Vintage F1 compared to today's supercars

[Seattle]

How many years back would we have to go until the lap times of today's supercars would dovetail with grand prix cars?

[mertol]

In the early seventies F1 cars were lapping the nordschleife in the low 7 minutes like today's supercars.

[matt21]

The fastest F1 one lap was 6.58 minutes 1975 Niki Lauda.
But this was the old 22 km circuit.

[Seattle]

So sounds like we gotta go at least to the pre-downforce cars, yes?

[Jolle]

I remembered that Top Gear did have a similar item a couple of years ago, and after some googling: series 5, episode 8 (2004)
from 39:40 or somewhere
http://www.streetfire.net/video/top-gea ... 725907.htm

[NL_Fer]

I guess those 70s cars had some big rear wings and a DFV in the back, but were slower than 7 minutes.

[DiogoBrand]

Basically, Niki Lauda was able to, in 1975, with a longer layout, do pretty much the time that the P1, 918 and LaFerrari are doing today at the Nordschleife. So unless you go for track tyres, I think you need to go to the very early downforce era to get something close to today's supercars.

[strad]

I would still rather drive a 70s F1 car that a new Lamborghini Huracan or much of any other so called supercar.

[J.A.W.]

In the early `70s F1 & F5000 were close in lap times.

The fast flowing Phillip Island GP track record list gives a best F5000 lap of 1:28.3 Vs a 'Supercar' best Dodge Viper @ 1:30.2...
The modified for racing ( not road legal) GT class 'Supercar' record is held by an SLS Mercedes-Benz @ 1:27.1...

[djos]

I would still rather drive a 70s F1 car that a new Lamborghini Huracan or much of any other so called supercar.

Personally I'd prefer the modern car, Im not very likely to die driving it for starters.

[strad]

If that's your worry you shouldn't drive either one.

[djos]

If that's your worry you shouldn't drive either one.

All I mean is that Vintage F1 cars have very poor safety, if your suspension fails at reasonable speeds you are going to be involved in a pretty scary accident.

[strad]

I don't believe for an instant it will happen to me.

[djos]

I don't believe for an instant it will happen to me.

So you have the ability to xray 30-50 year old components, that were designed to only last for a few races, for stress fractures with your eyes? Impressive! =D>

[SR71]

I don't believe for an instant it will happen to me.

No, the only thing that would happen to you would be massive embarrassment.

Any schmuck driving a Hurrican could out-drive you or just about anyone in a 70's F1 car. You'd most likely get beaten by a kid in a civic....