Can someone clarify?

[Forza Bianchi]

After qualifying we see that Hamilton, Alonso and Button all finish on a 1.21.9

What surprised me was the difference in sector times.

Sector 1
- Alonso matches the Red Bulls (22.6)
- Button 9th fastest (23.0)
- Hamilton 11th fastest (23.1)

Sector 2
- Red Bull's time = 30.4
- Hamilton 3rd fastest (30.6)
- Button 4th fastest (30.7)
- Alonso 5th fastest (30.8)

Sector 3
- Webber's time = 27.8
- Button 2nd fastest (28.1)
- Hamilton 4th fastest (28.2)
- Alonso 6th fastest (28.4)

The biggest confusion for me is S1 vs S2/3. No doubt McLaren have the second fastest car and more downforce than Ferrari. In the Speed traps, Red Bull are slow, but Alonso and McLaren drivers are equally fast - so it's surprising that McLaren are so slow in S1.

All sectors require a lot of downforce (as opposed to other circuits), so how are Ferrari so fast in sector 1, but struggle in the other two?

 

[Masanari]

I was thinking about this as well because it seemed strange, here is what Pat Fry says about it:

“A track like this favours cars that have a lot of aerodynamic downforce: that can be seen very clearly by analysing the best times in each sector. Our car is competitive in the first one, but we pay a very heavy price in the other two. That’s where we must improve.”

 

[u408379965]

Difference in setup maybe. You can't set the car up for all corners so it's the best compromise. I wouldn't say it's anything to do with the drivers because they followed JB on board through sector one and there was nothing obvious to suggest he'd have lost four tenths to an equal car (and much less a slightly worse one).

 

[Forza Bianchi]

hmm....

What Pat Fry says doesnt make much sense because downforce is just as important in S1 as it is for the rest of the circuit.

 

[cosicave]

Hi Forza!
You ask a good question but its answer is very complicated. I hope that by reading some of what I write below, you may sense the nature of the beast you are confronting!
- - -
There are all sorts of factors involved for differences in sector times: so many in fact, that to try to write them out here would be like listing every variable in setting up a car for its fastest lap, taking into account its driver.

Every driver/team combination is trying to find the best way to make their own car complete its fastest possible lap. This means that compromises need to be made which always mean that the fastest theoretical time through any sector will be slower than it would be if the car was set up for that one sector alone.

Different cars have different strengths and weaknesses, just as do the drivers; meaning that every driver/team combination will find a different solution to the thing that matters most: the complete lap time.

As a simple example, if we consider just one corner, there are several different ways to tackle it and to optimise one's car for it. For instance: a driver may prefer to brake very late and have his car set up for trail-braking induced oversteer, catch it on the throttle and take a late apex exit on full throttle for the fastest drive out onto the next straight. Or he may prefer a more neutral balance which allows him to finish braking sooner and take an earlier apex, reducing the time in the corner at the cost of a slower exit from it.

These are just two of many different techniques and any given driver may alter his own instinctive preference according to the track layout. For instance: he may discard his normally preferred technique because the following straight is longer or shorter than 'normal', which may reduce the advantage of one or other of just the two cornering techniques I've mentioned. And there are several others!

And so far, we've only spoken of driver preference!!

After this, we can begin to speak of the car which will have inherent characteristics (which 'feeds back' to the driver - who will need to take account of his car, in spite of his own preferences). And we can talk about all of the variables such as diff settings, spring rates, tyre pressures (and inherent characteristics which impinge upon them), etc. etc.

And this is even before we reach things like engine characteristics, DRS and KERS.

The list goes on and on and on…
- And every single factor affects every other, not just for this one corner but for every part of the circuit!
- - -
Thus, it is not an exact science but an art which seeks an idealised perfection. And I've not even mentioned aerodynamics…

 

[Forza Bianchi]

Thanks for the response cosicave. Its almost impossible to pick out individual things, but I do feel there is something that is having a significant effect.

Firstly, I dont think it has to do with drivers. Alonso and Button took the same line through turns 1, 2 and 3 (completing Sector 1) and also Button and Hamilton were equally slow in that sector.

Does anyone think that the longer wheelbase of the McLaren compromises them in the fast flowing corners in S1?

Could it be that the Ferrari has much greater traction? This would also explain Petrov's quick S1 time.

 

[Big Ern]

the Ferrari has looked fast in a straight line all season, but not particularly stable throught the corners, the trick is to get the fundamental balance of the car for cornering or flat out speed through the whole season, when we get to spa, hock, silverstone, the pedulum will swing.

 

[cosicave]

Forza: I don't think McLaren's wheelbase is compromising them in the fast corners but I have previously suggested it does not help them in the slower/tighter stuff. I also believe it is more difficult to control the air-flow with a longer wheelbase, although I acknowledge that there are two schools of thought on this.

McLaren lose out to Red Bull (as does everyone else) in the fast corners because the Red Bull's downforce is just amazing.

Ferrari do seem to have very good mechanical grip, along with Mercedes.