NO new qually format???? Thankfully

[PNSD]

Seems like DDDs stay. I wonder how far next year's cars would go with this...

From what ive gathered it will be another gentlemans agreement regarding this. Teans had the chance pre-09 but they didnt listen :p

[bill shoe]

I like the return to low fuel Q3. As always I worry about unintended consequences.

The original reason for race fuel during Q3 relates to the "parc ferme" (no work on the cars) condition between qualifying and the race. The idea was that if teams could qualify on light fuel then they would optimize ride height for this condition (qualify with low ride height for max ground-effect downforce). Then when the car was filled up for the race it would bottom out and be unsafe or at least be a pig to drive. Requiring race fuel for qualifying removed the incentive to use un-raceable ride heights in qualifying.

Now we're going back to low-fuel qualifying. We still have the parc ferme conditions between qualifying and the race so ride height can't be raised (I checked the FIA rules on this). And to make the situation worse the refueling ban means the race fuel load will be by far the heaviest they have ever carried during the current parc-ferme era.

How's it going to work out? Here's what I think. Passing will still be very difficult, therefore qualifying performance will be optimized at the expense of race pace and driveability. Qualifying will be awesome to watch but the first half of the race will feature a bunch of overweight cars wallowing around the track trying to keep their under-plank from rubbing too much. I think we'll see a few disqualifications after races next season due to underplanks having too much wear. The teams won't really be cheating, they'll just be on the edge of the wear limits as a result of the incentives they're given.

Other opinions?

[Fil]

The original reason for race fuel during Q3 relates.. [prevent] qualify[ing] with low ride height for max ground-effect downforce)... ...it would bottom out and be unsafe..

the original idea was to spice up the racing by allowing teams to try different strategies & mix up the quali grid.. basically to create more overtaking opportunities by stopping the fastest cars getting pole & coasting off into the distance.

Now we're going back to low-fuel qualifying. We still have the parc ferme conditions between qualifying and the race so ride height can't be raised (I checked the FIA rules on this)...

thats interesting, i didnt know that, thanks! what are they allowed to change? are they allowed to change ride heights between Q2 & Q3?

...I think we'll see a few disqualifications after races next season due to underplanks having too much wear. The teams won't really be cheating, they'll just be on the edge of the wear limits as a result of the incentives they're given.

how is this different to any other season? teams have always minimised ride height according to maximum planned fuel amounts. ride height measurements are too precise these days for such elementary mistakes to occur.

[siskue2005]

...I think we'll see a few disqualifications after races next season due to underplanks having too much wear. The teams won't really be cheating, they'll just be on the edge of the wear limits as a result of the incentives they're given.

how is this different to any other season? teams have always minimised ride height according to maximum planned fuel amounts. ride height measurements are too precise these days for such elementary mistakes to occur.

Because they need to start the race with fuel for the entire race
so the extra weight might lower the ride height more and more plank wear than usual

[Giblet]

...I think we'll see a few disqualifications after races next season due to underplanks having too much wear. The teams won't really be cheating, they'll just be on the edge of the wear limits as a result of the incentives they're given.

how is this different to any other season? teams have always minimised ride height according to maximum planned fuel amounts. ride height measurements are too precise these days for such elementary mistakes to occur.

Because they need to start the race with fuel for the entire race
so the extra weight might lower the ride height more and more plank wear than usual

No there won't be.

The teams know exaclty what the cars weigh with all the fuel, and are not capable of making such an elementary mistake.

These are intense simulations these teams run on their 7 post rigs, they simulate every load of every corner, over an entire race distance.

There is no point bottoming out, as the car loses grip, and the driver gets endangered. The teams are even allowed to straight line tests and make sure this doesn't happen.

Maybe they will forget to add their driver, and when he gets in, the car will be too low, and it won't be able to get away from the start line!!!


This is a ride height sensor :


This is a 7 post rig: