no other reason than simply performance off the line.

[marcush.]

But..with the new rear wing ,overtaking could be a lot easier so the off the line performance is potentially not as important as it was in the years before...
We have yet to see if the rear wing makes for easy overtaking but if this is reality ,then Qualification and the start are devalued considerably and you will need to concentrate on working for the race only and that may change the balance towards omitting KERS.As neweay said -if you have to trade in a small startline advantage and top speed for a aeroadvantage things quickly tip over when both areas of advantage are
erased -considering the failure potential of KERS as an added risk the decision is almost done .

[Danlizzyman]

But..with the new rear wing ,overtaking could be a lot easier so the off the line performance is potentially not as important as it was in the years before...

I don't think the rear wing can be adjusted in the first two laps of the race.

[raymondu999]

But..with the new rear wing ,overtaking could be a lot easier so the off the line performance is potentially not as important as it was in the years before...

I don't think the rear wing can be adjusted in the first two laps of the race.

No no, what Marcush means is that las time, you could KERS at the start and that would jump a lot of cars. Now, even if you don't get past them at the start, there's still the wing to look forward to.