Driver styles/preferences

[Sevach]

This is from Rosberg.

"The driving is similar. The tyres are harder at the moment so that makes it a bit more difficult....and the engine is different, especially because of having the low RPM - but good torque and needing to run higher gears in the corners. Last year we did a hairpin in first gear, this year it's maybe third."

[Sevach]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... zRoKW7LHz8[/youtube]

Mcnish's opinion on the new cars.

[SectorOne]

Anything of substance for Mr. Rosberg?
V, U corners? pointy or neutral cars? What do we know?

[JimClarkFan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doiAnjUvqbo
check out Alonso (late on in video), I think this was one of his flying laps.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1gt13 ... board_auto
Likewise I think was Buttons flying lap.


It is nice to see these drivers actually having to driver their cars hard!

I can't remember seeing a person hustling a car as much as Alonso in that video, I posted Buttons lap as a comparision because I think both were on 'hot' laps. The Ferrari looks as if it lacks rear downforce / doesn't have enough traction and he is fighting it all the way. Alonso seems fairly comfortable with the oversteer on exit of most corners which sort of contradicts what other people have said in the past that he likes a car to understeer (Renault days). I don't think there is a more adaptable driver on the grid, the guy can drive anything fast.

The Mercedes look on tracks, so haven't even bothered to post them yet, I think there is a lot more time to come from them.

[basti313]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doiAnjUvqbo
check out Alonso (late on in video), I think this was one of his flying laps.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1gt13 ... board_auto
Likewise I think was Buttons flying lap.


It is nice to see these drivers actually having to driver their cars again!

I can't remember seeing a person hustling a car as much as Alonso in that video

The first lap is a warm-up lap. He is zigzagging to warm up the tires. There is hardly real power oversteer.

[JimClarkFan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doiAnjUvqbo
check out Alonso (late on in video), I think this was one of his flying laps.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1gt13 ... board_auto
Likewise I think was Buttons flying lap.


It is nice to see these drivers actually having to driver their cars again!

I can't remember seeing a person hustling a car as much as Alonso in that video

The first lap is a warm-up lap. He is zigzagging to warm up the tires. There is hardly real power oversteer.

lol, can't believe you actually just said that

[timbo]

The Ferrari looks as if it lacks rear downforce / doesn't have enough traction and he is fighting it all the way. Alonso seems fairly comfortable with the oversteer on exit of most corners which sort of contradicts what other people have said in the past that he likes a car to understeer (Renault days).

The car looks stable on braking and turn in, so I don't think there's a lack of downforce. I guess the engine is more spikey than Merc. Alonso's apparent comfort might be actually from the chassis which is stable/predictable enough to him, so he can tolerate the slides.

[SectorOne]

Sky talked about Magnussen and Boullier confirmed he likes an edgy car for what it´s worth.

Strong front end as what tends to be a trait of the fastest guys in the sport.

[Juzh]

Sky talked about Magnussen and Boullier confirmed he likes an edgy car for what it´s worth.

Strong front end as what tends to be a trait of the fastest guys in the sport.

I've watched some magnussen onboards and he's always all over the show. A real pleasure to watch him drive.

[raymondu999]

Mariano - I can't guarantee I'll find it, but I'll do my best.

Edit: here's the paragraph pertaining to Alain versus Keke:

As ever, it all depends upon circumstance and conditions. Back in the turbo days, the oversteering Keke Rosberg could not hold a candle at McLaren to the understeering Alain Prost – and for John Barnard, the team's technical director of the time, the reason was very simple: "Alain would set the car up in a way that to any other driver would feel like it had massive understeer, but he had a way of getting the car into the corner early [with his overlapping of braking and cornering], which for a turbo was fantastic, because it meant he could get early on the power and we could give him some traction. Keke, by contrast, was last of the late brakers and really liked to turn the car very quickly. To do that you need a set-up that's a bit light on rear grip – and that just wasn't the way with these cars because it meant you didn't have the traction to use all that huge power."

I think this is pretty relevant with the struggles of some drivers right now... perhaps a certain S. Vettel?

[JimClarkFan]

Mariano - I can't guarantee I'll find it, but I'll do my best.

Edit: here's the paragraph pertaining to Alain versus Keke:

As ever, it all depends upon circumstance and conditions. Back in the turbo days, the oversteering Keke Rosberg could not hold a candle at McLaren to the understeering Alain Prost – and for John Barnard, the team's technical director of the time, the reason was very simple: "Alain would set the car up in a way that to any other driver would feel like it had massive understeer, but he had a way of getting the car into the corner early [with his overlapping of braking and cornering], which for a turbo was fantastic, because it meant he could get early on the power and we could give him some traction. Keke, by contrast, was last of the late brakers and really liked to turn the car very quickly. To do that you need a set-up that's a bit light on rear grip – and that just wasn't the way with these cars because it meant you didn't have the traction to use all that huge power."

I think this is pretty relevant with the struggles of some drivers right now... perhaps a certain S. Vettel?

In what respect? Hamilton is typically said to be 'oversteering' yet he is fine compared to his team mate.

[raymondu999]

Then he either was never one tht really used oversteer, or he has adapted quicker than Vettel

[WaikeCU]

More like Magnussen, he prefers an aggressive, oversteering setup over smooth and slick like Button wants.

[PlatinumZealot]

Switching gears a bit. People always say Alonso doesn't handle oversteer well. That's just rubbish. 2014 is definitely showing Alonso handling oversteer much better than the man who is said to wring the neck of tail happy cars, Kimi Raikkonen.

Here you can see Alonso is reacting faster to the snap oversteer and promptly steadying the car, where it seems more of a handful for Kimi as his car is stepping out more:

http://giant.gfycat.com/NegligibleRemor ... chilla.gif

[Powerslide]

Another question would be, how much do drivers have to sacrifice their preferred style for set up towards gaining better grip. How much do they need to let go in pursuit for a car engineered around traction area that where they would prefer loose. If we look at Formula One cars, the amount of aerodynamic, differential and suspension work to keep that rear end stabilized in such driving condition is so high. Keeping it in check is where lap times drop so they could get power down to the tarmac as soon as possible, a bit of movement is good just to feel where the traction limit is but we can't deny that seldom drivers like this set up. A high grip rear means drivers drive around it which also means it is a challenge corner after corner. I suspect it is more a case of, rather than driver having set up the car to their liking, it is more a case of setting up a car strictly for lap time purposes, high grip sacrificing a very very unforgiving. Good drivers are the one who can toy around this area, the unforgiving bit, read the car very well and then start throwing it about.