BBC Focus Magazine

[M Paul Lloyd]

Nice bit of animation of an interesting subject I think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrsoPM2d9B0

[MikeG]

Nice one.

[Jamie]

I think the 2014 season with be interesting when they are limited to 1.6 litre V6 engines. Maybe we'll get some nice tech out of that?

Maybe a bit off topic, but what do you think of DRS ? Personally, I reckon it's a pretty good idea.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Drag reduction you mean? Yes I'm all for that, anything that improves efficiency is to be applauded and although much of automotive technology has trailed woefully behind aerospace development I do think the gap is closing somewhat.
http://www.formula1.com/news/technical/2012/0/953.html

[Shadowwolf]

I had seen this earlier but cool nonetheless.

As for DRS, gimmick. Can't pass the car in front? Well how about in addition to KERS we give the car behind this extra boost on top of that resulting in overtaking vehicles practically sailing past the other as though it's hardly moving. Add in the insta-wear tyre and it's all a lottery. What be next? An engine limiter to slow the lead car so it can't get away? Additional boosts for slower cars so they can catch up?

[M Paul Lloyd]

As I see it the problem is one of maximising the actual forward speed around the track against available bhp over all up weight. Beyond that (I accept that ground based aerodynamics are very different to those involved in aviation and therefore somewhat outside my comfort zone) I have to agree that it has all started to get a bit gimmicky.
I recall the old suction 'fan' system for increasing track adhesion being banned on the grounds that it gave an unfair advantage and the tyrrell six wheeler............ which never really went anywhere really.
Thing is we will (if we haven't already? ) reached a point where all the cars are so closely matched to available technology that any races outcome will be down to how many penalty points you get for cutting corners rather than how well your car performed.

[M Paul Lloyd]

I think the 2014 season with be interesting when they are limited to 1.6 litre V6 engines. Maybe we'll get some nice tech out of that?

Limiting engine size will put new challenges to the design people who have to maximise the structural integrity whilst mininising all up weight but technically speaking a V6 is a good configuration from an engineering point of view, given that it is, basically, just half a V12 which was the ultimate development of the Rolls Royce piston engines that date back to the 1930's.

The real cutting edge innovations are to be found in the computerised engine management systems that control the amount of fuel and spark that occurs in the combustion chamber for just the right amount of time.

Consider that back in the 1970's the 4 cylinder 2.0 litre petrol engine 1970's in my old Vauxhall Victor developed around 106bhp whilst by 1995 the equivalent engine could produce about 30% more bhp and today............ well you can get even more out of a 1.8 litre all down to the way the engine is 'managed' by a clever little chip.

[ChrisH]

Car safety has come a long way since the early days.
I remember watching a documentry a few years ago, and a former driver was asked what they did if the car caught fire. He replied "you slowed the car down until jumping out became the lesser of two evils".
Probably more interesting in those days.

[Shadowwolf]

"you slowed the car down until jumping out became the lesser of two evils"

Probably more interesting in those days.

Possibly though I'd not trade my enjoyment for their reasonable safety.

[Jamie]

As for DRS, gimmick. Can't pass the car in front? Well how about in addition to KERS we give the car behind this extra boost on top of that resulting in overtaking vehicles practically sailing past the other as though it's hardly moving. Add in the insta-wear tyre and it's all a lottery. What be next? An engine limiter to slow the lead car so it can't get away??

DRS is a good thing IMHO. The cars and drivers are all pretty evenly matched these days (well, the top half of the field anyway), the rules and regs prevent any wild additions to the basics, so you're down to the problem of how to make it as competitive as possible without giving any one car an unfair advantage. Before the DRS races were becoming a procession. At least DRS gives the lead driver some chance to defend, and if they're any good chances are the next time round they have the same chance of DRS activation if they keep up.

I don't think the tyres make it a lottery either, they just mean you require some tactics. Look at some Ferrari decision to go for one stop less than other teams recently, resulted in dropping many places on the final laps. I think the 2012 season has been one of the most interesting for a fair few years.

Additional boosts for slower cars so they can catch up?

Heh, they could make it like Super Mario Kart and and some rubber band AI - last car has a chance to change into a giant bullet and launch to the front!