2014 Gear ratios and Final Drives

[Harsha]

Hello all,
With Big changes in 2014 the most confusing is Gear ratios one. Do the 8 nominations for entire year means they have 7 FWD and 1 RWD ratio or Do we going to have 8 gears instead of 7, Also what about Final drives can they alter for every race or will they be the same for entire season.

[matt21]

This has been discussed already.

There are 8 forward gear ratios and one final drive for the entire season.
In 2014 only the teams can nominate new ratios once.

[autogyro]

This has been discussed already.

There are 8 forward gear ratios and one final drive for the entire season.
In 2014 only the teams can nominate new ratios once.

With three power unit suppliers and totally controlled specifications for the engines and the energy system we have a spec formula that is basically glorified formula ford.
Aero will be the only area of productive debate.

[Harsha]

This has been discussed already.

There are 8 forward gear ratios and one final drive for the entire season.
In 2014 only the teams can nominate new ratios once.

Thanks for the info. I wonder how teams prepare for Tracks like Monaco or Monza with single final drive.

[McMrocks]

This has been discussed already.

There are 8 forward gear ratios and one final drive for the entire season.
In 2014 only the teams can nominate new ratios once.

Thanks for the info. I wonder how teams prepare for Tracks like Monaco or Monza with single final drive.

I guess they won't use the 8th gear at all in Monaco (don't get me wrong: he is still fitted but isn't used by the drivers). While at Monza it is very likely that they hit the limiter quite early (if they hit the limiter at all, because we discussed already that many engines won't do the full 15,000rpm )

[Holm86]

You should take a look in the 2014 engine thread. Its been discussed widely there.

I predict that they wont use every gear at every track. Some tracks will use 1-6 others 2-8, etc.

[Holm86]

Some tracks will use 1-6 others 2-8, etc.

I'm taking it upon myself to head off a repeat of the absurd argument that someone else started in the 2014 engine thread

Some tracks will use 1-6 others 2-8, etc. (on flying laps)

I know I've said it before. That why I refer to the engine thread.

And why do you believe that argument is absurd??

[Holm86]

You misunderstand. I agree with you completely. What you said is what will happen next year.

But In the engine thread, you may recall some folks taking this post of yours,( "they'll only use gear 2-8 in monza etc." ) and freaking out about how the cars can't seriously start the race in 2nd gear and what about pit stops, and talking about how some teams will change the gear display to read "1" when they're actually in 2nd at track like Monza, blah blah blah.... that stuff is what was absurd and pedantic to me.

I just wanted to qualify what you posted. Obviously the race start at Monza will use 1st gear. Some people in the engine thread just couldn't make that mental leap.

Sorry for the misunderstanding Now we are completely on the same page

[Dragonfly]

In other words there may be "gearbox mapping"?

[strad]

I'm still in wait and see mode. Final drive today is often changed because of a head or tail wind,,,stuck with one ratio will cause huge problems. We'll see.

[wuzak]

I'm still in wait and see mode. Final drive today is often changed because of a head or tail wind,,,stuck with one ratio will cause huge problems. We'll see.

The problem with that is that the wind can change direction from one practice to the next, let alone between qualifying and the race, where ratios cannot be changed.

I believe that the rarely, if ever, change final drive ratios at an event. Changing the gearbox ratios requires breaking the seal and a grid penalty, of course.

[Harsha]

The problem with that is that the wind can change direction from one practice to the next, let alone between qualifying and the race, where ratios cannot be changed.

I believe that the rarely, if ever, change final drive ratios at an event. Changing the gearbox ratios requires breaking the seal and a grid penalty, of course.

This is why i'm amazed when i first heard that. The Wind directions the Weather conditions all make a hard time for People in paddock to set them right for a weekend. Then how can they nominate only 8 ratios before the Start of season and stuck with them.

[langwadt]

I'm still in wait and see mode. Final drive today is often changed because of a head or tail wind,,,stuck with one ratio will cause huge problems. We'll see.

The problem with that is that the wind can change direction from one practice to the next, let alone between qualifying and the race, where ratios cannot be changed.

I believe that the rarely, if ever, change final drive ratios at an event. Changing the gearbox ratios requires breaking the seal and a grid penalty, of course.

I think today they can change ratios once after P2,
anyway I think next years engines will make the ratios less of a problem today with NA max power is at close to the
rev. limit so they need to hit the ratios pretty accurately, next year the range from 10k to 15k is pretty much constant power

[Holm86]

I'm still in wait and see mode. Final drive today is often changed because of a head or tail wind,,,stuck with one ratio will cause huge problems. We'll see.

The problem with that is that the wind can change direction from one practice to the next, let alone between qualifying and the race, where ratios cannot be changed.

I believe that the rarely, if ever, change final drive ratios at an event. Changing the gearbox ratios requires breaking the seal and a grid penalty, of course.

I think today they can change ratios once after P2,
anyway I think next years engines will make the ratios less of a problem today with NA max power is at close to the
rev. limit so they need to hit the ratios pretty accurately, next year the range from 10k to 15k is pretty much constant power

Precisely. The broader powerband of the 2014 engines will definitely help. And not just from 10 to 15k rpm. The torque curve is much higher at low revs than the current engines. And I also think that's why they added the 8'th gear. To allow for a sort of "overdrive" gear that probably will be used only at the tracks with highest speed. But of course it will be a compromise. But as long as its the same for everybody. And remember that on the first year (2014) you are allowed to adjust ratios once during the season. So if you --- it up completely you still have a chance to get it right.

[strad]

I believe that the rarely, if ever, change final drive ratios at an event

WRONG! They change final drive ratios regularly and often for a couple of mile an hour change in wind speed.

They/you want to be just short of the rev limiter on the longest straight.