Driver styles/preferences

[raymondu999]

I didn't see too many onboards of Hamilton during the race, but it didn't seem smoother than usual. I've seen him drive smoother, going by memory, in the examples I mentioned above (Spa/Canada 2010). But I agree - I thought that Hamilton was doomed to a 3-stopper right after his 2nd pitstop.

Strangely enough I think the oversteer drivers actually had a slight advantage over the smoother drivers in Barcelona. It's a front limited circuit where it's the front left that gets the punishment, so I thought that leaning on the fronts (a la Jenson) would have stressed the fronts more than if you leaned on the rears (a la Maldonado/Hamilton). But hey - what do I know?

[Nando]

left front will always be a problem due to track layout, it has very little to do with driving style.

[raymondu999]

Yes but a one-sweep-in/out style which holds constant lock for a long while I suspect could stress the fronts more as he stresses it more. In a track such as this one, if a driver uses a sharp front to get direction change quicker, it would minimise the time the front left is under stress.

[Nando]

Yes but a one-sweep-in/out style which holds constant lock for a long while I suspect could stress the fronts more as he stresses it more. In a track such as this one, if a driver uses a sharp front to get direction change quicker, it would minimise the time the front left is under stress.

Depends on what corner. T3 it won´t matter due to the length of it. You still need to keep that lock on for a while.

Quicker direction change should also put the tire through more stress but for a shorter time, could be as you say that it doesn´t affect the tire as much as a longer but softer "pressure".

Seems aggressive driver´s get the best out of the tires in Qualifying while a soft driving style is preferable in the race.

[mnmracer]

the cobbler ?

That is the German translation of his name right?

I put "cobbler" in Google translate and I get this:

Schuster
Schuhmacher
Flickschuster
Cobbler
Obst mit Teig überbacken

Schumacher -
Schuh is SHOE
Macher is MAKER

[AnthonyG]

And Mich=I and ael= eel

No, srry made that last one up.

[raymondu999]

Quicker direction change should also put the tire through more stress but for a shorter time, could be as you say that it doesn´t affect the tire as much as a longer but softer "pressure".

I'm not talking of leaning on the fronts for the direction change though. I'm talking more of inducing a bit of oversteer - the added stress would fall on the rear axle and not the fronts. So it would, in a way, move Barcelona from a front-limited circuit onto a more balanced one, given that you're moving the balance of stress slightly rearwards.

[Nando]

I'm not talking of leaning on the fronts for the direction change though. I'm talking more of inducing a bit of oversteer - the added stress would fall on the rear axle and not the fronts. So it would, in a way, move Barcelona from a front-limited circuit onto a more balanced one, given that you're moving the balance of stress slightly rearwards.

Depends again on what corners, for the chicane and other slower corners you would want that oversteery feeling to make the front end feel agile but like T3 is not a corner you want anything, no oversteer or understeer.
It should just stick, and ultimately it will destroy the front left tire.

[raymondu999]

There was an article a while back about Lewis Hamilton. The article quoted Paddy Lowe, and he said that out of all the drivers he had worked with at McLaren, none could cope with oversteer as much as Hamilton. (The piece is available earlier in the thread too)

This trait in specific didn't make Hamilton quicker, but what it did was allow him more flexibility for car setup.

Sometimes for a circuit with multiple surfaces or corner speeds, the balance will inevitably never be perfect all around.

Perhaps the layout of Sector 3 of Barcelona promotes more oversteer than the first two sectors, and most drivers would favor a better balance in Sector 3, seeing understeer in S1 & S2 as a lesser evil to oversteer in S3. Hamilton, being among the more aggressive drivers who aren't afraid of a bit more tailwagging, maybe geared the balance to be a little it more front-heavy than Button, living with a bit more oversteer in S3 while reducing his S1/S2 understeer.

I'd think that's a very plausible explanation. Button, gearing for a neutral S3 would have had more S1/S2 understeer, and the increased slip angles would burn the fronts that much sooner.

[Nando]

I think tendency is a better word.
If you are oversteering or understeering you loose time that could be spent on getting further up the road.

But yes, Hamilton and some other drivers are comfortable with the rear end while guys like Button don´t really like that at all.

Hamilton has a much wider working space then Button. If the setup isn´t good or the car isn´t on form he can still live with it.

[raymondu999]

Some commentators, chief amongst them Peter Windsor, speak of another dichotomy in styles: reactionary vs manipulative.

In the reactive category he places the likes of Vettel, Alonso (and presumably though he hasn't said it himself AFAIK, Senna) and in the latter group Hamilton (he has a crush on this character!), Raikkonen, Schumacher, Moss and Clark.

Could somebody elaborate on this categorisation.

I've been thinking on this, and think I understand what he means now. A manipulative driver is a driver who tells the car what to do, with confidence and feel. A reactive driver is a driver who's more towards trial and error - ie tries to take a corner flat out, if the tail steps out then he backs off, and keeps doing that until he's at the limit. In a way, the manipulative guy builds up towards the limit through the entry/apex/exit, while a reactive driver is a slightly more "blind" driving (in terms of feel)

[timbo]

I would definitely put Alonso into manipulative and Hamilton into reactive category.

[raymondu999]

I would definitely put Alonso into manipulative and Hamilton into reactive category.

I agree. While I don't agree with the drivers that Peter Windsor puts in each category, I think the system of categorisation between reactive and manipulative is a workable one

[raymondu999]

An interesting anecdote from Vettel on his personal views on his driving style came up in his WDC press conference:

Since the start of the season, we were fighting with the car, the car wasn't similar to last year's, I couldn't... it's difficult for you to understand, but I couldn't use my tricks or my style to make it work and manipulate the car the way I liked. I didn't have enough rear stability mostly to work with the brakes and get the car into the corners, to the apex, the way I like. We tried everything and I think at some stage, we just did a step that was big enough and in the right direction that allowed me to do more of what I like, so naturally it came in our direction.

Source: http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/pr ... ettel.aspx

[timbo]

An interesting anecdote from Vettel on his personal views on his driving style came up in his WDC press conference:

Since the start of the season, we were fighting with the car, the car wasn't similar to last year's, I couldn't... it's difficult for you to understand, but I couldn't use my tricks or my style to make it work and manipulate the car the way I liked. I didn't have enough rear stability mostly to work with the brakes and get the car into the corners, to the apex, the way I like. We tried everything and I think at some stage, we just did a step that was big enough and in the right direction that allowed me to do more of what I like, so naturally it came in our direction.

Source: http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/pr ... ettel.aspx

Yeah, pretty much the same thing was during 2010 season, when for some time Webber had an advantage and then with introduction of advanced engine mapping Seb got the upper hand. It seems he likes planted rear. Interestingly, he is often appraised for his ability to control oversteer. I think, in fact, his style is promoting oversteer, but he needs very stable rear-end to be able to control that.