Driver styles/preferences

[mnmracer]

Some people are actually interested in expanding their knowledge on a subject. Others only want to read whatever enforces their own assumptions.

[JimClarkFan]

Some people are actually interested in expanding their knowledge on a subject. Others only want to read whatever enforces their own assumptions.

Ironic that you say that.


Edit - just to clarify, I think Vettel is a great driver, in case I am misinterpreted as meaning that I don't rate Vettel

[SectorOne]

Absolutely it is dangerous to assume anything in Formula 1. The only evidence we have of Vettel working harder are circumstantial, such as the reports of him staying around the garages late into the night , bringing his mechanics sandwiches & coffee whilst they work on the car, along with Ted Kravitz's oft repeated assertion that Vettel is routinely the first driver into the paddock and last out (easily assertable for media presumably with the paddock entrance scanners) and Vettel's own statement that his & RBs success was due to their work ethic that struck a nerve with Rosberg - delivered in a pitlane empty bar RB doing pitstop practices & Vettel doing a solo trackrun....

All pure circumstance & speculation but with many things in life, if it looks like a dog & barks like a dog, often it is just a dog.

That´s just a dip of everything you could theoretically observe though.
How many times is Ted in each and every factory clocking the drivers sitting in the simulators or working late into the night with the engineers or calling in your team to work during weekends?

I´m sure Vettel is working very hard, but i´m equally sure all other top drivers does as well. (even Kimi)
Just basing workload based on who´s there early and leaves late on a race weekend is a bit ambitious.

[Jonnycraig]

Absolutely it is dangerous to assume anything in Formula 1. The only evidence we have of Vettel working harder are circumstantial, such as the reports of him staying around the garages late into the night , bringing his mechanics sandwiches & coffee whilst they work on the car, along with Ted Kravitz's oft repeated assertion that Vettel is routinely the first driver into the paddock and last out (easily assertable for media presumably with the paddock entrance scanners) and Vettel's own statement that his & RBs success was due to their work ethic that struck a nerve with Rosberg - delivered in a pitlane empty bar RB doing pitstop practices & Vettel doing a solo trackrun....

All pure circumstance & speculation but with many things in life, if it looks like a dog & barks like a dog, often it is just a dog.

That´s just a dip of everything you could theoretically observe though.
How many times is Ted in each and every factory clocking the drivers sitting in the simulators or working late into the night with the engineers or calling in your team to work during weekends?

I´m sure Vettel is working very hard, but i´m equally sure all other top drivers does as well. (even Kimi)
Just basing workload based on who´s there early and leaves late on a race weekend is a bit ambitious.

Of course, as said on the previous page, whilst there is plenty to suggest that Vettel is working whilst other drivers are relaxing, it is all purely circumstantial and speculative.

Whilst it's fact that Vettel was the only driver to travel to the Pirelli factory in the 10/11 offseason, the day he passed his driving test he drove across Europe to have a look around the RB factory, and the day after Multi 21, he flew unannounced to Milton Keynes for some impromptu simulator time, it's equally possible that other drivers are quietly pounding in the miles in the simulator over and above their scheduled time.

Apologies of course if this thread is turning a bit 'yin-yang', the intention was purely to add some possible perspective to Webber's claims that Vettel is better prepared for sessions than his rivals.

[mnmracer]

I guess everyone in the paddock is just on a secret mission to make everyone else look bad, by never talking about the extend other drivers go to. Of course, when it was Schumacher who was lauded for his hard work, the rules of accepting a driver's virtues were completely different.

[SectorOne]

Of course, as said on the previous page, whilst there is plenty to suggest that Vettel is working whilst other drivers are relaxing,

I´m not so sure it is. If you have some examples where Vettel is doing something while you know for a fact the others are not i would be happy to look at them.

Will Vettel stick around working with the engineers today? No he took the first plane home.
So i think you should be very careful when you claim someone is working harder then other people.

Did Vettel skip Christmas and New Years Eve to instead train through all of that? No? Maybe it´s not that clear cut.

Edit: just to show to what lengths all drivers go to, to get an edge. Hamilton fitted his snow mobile with a Turbo "so that i could get used to the feel of a vehicle delivering power in that way".

This is the level of insanity you´ll find in the best drivers on the planet.

[Jonnycraig]

Did Vettel skip Christmas and New Years Eve to instead train through all of that? No? Maybe it´s not that clear cut.

No, he was having a baby. (Not him obviously, but you know what I mean).

[SectorOne]

Did Vettel skip Christmas and New Years Eve to instead train through all of that? No? Maybe it´s not that clear cut.

No, he was having a baby. (Not him obviously, but you know what I mean).

Jan 15th yes, and not every year i suppose?
i take it you have no examples seeing as you disregarded 90% of the post?

[Steven]

Sorry, but what does this all have to do with driver styles and their preferences in a Formula One car?

[Sevach]

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2014/01/29/b ... fun-drive/

Bottas goes a bit about differences in driving a 14 car to 13 car.
Seems like throttle control is the biggest difference.

[raymondu999]

I'm interested though. Will a more late apex approach be more favorable, or will the carry-speed circular line approach be more favorable? In one, you maintain speed so use less fuel re-accelerating, but in the other you lose less energy to tyre scrub/drag

[SectorOne]

I think the latter will be the best, saves fuel and saves the rears while leaning on the fronts. When the fronts start to go you can always revert to slower apex, late apex runs to really work the rear tires more.

[raymondu999]

I don't think you can say carrying speed saves rears. While the fronts do the turning, the rears have to supply stability to the car.

[timbo]

I don't think you can say carrying speed saves rears. While the fronts do the turning, the rears have to supply stability to the car.

That's different stresses. More G's and more lateral forces vs more sliding.

[Sevach]

In that case which type of energy the new Pirelli's likes more is gonna be crucial, the old ones (reportedly) didn't like lateral energy.

There's also the saving fuel part, with some suggestions of coasting a little bit before the corners, i imagine this would push people into a carry speed style at least during the races.


I'm also quite curious how the eletric power will be used both in Q and the races.
They say there's no ERS button anymore, it's all on the throttle, but there's only 33s...
Will we see people lifting slightly in the final 200m of a straight? Or there will be a steering function for Hybrid/pure combustion?

Sam Michael also said you won't be able to harvest enough for 33s per lap, so in the races you could use nothing on one lap to have extra on the next one... crazy times...