Why not unlimited KERS and DRS?

[TauToadmiester]

Why not unlimited DRS & KERS? Why limit either? Why was KERS ever limited (teams without I suppose voted it down - circa 2008) or true engineering limits?

Smaller wings and smaller brakes with these UNIQUE to racing elements (DRS & KERS), it would push the KERS tech (useful for pure electric cars and hybrids) further and harder (I suspect there would be reliability issues with much more KERS usage, to drive the tech onward)!

F1 already has the highest energy efficiency/weight in their KERS, over a Megawatt per lap (some tracks likely 2-3 times that) and yet they only can use it for 6secs with what? 60kwh (slightly less than a megawatt), really stupid to me, and especially on these tight tracks!

This would absolutely force all teams to have KERS (RBR, etc) and with smaller wings/downforce (more real world) and smaller brakes (more real world) and the push for reliable KERS, with the augmentation of DRS, and weakish tires (more real world), I think it would really add more fun and KERS tech could help the world's road car tech, (fast charge non exploding batteries, reliable high power regen, etc) what's not to like?!

Just imagine the mix up we would have with all these variables, unlike this year where unless they screw up (like almost last year) RBR will likely run away with BOTH championships, again!

Maybe just like ol 'one good eyed NO 3D HDTV ever' Bernie, this complexity is too much for F1 (or just Bernie?)??? Likely would cost less than stupid turbo four engine/trans development and much more beneficial! Been done is done, yesterday!

What do you think?

[f1maniack]

1)Money, with all the cost reduction measures that have been implemented over the past few seasons, then going and making teams maximize their KERS would undo all the cost reduction measures.

2)Also every team should be able to alter the formula a little bit to suit them the best, why make one part of the formula a constant?

3) if F1 is a place for true engineering limits, then why push F1 towards production car technology? I think KERS should be in F1 but it should not be the center-point of F1, just one more variable that is the formula for the car

[bhallg2k]

Simple answer? Because it would make too much sense.

The powers-that-be are clearly content with teams spending enormous sums making bendy front wings and hyper-efficient 50mm gaps in the rear ones.

[high-on-octane]

Unlimited KERS would have exactly the same result just letting the engine manufacturers add 80HP to the engines.

They are designed so that drivers have to choose the most appropriate times to use them, hence spicing up the racing. If it were unlimited, everyone would be using them all at the same time, thus giving no advantage to anyone.

[Roland Ehnström]

As for DRS, it was introduced to increase overtaking. If it was unlimited for all drivers, it wouldn't help overtaking. If it was unlimited for only the trailing driver, it would give too much of an advantage.

[nipo]

Unlimited DRS makes no sense for the purpose it was introduced (in fact it IS unlimited in qualifying).

I'd personally love to see unlimited KERS but that would start sth like the engine wars (crazy money, tiny gain). However I do agree with you in some sense that the current KERS situation is far from ideal. The worst thing is it seems like running without it is still better off due to aero/ballast advantages, something that was clearly detrimental to the technology in 2009. Realistically I'd like to see them doubling the power cap and removing the boost button by streaming in the power.

In the end everybody's got different views about where F1 should be heading. You in particular seem to incline to real world relevance, which frankly might not echo with every F1 fan.

I for one want a better spectacle, in terms of not seeing fast cars stuck behind much slower ones for 40 laps (and my the DRS seems to be working wonders for this!!!). Some people, particularly on this forum, might want to see keen technological competition on all fronts. Some might want a spec series so that we can judge the drivers and race engineers more accurately. Some just wants the "good ole times" back...

In the end it's a compromise so I think what we can only hope for, collectively, is for the obviously stupid (e.g. KERS today IMO) regulations to improve / go away.

[Tubbs]

ahhhhhh first post on this forum since ive been lurking for a while without posting, but this one I could not ignore.

I attended the race in Melbourne. now the DRS was entertaining from the crowd and I assume a TV perspective. giving the fans something to stare at and watch for during practice, qualifying and during the race as the cars race past as nothing was going on in the earlier sessions and as one car was stuck behind another during the race, so its my assumption thats why it was put there for, a cheap commercial solution that will keep people watching during the race and not alter the result to much by giving a guaranteed pass. It was pretty much the only acronym on everyones lips all race weekend, then as expected failed to deliver on a street circuit. But will have to wait and see in Malaysia.

And unlimited KERS, wouldn't that have something to do with battery size? unless they were to discharge it at every corner exit and straight, they would need a bigger battery. And with the ones in the car at the moment already causing issues with cooling and packaging. the price of a bigger more efficient system would ruin the idea of a cost restriction.

[Shakeman]

These push to pass technologies are just band-aid measures and just show how badly F1 needs ground effect/mechanical grip and race tracks that promote overtaking.

It would be nice for F1 to return to out and out racing of the golden era (without the death).

[raymondu999]

After seeing how DRS, and even DRS+KERS wasn't a slamdunk overtake, I've changed my stance on this, actually. I think it's beautifully done (in Melbourne) as it put people in a position, in Turn 1-2, to pull a move into Turn 3

[FrukostScones]

Ban DRS in qualifying, and everything is fine!

[raymondu999]

That would give an advantage to the polesitter, as they know if they are far enough ahead, they can just go for broke in a normal setup, as they probably wouldn't be in any DRS activation zones

[volarchico]

Ban DRS in qualifying, and everything is fine!

Wouldn't that mean they wouldn't be geared right for the race then?

[raymondu999]

It would mean either not geared right for the race, or not geared right for the qualifying. They'll have to sacrifice one

[Just_a_fan]

It would mean either not geared right for the race, or not geared right for the qualifying. They'll have to sacrifice one

Or the FIA could be grown up and allow the final drive ratio to be tweaked between Q3 and the race.

I'd dump the DRS though and allow unlimited KERS use.

[Just_a_fan]

And unlimited KERS, wouldn't that have something to do with battery size? unless they were to discharge it at every corner exit and straight, they would need a bigger battery. And with the ones in the car at the moment already causing issues with cooling and packaging. the price of a bigger more efficient system would ruin the idea of a cost restriction.

Not necessarily. KERS is recharged at every braking zone (or can be) so they would just get an unlimited number of uses of whatever the battery can hold. In some cases that might only give a couple of seconds of boost, in others the full whack might be available. That would be for the driver to manage.

The current 6.6s use limitation is purely down to the rules requiring it. The technology isn't the problem.