Heidfeld's Saturday Practice Fire

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jenkF1
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Joined: 18 Sep 2009, 14:52

Heidfeld's Saturday Practice Fire

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:? So who saw what happened to Heidfeld's car this morning?

Just wondered what your thoughts were, and in relation to the famed forward exhaust.

It seemed to me that as soon as the fire developed the exhaust and gasses from the exit caught fire, bringing licking flames ever so close to the cockpit :shock:

Even if this wasn't caused in any way by the exhaust system, I am sure the proximity of those flames will have got the FIA's attention. The exhaust system is already under real scrutiny this weekend.
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beelsebob
beelsebob
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Joined: 23 Mar 2011, 15:49
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Re: Heidfeld's Saturday Practice Fire

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jenkF1 wrote::? So who saw what happened to Heidfeld's car this morning?

Just wondered what your thoughts were, and in relation to the famed forward exhaust.

It seemed to me that as soon as the fire developed the exhaust and gasses from the exit caught fire, bringing licking flames ever so close to the cockpit :shock:

Even if this wasn't caused in any way by the exhaust system, I am sure the proximity of those flames will have got the FIA's attention. The exhaust system is already under real scrutiny this weekend.
If I'd had to guess initially I would have said they had a fuel leak, but they're talking about a sensor that was reading too hot as they went out.

Muulka
Muulka
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Re: Heidfeld's Saturday Practice Fire

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beelsebob wrote:
jenkF1 wrote::? So who saw what happened to Heidfeld's car this morning?

Just wondered what your thoughts were, and in relation to the famed forward exhaust.

It seemed to me that as soon as the fire developed the exhaust and gasses from the exit caught fire, bringing licking flames ever so close to the cockpit :shock:

Even if this wasn't caused in any way by the exhaust system, I am sure the proximity of those flames will have got the FIA's attention. The exhaust system is already under real scrutiny this weekend.
If I'd had to guess initially I would have said they had a fuel leak, but they're talking about a sensor that was reading too hot as they went out.
And then in typical F1 style, they ignored it. :shock:

Do they really have that low an expectation in the reliability of their sensors lol?

bot6
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Joined: 02 Mar 2011, 19:30

Re: Heidfeld's Saturday Practice Fire

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I would, those sensors can behave quite erratically.

Anyone here think it might just be the first real "retarded ignition incident"? With the fuel not igniting properly on the exit of the cylinder, building up in the exhaust then blowing up?

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gcdugas
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Joined: 19 Sep 2006, 21:48

Re: Heidfeld's Saturday Practice Fire

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If a team can't make 107% then they can "strategically" find some gremlin that won't allow them to get the car going by Q1 and then they are automatically in?
Innovation over refinement is the prefered path to performance. -- Get rid of the dopey regs in F1

beelsebob
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Re: Heidfeld's Saturday Practice Fire

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gcdugas wrote:If a team can't make 107% then they can "strategically" find some gremlin that won't allow them to get the car going by Q1 and then they are automatically in?
No, they're only allowed through based on a steward's decision. The decision is based on whether there's evidence that they can actually beat the 107% time.

alelanza
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Re: Heidfeld's Saturday Practice Fire

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bot6 wrote:I would, those sensors can behave quite erratically.

Anyone here think it might just be the first real "retarded ignition incident"? With the fuel not igniting properly on the exit of the cylinder, building up in the exhaust then blowing up?
Hmmm not sure, i guess all is possible, but flames had already come through the bodywork by the collector before showing up through the exhaust paths. I was thinking cracked exhaust as they said, which got the bodywork, and once Heidfeld got off the throttle the engine map allowed more unburned fuel particles to exit through the exhaust that then caught fire upon touching the bodywork flames. What i don't know though is if in fact those flames are more capable of igniting the exhaust gases than the already very hot exhaust pipes are. Or maybe the crack allowed more oxygen to reach the wrong places... just speculating here.
Alejandro L.

bot6
bot6
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Joined: 02 Mar 2011, 19:30

Re: Heidfeld's Saturday Practice Fire

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According to Renault, it was a hole in one of the exhaust pipes (probably a bad weld) that caused overheating, and then the whole thing caught fire as a result.

i70q7m7ghw
i70q7m7ghw
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Re: Heidfeld's Saturday Practice Fire

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I think the FIA/FOTA will most likely ban forward exhausts for next year. There is not real development scope, nothing that is worth putting the driver in danger for anyway.

It looks liked a regular exhaust failure, think back to the Lotus in Singapore last year. However, because Renault's exhuast runs forwards the fire moved in the direction of the exhaust flow and started burning the area around the cockpit.

I suspect next year there will be a regulation that disallows exhuast pipes anywhere past the start of the tub. The Merc solution for example would probably still be allowed.