2014 too slow? (or not, as the case may be)

[fasterthanyou]

Rosbeg just did 1:33.662.

EDIT: and now 1:33.283

So if I'm not totally wrong we are now four seconds faster than the fastest race lap last year and it is not the end of the development of performance but very much the start.

It is still true that the cars will have less downforce and more weight. It follows that we will have significantly more power than it was initially thought.

If I would belong to the group that thought the naked ICE will not reach 40% BTE in 2014 I would start to rethink my point of view.

But are the cars really that much faster than expected? Top speed last year was 315 compare to 336 this year. Only 20kph increase which is pretty much what we thought.

[Maxion]

But are the cars really that much faster than expected? Top speed last year was 315 compare to 336 this year. Only 20kph increase which is pretty much what we thought.

336 in testing, with an aero package that isn't done and isn't tailored for Bahrain. Most likely with an engine that isn't giving the performance that it will at the first race.

We'll definitely see the top speeds increase further.

[fasterthanyou]

But are the cars really that much faster than expected? Top speed last year was 315 compare to 336 this year. Only 20kph increase which is pretty much what we thought.

336 in testing, with an aero package that isn't done and isn't tailored for Bahrain. Most likely with an engine that isn't giving the performance that it will at the first race.

We'll definitely see the top speeds increase further.

That's all assumptions though. If you ask me, I'd say the engine is pretty close to final spec and it is likely they push it to its limit given they have to homologate the engine in 6 days.

[turbof1]

Rosbeg just did 1:33.662.

EDIT: and now 1:33.283

So if I'm not totally wrong we are now four seconds faster than the fastest race lap last year and it is not the end of the development of performance but very much the start.

It is still true that the cars will have less downforce and more weight. It follows that we will have significantly more power than it was initially thought.

If I would belong to the group that thought the naked ICE will not reach 40% BTE in 2014 I would start to rethink my point of view.

But are the cars really that much faster than expected? Top speed last year was 315 compare to 336 this year. Only 20kph increase which is pretty much what we thought.

It isn't only top speed - acceleration will also be higher.

[rjsa]

But are the cars really that much faster than expected? Top speed last year was 315 compare to 336 this year. Only 20kph increase which is pretty much what we thought.

336 in testing, with an aero package that isn't done and isn't tailored for Bahrain. Most likely with an engine that isn't giving the performance that it will at the first race.

We'll definitely see the top speeds increase further.

Get ready for the too fast to be safe debacle. Remeber, you heard it here first.

[Gridlock]

Get ready for the too fast to be safe debacle. Remeber, you heard it here first.

This occurred to me when thinking about Monza too, remember how silly the media get at the merest sniff of a story - see eg all the it's-Hamilton's-championship-to-lose talk after his win last year

If they go nuts and we see 230mph+ at Monza or Spa, would you want to be lapping certain other drivers?

[henra]

Get ready for the too fast to be safe debacle. Remeber, you heard it here first.

That's what occured to me as well.
Here's waiting for the next round of slowing down F1.


It is interesting to see to what extent the peaky characteristic of the small high revving NA engines hindered the speed of the cars.
It looks like the Power Unit has a few more HP compared to last year (probably even including KERS) but the main difference surely is the power curve of the Power Unit . Almost no loss of HP after shifting to a higher gear + a little bit less drag of the cars.
Still I'm surprised to see cars in the second Test getting to 1s within last year's Pole time.
Looks like it will not take long until we see faster quali Times than last year.
Race pace might be a different matter though.
That said, Merc looked to be roughly on a 1:40 -1:41 average in race sim which would be not much more than 1s slower than last year's race.(Overall Race average of the fastest cars having been 1:39,5 (excluding pit stops).

It is just winter testing but I think we can happily scrap all the worst case scenarios of F1 becoming slower than GP2.

[fasterthanyou]

It isn't only top speed - acceleration will also be higher.

Also one of the things we expect earlier.

[chip engineer]

Rosbeg just did 1:33.662.

EDIT: and now 1:33.283

So if I'm not totally wrong we are now four seconds faster than the fastest race lap last year and it is not the end of the development of performance but very much the start.

It is still true that the cars will have less downforce and more weight. It follows that we will have significantly more power than it was initially thought.

If I would belong to the group that thought the naked ICE will not reach 40% BTE in 2014 I would start to rethink my point of view.

But are the cars really that much faster than expected? Top speed last year was 315 compare to 336 this year. Only 20kph increase which is pretty much what we thought.

Does anyone know the length of the straight where these top speeds are being measured?

[Juzh]

Does anyone know the length of the straight where these top speeds are being measured?

1205m

[ironrose]

is the speed trap at the same location on the circuit as it was in 2013???

[Crabbia]

Get ready for the too fast to be safe debacle. Remeber, you heard it here first.

and i think there are going to be many more off track excursions too, judging from the comments of the drivers,these cars are tougher in the corners due to the lack of downforce.
http://grandprix247.com/2014/02/23/rosb ... e-corners/

Are the higher top speeds and slower cornering speeds going to be worse or better for overtaking?
Should that be its own topic?

[Just_a_fan]

Are the higher top speeds and slower cornering speeds going to be worse or better for overtaking?

It should improve overtaking because the braking phase will be longer. It won't be a huge difference but it might allow the top guys to get through the field a bit more easily.

[Crabbia]

Are the higher top speeds and slower cornering speeds going to be worse or better for overtaking?

It should improve overtaking because the braking phase will be longer. It won't be a huge difference but it might allow the top guys to get through the field a bit more easily.

I thought this too, comparing the slow cornering speeds and high top speeds to motorcycling. But then again those guys have the pick of their lines so the comparison isn't fair.

But what you say makes sense total sense to me.

[Artur Craft]

For example, a 2013 car has much tighter restrictions on it's downforce generating surfaces than a 1990 car, but sure as hell generates more downforce.

I HIGHLY doubt that, highly!

and have seen some aero figures from cars of 94, 98, 2001 and they are a far cry from the 94 ones. From 2005 onwards, they took several measures to keep reducing downforce even further.

Just for an idea, the 98 car had just about 75% of the downforce of the 94 one, and the 2001 wasn't much better than the 98 either.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the 2013 cars had less downforce than even the 98 ones, nevermind the 2014. Slick very soft tyres, DRS and KERS masked these lastest generation cars' laptimes a lot.

Put the 2013 Red Bull and the 1998 Mclaren with the same engine, no DRS, no KERS, same tyres, same weight and any other relevant factor being equal, I would bet on the 98 car