Formula One's governing body has announced that it has come to a settlement with Scuderia Ferrari after investigations into its 2019 power unit, considered the most powered in F1.
I dont quite get the fuss about talking CFD numbers, arguing the size of rear wings or any wings at all?
Yes, the more drag a car has, the more power you need to overcome that.
But the aerodynamics of the car is relatively constant. It doesnt change, or morph into something else, changing the CFD of the car, sans DRS of course. Some wings will bend as the load increases, but apart from that, it will be the same.
Still there are variables that change over time. Between sessions and weekends, the car might be subject to CFD changes, as the car is altered to suit the track as the teams try to find the right trade off.
But during a session, within park ferme, drag will be more or less constant.
Then you look at the GPS data and focus on the acceleration phases. Because Ferrari (or any team really) dont always use their power mode, you then can compare these acceleration changes between when the car is on it and when it isnt. Of course during a race, one has to account for decreasing fuel levels and traffic (tow), maybe wind too as well as to discount the period when the car is obviously grip limited.
Surely, the difference between the phases when the Ferrari is “on it” vs “when they are not” is entirely what the competition is analyzing to deduct how powerful “power mode” is.
My point being; even if Ferrari decide to slap on the biggest rear wing possible, you can still draw conclusions from their relative performance. We maybe cant, due to a lack of data, but the teams surely can.
Not for nothing, Rosberg's Championship is the only thing that lends credibility to Hamilton's recent success. Otherwise, he'd just be the guy who's had the best car. — bhall II #Team44 supporter
The teams dont have time not the need to sue cfd to estimate power though.
The cars are right there at the track.
The data from lift and coast can sort of estimate the drag levels of the cars.
Then data at lower speeds and higher speeds used with it. Even data from mguk usage is also good. We know at max boost it is 120KW use this while accelersting at high speed to sort of estimate the relative drag of the cars.
Quite a number of ways to let the data bring you within the ball park.
That 25-30hp would only be visible on acceleration, if they added more drag at the same time with higher aero downforce then the actual hp number would actually be larger, but be unable to be seen(except thru higher cornering speeds).
Since they did increase downforce levels, probably for a much larger increase in drag than normal, than we can conclude that the number is clearly higher than just the 25-30hp that is evident from the GPS numbers.
It definitely seems like they've lost something. They are still fast in a straight line, so clearly still have some horses, but they are not tenths up on a single straight like they were earlier in the season. You'd have expected them to smash everyone down the long straight(s) at Yas, but it's not really happened.
It definitely seems like they've lost something. They are still fast in a straight line, so clearly still have some horses, but they are not tenths up on a single straight like they were earlier in the season. You'd have expected them to smash everyone down the long straight(s) at Yas, but it's not really happened.
IF you assumed that ferrari had huge power advantage whole season, then you could expect that.
But those assumptions where never really based on real facts. If Ferrari had that kind of power advantage as it was said, they would easily win the championship.
If they had the power from the summer break to rule clarification but for the entire season, I feel they would have won the championship.
They were quick in the straights today, but this was clearly due to low downforce, hence the horrible sector 3 and really bad tyre wear.
I've said it before... but they really should have saved the 'cheat' for the start of next season. Showing their hand mid-season has achieved nothing for them other than bad press and investigations.
If they had the power from the summer break to rule clarification but for the entire season, I feel they would have won the championship.
They were quick in the straights today, but this was clearly due to low downforce, hence the horrible sector 3 and really bad tyre wear.
I've said it before... but they really should have saved the 'cheat' for the start of next season. Showing their hand mid-season has achieved nothing for them other than bad press and investigations.
Not the first year where some sort of directives hindered the reds, wondering what would be next year,
Obviously if Leclerc's car is still overweight by the same amount as the discrepancy earlier then it's probably fine and all they've done is handicap themselves. If not then they may be in trouble. Is it all a coincidence that this is happening now after the past few races and TDs etc?
However, there was some radio talk where they asked Vettel to go into fuel saving mode during the race and Vettel said 'Why?'
Could they have been off the pace because they needed to use less fuel than they'd planned to? (IF the overfill/discrepancy was NOT accidental and they are breaching rules.) Is that what's been happening in the last few races, hence the drop in pace?
Obviously if Leclerc's car is still overweight by the same amount as the discrepancy earlier then it's probably fine and all they've done is handicap themselves. If not then they may be in trouble. Is it all a coincidence that this is happening now after the past few races and TDs etc?
However, there was some radio talk where they asked Vettel to go into fuel saving mode during the race and Vettel said 'Why?'
Could they have been off the pace because they needed to use less fuel than they'd planned to? (IF the overfill/discrepancy was NOT accidental and they are breaching rules.) Is that what's been happening in the last few races, hence the drop in pace?
I'm not accusing, just musing.
the problem isn't really that they took more or less fuel (to mch is a breach aswell) but the difference between what was in the car and what Ferrari said was in the car.
and now they need to find out by how much and if it breaches the rules