2014 Formula 1 Season Thread

^i think ratio's are free to choose by the teams
but they have to declare 20 (?) at the beginning of the year and can only choose from those...

also, last year there were 7 speeds, now they have 8...

"accellerate out of a corner faster" is an iffy term if you ask me
they got more torque, so can't get on the power as soon as last year
but once they can, it will be a faster acceleration...
 
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I'm just getting tired of pointing out the pointlessness of engine torque without factoring in gearing... what matters is torque at the wheels.
 
Actually no, this year they have to declare their 8+reverse gear ratios at the start of the year and stick with them all year. They are allowed one mid-season gear ratio value change this year, but from next year onwards the gear ratios will be fixed all season, picked before the first race of each year.
 
Most of the top speed advantage is down to aero, (Pat Fry I think) said they're basically running Canada levels of downforce at the moment.
 
Actually no, this year they have to declare their 8+reverse gear ratios at the start of the year and stick with them all year. They are allowed one mid-season gear ratio value change this year, but from next year onwards the gear ratios will be fixed all season, picked before the first race of each year.

[laymen's type discussion] I wonder if they average the optimal gear ratios from each track or if they average the optimal gear ratio for the tracks where the team's driver's perform best, of course this is all with respect to the torque and power curves of the engine. [/laymen's type discussion]
 
Well I cant imagine a Monaco-esque ratio working at a place like Monza, but the idea will work because most tracks on the calendar nowdays are pretty much the same overly complicated Tilke layout.
 
it will if they're allowed to change their diff-ratio before the race...
but i don't know if they can do that?
 
Rob Smedley joins Felipe Massa at Williams

Good combo, looks like we will be hearing more "Felipe baby" in the near future. :lol:
 
AFAIK Massa already has a race engineer. Smedley is in for a more seniore role. No radio, maybe TV appearances.
 
[laymen's type discussion] I wonder if they average the optimal gear ratios from each track or if they average the optimal gear ratio for the tracks where the team's driver's perform best, of course this is all with respect to the torque and power curves of the engine. [/laymen's type discussion]

Not really, I suspect they'll only use 8th at places like Monza, and go only up to 4th or 5th gear at Monaco.
 
[laymen's type discussion] I wonder if they average the optimal gear ratios from each track or if they average the optimal gear ratio for the tracks where the team's driver's perform best, of course this is all with respect to the torque and power curves of the engine. [/laymen's type discussion]

From the explanation I've heard the concept of "optimal" ratios only arises cause the torque power curves have a maximum value at a certain RPM. But because of the fuel flow limits in place, those curves now look really weird and plateau off instead of having a single maximum value. So you can have several different ratios that still give you the "optimum" performance as the torque/power curves are almost flat at the top...
 
speed = rpm * ratio

you can play with torque curves all you want, you won't alter the top speed of each gear
 
Sure you will :p if your torque drops below providing enough force after gearing and tyre diameter to overcome aero drag your top speed will drop, you won't even reach peak rpm.
 
Not really, I suspect they'll only use 8th at places like Monza, and go only up to 4th or 5th gear at Monaco.

Ok, so what you're essentially saying is that the gear ratios should be tailored to work optimally with Monza and other high speed tracks?
 
I find this extremely pointless. What you're creating is another possibility for a team "hitting the jackpot". What's wrong with gearing however you like wherever you like? Don't tell me this is what's gonna bring more competition to F1.
 
You engineer it for the most extreme conditions (in this case top speed), so I assume the last gears are with Monza in mind.
 
I find this extremely pointless. What you're creating is another possibility for a team "hitting the jackpot". What's wrong with gearing however you like wherever you like? Don't tell me this is what's gonna bring more competition to F1.

The main reason is they are trying to limit costs by making them use the transmissions for more and more races by only allowing for a certain number to be used during a season without penalty. Changing gears for every race would essentially negate that rule since it would have to be rebuilt every time. So in other words, they have to choose 5 sets of gears (20 races) that will work for any 4 given races. If they don't use them for 4 races, then they get penalized.

It is also why you saw some retirements last year. There are loop holes in the rules if you have a gearbox failure, you can start with over with that particular one without penalty if it forces a retirement. I don't know what the rule is this year or if it has changed, but it is definitely a strategy decision, and I honestly don't really have a problem with it. I guess I would prefer that they could make the exact car they wanted to for every race, but I also see how the challenge of making a specific set of equipment work well in different races is cool too.
 
Something that was emailed out at the BIC

Hi Team,

Here?s a statistical rundown after four days in Bahrain for the second of the three pre-season tests.

