bhallg2k wrote:_________ wrote:[Driver A] for his pure speed. he really drives the car; to and beyond its capability.
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[Driver B] may not have the pure raw speed as [Driver A], but what he lacks there he gains in knowing how to race, rarely making a mistake you know the car is going as fast as possible for the given situation.
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I have an inherently smartass tone that's often perceived as condescending, because, well, it often is. I say that now, because I'm going to try my best to temper that tone so any focus can fall on the substance of what I'm about to say rather than the style with which I'm likely to say it. And also because I really don't want to offend anyone or necessarily put anyone on the defensive. Honest.
No driver in the history of motor racing has ever successfully driven his/her car beyond its capability. Ever. In fact, many have died trying.
Simply put: a car driven beyond its capability is wrecked or otherwise hindered by the attempt. Every time. Without exception.
That's the very essence of capability. If a car can do it, it's capable. It might not always be easy to get there, but if it can do it, it's capable. If not...
On the flip-side of that coin, a driver driving as fast as possible for any given situation is driving his car as successfully as it can be driven. He/she cannot possibly improve without exceeding the capability of the equipment.
Simply put: it does not get better than that. At all.
I see these things said about drivers all the time, and it points to a fundamental and terminal flaw in the way in which drivers are viewed. Somehow, a driver who has considerable success, but also regularly exceeds the limits of his equipment, is somehow and inexplicably viewed as "faster" than a driver who has the same success, but rarely exceeds those same limits. How is this right?
I've deleted all names, because, frankly, I don't care who we're talking about or about who says it. Of course, you can figure it out, but it's immaterial nonetheless. It's the methodology that's frustrating. It happens over and over and over again, even amongst professionals who
should know better.
I disagree with this from an engineering standpoint.
Your statement is only true for
instantaneous capability. The cability of the car, on that tyres, at that time, at that temperature, at that corner, at that track, at that slip angle, at that speed, at that weather etc.
However there might be a point in time where the instantaneous capability has passed the design capacity, the test capacity and the ultimate test capacity. In other words
it is very possible that a machine can operate outside of the documented window.
The state of the car at those instantaneous conditions may be well have passed any and all tested capabilities, that even if the driver is only at 98% of it at that time, it maybe STILL higher than the
documented capability of the car.
For example. Toyota Supra. The engine block is trully capable of 1300 horsepower. The rated output of the engine is 340hp. It's a pressure vessel so more than likely it has a saftey factor of 3.5. for e.g. This goes to about 1100hp (FOR EXAMPLE PEOPLE)... So on the stress calculations and test sheet the engine was not designed or tested above 1000hp. It's REAL ultimate capability end up undocumented simply because it was not necessary to do that in the interest of time and money. In the manafacturing process you probably even end up ADDING more material to the design for things like mounting points, oil passages, bolt holes, cooling fins etc. The metallurgy might have been altered due to inaccurate technologies.. more alloying in the block making it even stronger (for example only.. I really don't know what added metals are in the cast iron block)
So - what you have is an engine block who's ultimate strength is untested, unknown and undocumented.
This means that the
known capabilities of the engine block
can be surpassed.
I think the same for a F1 car. A driver can push the car past its KNOWN capability.. obviously not the instantaneous capability.. but I think what Alonso and Hamilton is able to do is to take these cars into
unknown territory taking the car
past the rated or even the engineering limits.
Usain Bolt the runner is another example. Scientist had said before that a Human Cannot run faster than 9.65 in the 100m based on calculations.. Now that has changed to 9.42 seconds. He went past a predicted limit.
