F1 2014 Car Comparison Thread

[Owen.C93]

Wheelbase makes only a minor difference to cornering characteristics. It won't be any better on street circuits I'm afraid. They most likely did it to help with keeping the weight down, but it comes at the expense of less floor area and thus downforce.

Thank you for this explanation. IIRC the top teams, over the last couple of decades, always brought a short wheelbase car to street/high downforce tracks with lots of cornering. (except for the last couple of years)

I haven't heard of it in the past 5 years I know that for sure.

[timbo]

Seems like DRS is not very effective this year.

[heidenreich27]

Seems like DRS is not very effective this year.

Its not only drs, its the stupid ers, drivers use ers at overtaking places.
Ita nothing like kers who helps overtaking.

That ERS will block 99% overtakes.

[Godius]

Wheelbase makes only a minor difference to cornering characteristics. It won't be any better on street circuits I'm afraid. They most likely did it to help with keeping the weight down, but it comes at the expense of less floor area and thus downforce.

Thank you for this explanation. IIRC the top teams, over the last couple of decades, always brought a short wheelbase car to street/high downforce tracks with lots of cornering. (except for the last couple of years)

I haven't heard of it in the past 5 years I know that for sure.

Mercedes used their SWB car in 2010.

[timbo]

Seems like DRS is not very effective this year.

Its not only drs, its the stupid ers, drivers use ers at overtaking places.
Ita nothing like kers who helps overtaking.

That ERS will block 99% overtakes.

If both attacking and defending cars use it at the same time it should level out pretty much.

[Blackout]

[Emerson.F]

Seems like DRS is not very effective this year.

Less downforce, means less difference in speeds with DRS open than last year.
The previous cars had less torque so DRS was much more powerfull with the high revving engines. (with less torue)

[Owen.C93]

Thank you for this explanation. IIRC the top teams, over the last couple of decades, always brought a short wheelbase car to street/high downforce tracks with lots of cornering. (except for the last couple of years)

I haven't heard of it in the past 5 years I know that for sure.

Mercedes used their SWB car in 2010.

Yeah but they had only extended their wheelbase the race before due to weight distribution issues so it wasn't exactly a proper change.

[timbo]

Less downforce, means less difference in speeds with DRS open than last year.

I don't think it's that simple. We also have mandated longer chord DRS, so it should counteract loss of DF this year.
And I'm not sure I buy this:

The previous cars had less torque so DRS was much more powerfull with the high revving engines. (with less torue)

When you determine how fast you can potentially go, it's power that matters, as it is force times velocity. So the steady state condition when your engine produces work against drag and there's no acceleration it is power that matters.

[Jano11]

When you determine how fast you can potentially go, it's power that matters, as it is force times velocity. So the steady state condition when your engine produces work against drag and there's no acceleration it is power that matters.

Indeed, however you might need lots of distance to get to that theoretical highest speed, while more torque is what gets you to the optimum high speed in the shortest possible distance, due to higher acceleration.

[PhillipM]

When you determine how fast you can potentially go, it's power that matters, as it is force times velocity. So the steady state condition when your engine produces work against drag and there's no acceleration it is power that matters.

Indeed, however you might need lots of distance to get to that theoretical highest speed, while more torque is what gets you to the optimum high speed in the shortest possible distance, due to higher acceleration.

No, that's still power.

[trinidefender]

When you determine how fast you can potentially go, it's power that matters, as it is force times velocity. So the steady state condition when your engine produces work against drag and there's no acceleration it is power that matters.

Indeed, however you might need lots of distance to get to that theoretical highest speed, while more torque is what gets you to the optimum high speed in the shortest possible distance, due to higher acceleration.

No, that's still power.

I think what he is trying to say is that these new engines produce more power at a lower rpm with a broader torque curve and slightly less power. Therefore getting up to certain speed may be quicker in these cars (plus the reduction in drag).

[Jef Patat]

Might be interesting in the comparison discussion, don't know how accurate this is though.
I think the braking shows the impact of the increased ERS nicely.
https://twitter.com/piusgasso/status/449860505986162688

[raymondu999]

Mercedes used their SWB car in 2010.

Not for vehicle dynamics purposes - but because their car without that swb could not physically turn enough at Monaco

[Godius]

Seems like DRS is not very effective this year.

Its not only drs, its the stupid ers, drivers use ers at overtaking places.
Ita nothing like kers who helps overtaking.

That ERS will block 99% overtakes.

If both attacking and defending cars use it at the same time it should level out pretty much.

To my opinion, drivers that had DRS available on the back straight rather wanted to wait to make their move on the main straight because of all the off-apex marbles in turn 15.