Ferrari weight distribution

[scarbs]

This one at least had a front weight bias

True, but also a rearward placement of the lifting eye.....

[Downforce]

...and without driver...which is not small mass...

[checkered]

The figures dont seem realstic, most teams are beleived to be in the region of 48%F 52% rear.
For Ferrari to get to this 55% forward biased distribution they need to move 42Kg of weight forward in comparison to the 48/52% scenario. Bearing in mind the car went to zero keel which is a little lighter on the front end than the old single keel, this is a hell of a lot to add.
However the team did make the chassis longer by 10cm, this allows for a longer t-tray (front spliter). To make up this extra ballast up the front the splitter would have to be two inches thick and in solid tungsten. The Ferrari front floor is heavy, But I dont beleive it is thick enough to shift that amount of weight forwards.
Of course some weight coudl be elsewhere in the base of the raised chassis, nose or front wing...

Scarbs

Reading the WMSC

script it seems fairly clear from Lowe's and others' comments, in the context of earlier events, that they're pushing mass forward as much as they can. Renault is given as an example of a team that has suffered particularly from their earlier (well documented) weight distribution and images from earlier testing featuring what looked like ballast attached to Renault's front wing would seem to support this notion. Also, what is noteworthy about McLaren's episode with their Hungary gearbox (being run without a mandatory crash test) is that it was specifically pointed out that it was designed to be lighter. Perhaps, in the light of later revelations, this observation was a deliberate shot across McLaren's (now apparently heavier) bow.

As the minimum weight of the car is a zero sum game, the haste and nature of the gearbox design change is indication that the team is in a hurry to transfer as much mass to the front as possible and taking it from wherever they can. And, since the Ferrari weight distribution seemed to be of particular interest to de la Rosa and Alonso, surprised comments and all, perhaps it wouldn't be too farfetched to imagine that for some reason a radically forward weight bias is the most advantageous one this season. Of course it's still impossible to decipher from this whether 55/45 is anywhere near the truth.

[persovik]

"The perfect car" in terms of steady state cornering.
1. Weight bias = aerodynamic bias
2. Load bias far enough forward to create higher tracking angle at front than rear to create the amount of understeer that keeps the axis of the car parallel to direction of travel to ensure maximum aerodynamic efficiency.
3. Total tire load bias over a lap including braking, cornering and acceleration reflecting foot-print bias to give even and optimal tire temperatures and -wear.

In the last couple of years the engines have become weaker, thus requiring less rearward bias to optimise the balance between traction and steady state cornering.
Have the Bridgestone fronts evolved to take a lot of load to accommodate Ferrari's (and Schumi's) preference towards optimised high speed steady state cornering as opposed to maximum traction off slower corners (Michelin and Renault)?

[mep]

Here is written that the McLaren weight bias was puplic for a short time due to a big mistage caused by an FIA employee.
It's in a FIA document and it's marked black but it was possible to easily remove the black lines with the PC.

So there are now a lot of persons out there who know this interresting info.

Is anyone of the members here also in the possesion of this infos and
willing to post it?

If you have it and don't whant to make it puplic you can also writte a privat message to me.

[modbaraban]

Is anyone of the members here also in the possesion of this infos and
willing to post it?

Download link. Enjoy.

[Saribro]

Ferrari definitly wants enough weight at the front:

[jddh1]

The figures dont seem realstic, most teams are beleived to be in the region of 48%F 52% rear.
For Ferrari to get to this 55% forward biased distribution they need to move 42Kg of weight forward in comparison to the 48/52% scenario. Bearing in mind the car went to zero keel which is a little lighter on the front end than the old single keel, this is a hell of a lot to add.
Scarbs

They are realistic if you consider the fact that Kimi drinks beer like crazy, thus completely affecting the weight distribution of the car.

Jokes aside though, I'm pretty sure that the 55% front bias comes into work at certain corners. I don't see why it can't. We all know that the drivers change the braking bias right before entering certain corners, which would help the car turn no matter what the weight bias is.

Is anyone of the members here also in the possesion of this infos and willing to post it?

I don't know if it's legal to post the information itself here. But you just go to the link that modbaraban posted, download the pdf file. Then copy all the text from the pdf into Microsoft Word and you'll be able to read it. There's some cool info in there so I suggest skimming though it. It's fun.

[mep]

Thanks,
I have already read the text.
But I didn't find concrete figures.

[checkered]

The official F1

site reports even more ballast being moved towards the front. Ferrari F2007 - ballast changes (link).
Read to it what you may, I can't quite tell why Ferrari would volunteer this information to be released or from where this change could've been observed, but there it is.

[checkered]

The latest Auto Sprint

magazine (an Italian publication) reports that the mass distribution of the F2007 is approximately 48% (324 kg) front, 52% (351 kg) rear in race trim. Furthermore they advance the idea that next year's car will feature a shorter wheelbase.

[kimi]

can the weight distribution be changed during a race??
if yes how??
i mean i am not talking about driver's weight or the fuel tank weight.
is there any other means by which we can change the WD during a race.

[tomislavp4]

Thay made the wheelbase longer fot this season, why would they change it after 1 season? Disadvantage?

[Belatti]

can the weight distribution be changed during a race??
if yes how??
i mean i am not talking about driver's weight or the fuel tank weight.
is there any other means by which we can change the WD during a race.

Read this old thread:
viewtopic.php?t=4672&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15
I posted an idea and Scarbs told me that its against the rules.

[kimi]

thanx mate..
but yeah this is against the rules.
so my question still remains.
how do they change the weight distribution??
coz during a race weight distribution changes due to driver weight n also fuel consumption..
but how do they keep it constant to maintain the balance of the car??