Wet Races

[PapayaFan481]

First off, I tried to find a previous thread on this but couldn't, so apologies if there is actually one.

This weekend again highlighted the problems F1 faces in wet weather.

What happened to the proposed wheel covers, are they still in the works??

Some other suggestions that were raised over the weekend, included allowing teams to have traction control that can be used in the wet - with the standard ECU this would presumably be easy enough to police.

Any other suggestions?

I wonder whether there is any way that technology could be used to aid visibility for drivers, perhaps some sort of HUD on the inside of the visor using a camera designed to see through the spray?

[basti313]

Wheelcovers:
Dead idea. I do not see any relevance for this. They did not have a huge visibility problem, the spray was more affecting us as spectators. In the end the issue was, that no one was going for full wets. So no one would use wheel covers anyways.

Traction control:
We saw them going off under braking. Colapinto looked like he either hit the bump or aquaplaning. I do not remember a case, where traction control would have helped.

Full wets:
I think the core issue is, that the Inter is still too low in thread to make the Wets competitive. But it needs to be to stay close enough to the slick...otherwise they would shift today`s issue with the bad transition from wet to inter to inter to slick, which is more dangerous.
I think they should stop thinking about conditions where today's wets are useful. As we have seen it, too many will try to stay out and crash on inters anyways. Today it is just a starting tire for conditions in which they do not start the race...
Just lower the thread...but the problem is someone needs to pay the development. Pirelli is not really putting money into this.

[TFSA]

Most wet weather races are significantly better than dry weather races (from an entertainment perspective). The biggest problem is that they occasionally have to Red Flag the sessions, either because it's too wet or because someone effed it off track. But even those races are often good. Take Suzuka 2022. Most of the race was Red Flagged, but we got an initial battle and amazing overtake for the lead at the start of the race, and the 40 minutes of racing we got was actually decent, with drama at the end between LEC and PER on the final chicane on the final lap.

I think we sooner or later have to accept that we can't solve the visibility problems. And even if we could, it would just mean that it would take the cars longer to clean the track up after a shower.

What we can do is change the wet weather tires. At the moment, the Intermediate is designed for 35 litres/second water displacement, while the Full Wets are designed for 85 litres/second. If they brought the full wets closer to the inters (say, ~60-65 litres of water displacement), it would open up some strategic possibilities. As it stands now, if the full wets are faster, then the session is likely to be in red flag territory at any rate.

[organic]

They should keep full wet tyres around simply for running behind the SC to clear standing water, but have an intermediate full wet halfway between the inter and extreme

[clownfish]

What we can do is change the wet weather tires. At the moment, the Intermediate is designed for 35 litres/second water displacement, while the Full Wets are designed for 85 litles/second. If they brought the full wets closer to the inters (say, ~60-65 litres of water displacement), it would open up some strategic possibilities. As it stands now, if the full wets are faster, then the session is likely to be in red flag territory at any rate.

Pirelli were talking about bringing an 'Inter+' tyre to bridge the gap between the wet and the inter, but I don't think it went anywhere.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/pirel ... /10502223/

[basti313]

What we can do is change the wet weather tires. At the moment, the Intermediate is designed for 35 litres/second water displacement, while the Full Wets are designed for 85 litles/second. If they brought the full wets closer to the inters (say, ~60-65 litres of water displacement), it would open up some strategic possibilities. As it stands now, if the full wets are faster, then the session is likely to be in red flag territory at any rate.

Pirelli were talking about bringing an 'Inter+' tyre to bridge the gap between the wet and the inter, but I don't think it went anyway.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/pirel ... /10502223/

Well...that is the same point as an improved Wet...who will pay this development?

[CMSMJ1]

The tyres are terrible costco offerings and they don't use them because they don't have to. They may as well be the cheap chinese 'golden road harmonious ditchfinder'

There is no development, or proper feedback on them because they don't use them, because they don't have to.

If there was no Inter - or it was solely for "wet track, but no rain" - and they had to use a proper wet tyre whenever it was wet then there would have to be development because the teams would not accept how shockingly bad this wet tyre is.

A position of Soft wet and Hard wet option would also be pretty good - but the key should be that the tyre is a water displacing beast and the same for everyone. It would clear the track faster. it would reduce people throwing it into the wall and once in a generation it would bring the joys of a talented driver opting for slicks at the right time to win a race with sublime skill and talent

Such as this amazing effort in motoGP where they don't really bother with Inters these days


or Marquez in 2016 at Sachsenring - went to slicks...supreme skill. Everyone else went to inters..woosies

[PapayaFan481]

Wheelcovers:
Dead idea. I do not see any relevance for this. They did not have a huge visibility problem, the spray was more affecting us as spectators. In the end the issue was, that no one was going for full wets. So no one would use wheel covers anyways.

Traction control:
We saw them going off under braking. Colapinto looked like he either hit the bump or aquaplaning. I do not remember a case, where traction control would have helped.

Full wets:
I think the core issue is, that the Inter is still too low in thread to make the Wets competitive. But it needs to be to stay close enough to the slick...otherwise they would shift today`s issue with the bad transition from wet to inter to inter to slick, which is more dangerous.
I think they should stop thinking about conditions where today's wets are useful. As we have seen it, too many will try to stay out and crash on inters anyways. Today it is just a starting tire for conditions in which they do not start the race...
Just lower the thread...but the problem is someone needs to pay the development. Pirelli is not really putting money into this.

I thought I remembered a few drivers going off under acceleration as well?