2010 - 4WD legalized for budget capped teams. Effects?

[Dukeage]

No transmission system may permit more than two wheels to be driven.
This Article will not apply to Cost-Regulated Teams.

Will this be used? It might be hard to get the car on the minimum weight, but if it can be done without compromising weight and distribution too much it could have its advantages. Poll added.

Also, what could work is plumbing the KERS in to the front wheels rather than pukka 4WD so that the boost can be deployed earlier, as the max boost and energy are doubled for budget capped teams.

[xpensive]

I believe the way teams have their MGU on the crank, 4WD will provide 4WD KERS per definition, both ways, correct?

[Scotracer]

There's no real way to guess so Life of Brian gets my vote

[nae]

Life of Brian gets my vote

life of Brian always trumps everything

[Giblet]

This was BAD.

The 1969 Cosworth was so horrible to drive that a test driver was given a glass of red wine before his test, to make what was about to come easier.

I know it's not a valid comparison, but it brought up some difficult technical things to overcome.

[WhiteBlue]

I do not think that teams will drive the front wheels by the engine. But if you put in an additional MGU for KERS you are permitted to feed the electrical power back as well. It could be nice if you can use the e-corner concept and do cornering assist with the wheel deployed MGU.

[Scotracer]

There's no chance they will use the engine torque to the front wheels. Just not going to happen - this is to allow KERS on the front wheels.

[Conceptual]

One has to wonder if BrawnGP still have the BAR-Honda front differential that was outlawed in 2004(?).

It might just be a bolt-on part with the addition of the MGU in 2010!

And this brings me back to the Hydristor. Can the Hydristor be used as a KERS device? IF so, the 0-60 times in an AWD F1 car will be <1sec.

I would almost cringe at the start of the GP's!

[xpensive]

Doesn't this highlight these rules are not meant to be taken seriously? All sorts of exciting technical possibilities, 4WD, screaming engines and movable wings for the penniless, while kit-cars for those who with a shitload to spend?

Agreed that transfering engine torque to the front-wheels will never happen, but Concept mentioned something wortwhile, for once , didn't Benetton/Renault during Nick Wirth's time develop some kind of front-wheel differential as well?

[safeaschuck]

I doubt that diff will be of any use as far as direct fit goes and as far as lessons learned they have a wealth of knowledge from the rear diff. Also the front diff was probably designed to sit amidships (left-right) where as it would probably now need to sit next to the kers motor generator maintaining L-R balance and require significant mods to allow the input from an external power source. My guess is (if anything happens at all) you will see an all in one unit incorporating the diff and motor with an output shaft coming out of each side. Cooling it should be a challenge, some hot water pipes running under the cockpit floor, I bet the drivers are looking forward to that.

[xpensive]

Water-cooling for what, is the rear-diff or crank-driven MGU water-cooled?

Christ, my point was simply that some teams have recent experience of FW torque-transfer, which might be useful.

[NDR008]

This is what I don't get - you can try develop more stuff which we are not permitting the kit car people - example a 4WD powertrain, but remember, you only have £30m to spend - don't forget you still have to actually design/make a car before experimenting around with alternative exotic technology.

[Fil]

This is what I don't get - you can try develop more stuff which we are not permitting the kit car people - example a 4WD powertrain, but remember, you only have £30m to spend - don't forget you still have to actually design/make a car before experimenting around with alternative exotic technology.

this is actually the beauty of the £40m budget cap. with such severely limited funds, different teams will identify and prioritise different development paths, bringing potentially huge points of differentiation.

some may prioritise on aero, but suffer in suspension geometry, others may be superior in mechanical grip, but suffer with balance/ballast. others may just nail 4wd, but suffer on aero.

we could have a series in which multiple teams will be superior at different circuits depending on whose strengths match which circuits!

[safeaschuck]

Wow X! It was conceptual who mentioned using the same diff, calm down, sorry I didn't quote accuratly. Yep, I'm sure the knowledge gained on balancing the wheel braking from left to right will be useful and can be incorporated into the new unit. Perhaps some of the torque that was going to be transferred to the opposite wheel could be bled off for the Kers unit. Makes my head hurt just thinking about the complexity of balancing that lot on something as delicate as front wheel grip.

The rear diff will be oil cooled and the crank mounted MGU will be watercooled, I imagine there would have to be an element of both of those on a front axle mounted MGU/diff combo, although perhaps the cooling system could be kept remote using a small radiator in the nose and perhaps they could simply use the diff oil and an air-oil cooler as cooling for the MGU also.

[xpensive]

To begin with, are you certain the the MGU used at the moment is water-cooled?