FASTER F1 CARS ARE IMPORTANT, AREn't THEY?
Fans are obsessed by speed, but is speed really that important?
Some say that current F1 is boring because cars are much slower now, but is speed really the main problem here?
We can see something like: "Fromula 1 needs more overtaking, noise and cars equipped with flamethrowers and bla bla bla" all over the facebook fan pages! Yes, yes its all true, but all these cry babies don't realize the faster lap times are not important at all. Especially if we are talking about 2 seconds slower laptimes between V12 era and 2016 season.
Dont get me wrong! Everybody wants to see the fastest f1 car in 2017 and there is actually a connection between speed, overtaking and fun, BUT THERE IS A HUGE PROBLEM. Fans want to see more overtaking maneuvers and fights on the track, but to achieve that with 2016 engines, we need actually less or the same ammount of downforce and that means slower lap times. SO WHAT FANS REALLY WANT? Is it better to watch boring but really fast formula 1 or exciting and "2 seconds" slower formula 1 cars?
The ultimate F1 graph
Random F1 fan who occasionally watch F1 in TV"the speed and downforce will solve everything"
facepalm of Christian Horner
WRONG Mr. "I know everything". MECHANICAL GRIP is what we need and new 2017 wider tires will provide just exactly that, so what is the point of adding even more downforce? Simple! All fans are so overly obsessed by 2 seconds slower laps, that everybody forgot to ask engineers and drivers "Hey guys, what the fu*k are we doing here, and what should we do to make F1 more exciting?".
Rare picture of F1 car without downforce - photo from 1947- GP Downforica (colorized)
This picture above shows us exactly how most of F1 fans see the importance of downforce and yes yes, downforce is good for grip so you can go fast around corners (sorry NASCAR fans, go and google what corner means - no time to explain that), but downforce will also slow cars down quite a lot at high speed track sections (physics fact, just deal with it). Another problem is, with more downforce, car needs more powerfull engine or a bigger consumption to keep same maximum speed. But above all problems, the main one comes with overtaking. Downforce basically ruins close fights between drivers and thats it! Do you want even more boring F1 just because someone is complaining about 2 seconds slower lap times?
Are those two seconds really worth it?
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Comments (2)
Downforce can still be increased, just in cleaner ways. The way current cars create most of their downforce with the air going over the car leads to a lot of turbulence which upsets the car behind. If they created more downforce from beneath the car the effect wouldn't be as great and cars would be able to follow. 😃
But they actually created more downforce with wider and longer floor and bigger diffuser. But in general it would be way easier to keep it as it was. 1) It would be much cheaper for other teams to keep the pace with Merc, Ferrari and Red Bull this...
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