Fastest laps of Bahrain Test One

1. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:33.283, New Soft tyres, Day Four.
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:34.263, New soft tyres, Day Three.
3. Kevin Magnussen, McLaren, 1:34.910, New supersoft tyres, Day Two.
4. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1:34.957, New soft tyres, Day Four.
5. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, 1:36.445, New soft tyres, Day Two.
6. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1:36.516, Used soft tyres, Day Two.
7. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:36.718, New soft tyres, Day Four.
8. Felipe Massa, Williams, 1:37.066, New soft tyres, Day Three.
9. Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber, 1:37.180, Unknown tyre compound, Day Three
10. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1:37.328, Unknown tyre compound, Day Two.

Most laps completed by a driver
1. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 174 laps; 2. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 171.

Bahrain test, Day One timesheet:
1. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, 1:36.880, 78 laps
2. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1:37.879, 64 laps
3. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:37.908, 74 laps
4. Kevin Magnussen, McLaren, 1:38.295, 81 laps
5. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 1:40.224, 14 laps
6. Adrian Sutil, Sauber, 1:40.443, 82 laps
7. Robin Frijns, Caterham, 1:42.534, 68 laps
8. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso, 1:44.346, 5 laps
9. Romain Grosjean, Lotus, 1:44.832, 8 laps
10. Felipe Massa, Williams, No time, 5 laps
11. Jules Bianchi, Marussia, No time, 3 laps.

Bahrain Test, Day Two timesheet:
1. Kevin Magnussen, McLaren, 1:34.910, 46 laps
2. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, 1:36.445, 59 laps
3. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 1:36.516, 97 laps
4. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:36.965, 85 laps
5. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1:37.328, 116 laps
6. Kamui Kobayashi, Caterham, 1:39.855, 66 laps
7. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, 1:40.340, 59 laps
8. Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso, 1:40.609, 58 laps
9. Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber, 1:40.717, 55 laps
10. Romain Grosjean, Lotus, 1:41.670, 18 laps
11. Max Chilton, Marussia, 1:42.511, 17 laps.

Bahrain Test, Day Three timesheet:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:34.263, 67 laps
2. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1:34.976, 103 laps
3. Felipe Massa, Williams, 1:37.066, 60 laps
4. Esteban Gutierrez, Sauber, 1:37.180, 96 laps
5. Sergio Perez, Force India, 1:37.367, 57 laps
6. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:37.467, 44 laps
7. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso, 1:38.974, 57 laps
8. Pastor Maldonado, Lotus, 1:39.642, 26 laps
9. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1:40.781, 28 laps
10. Marcus Ericsson, Caterham, 1:42.130, 98 laps
11. Max Chilton, Marussia, 1:46.672, 4 laps
12. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, No time, 55 laps.

Bahrain Test, Day Four timesheet

1. Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:33.283, 89 laps.
2. Button, McLaren, 1:34.957, 66 laps.
3. Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:36.718, 81 laps.
4. Nasr, Williams, 1:37.569, 87 laps.
5. Maldonado, Lotus, 1:38.707, 59 laps.
6. Perez, Force India, 1:39.258, 19 laps.
7. Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1:39.837, 15 laps.
8. Vergne, Toro Rosso, 1:40.472 19 laps.
9. Kobayashi, Caterham, 1:43.027, 17 laps.
10. Ericsson, Caterham, 1:45.094, 4 laps.
11. Sutil, Sauber, No time, 7 laps.
12. Bianchi, Marussia, No time, 5 laps.

Total number of tyre sets used:
199 (5 sets of the supersofts; 37 of the softs; 89 of the mediums; 51 of the hards; 17 of the winters).

Longest runs completed:
16 laps on the supersofts; 16 laps on the softs; 22 laps on the mediums; 22 laps on the hards; 9 laps on the winters).

Total laps in Bahrain Test One:
Williams - 323
Mercedes - 315
McLaren - 296
Ferrari - 286
Caterham - 249
Sauber - 240
Force India - 213
Toro Rosso - 139
Red Bull - 116
Lotus - 111
Marussia - 29.

Total laps by each team during pre-season
Mercedes - 624
McLaren - 541
Ferrari - 538
Williams - 498
Sauber - 403
Force India - 359
Caterham - 329
Toro Rosso - 193
Red Bull - 137
Lotus - 111
Marussia - 59

Total laps by each engine manufacturer during pre-season
Mercedes - 2002
Ferrari - 1000
Renault - 770

Approximate kilometres by each team during pre-season
Mercedes - 2935 km
McLaren - 2564 km
Ferrari - 2544 km
Williams - 2403 km
Sauber - 1926 km
Force India - 1715 km
Caterham - 1621 km
Toro Rosso - 943km
Red Bull - 684 km
Lotus - 568
Marussia - 277.

Approximate kilometres by each engine manufacturer during pre-season
Mercedes - 9618 km
Ferrari - 4747 km
Renault - 3816 km.
 
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