/r/F1Technical

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All things technical in F1 - New and Old.

Nothing more, nothing less.

All things technical in F1 - New and Old.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Rules

  1. Technically Related This sub is specifically for technical discussion related to F1. For general F1-related discussion, r/Formula1 is the place to be. This rule is not very well defined as "Technical" can mean a number of things and has a very wide scope. It is up to the community to help the mods police this rule. Report something if you don't feel it is related to this sub, if enough reports are made, the mods will make a decision.

  2. No Joke Comments Contributors take time to post on this sub, some of which are from the motorsport industry. So please respect them and don't make Joke comments in the top 2 levels of the comments. We are a technical sub, there are plenty of other F1 subs to make jokes. Failure to adhere to this will result in a 3 day ban for the first offence. A permanent ban for repeat offenders.

  3. Repost/Duplicate Content Please remember to check the "NEW" page before posting. This includes direct reposts and content that has been shared from a different source. When reporting a Repost/Duplicate post, please include a link to the original post in the description

  4. Low Quality Low Quality posts/comments will be removed. It is at the mods' discretion to determine whether a post is low quality. Users who break this rule will be subject to temporary bans.

  5. Harrassment/Trollling Follow Reddiquette, don't harass other users and don't troll. Don't provoke trolls by responding to their posts, simply downvote and report and the mods will take care of it. Do not wish harm upon drivers, team personnel or other users.

  6. Bigotry/Whataboutism Racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic and xenophobic language is completely unacceptable and will result in disciplinary action. We want everyone to feel welcome at r/F1Technical, regardless of their age, gender, sexual preferences, race etc.; no one should feel discriminated here. Whataboutism (e.g. Why hasn't X driver said anything about Y issue?) or other phrases implying this are also a violation of the rules.

  7. Self Promotion Excessive self promotion is not allowed. We follow the site-wide guideline on self promotion.
    New users who intend to use this community to sell or promote their own social media or discord will not be allowed and will receive an instant permanent ban.
    Users who have been members for over 6 months and are ACTIVE and trusted community members can post links to merchandise, books or their own site/social media/blog that they think other members may like. Abusing this though will result in a ban.

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Other sites that can provide excellent information:

F1Technical.net

SomersF1.blogspot.com

ConsultKeithYoung.com

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4

Why is the finish line located immediately after the final corner in F1, as opposed to centered on the straight?

New to F1 - why is it on most every F1 circuit the S/F line is right off the final corner, whereas in many other forms of motorsport the S/F line is often centered on the straight or even towards the turn 1 end of the straight?

8 Comments
2024/10/31
22:48 UTC

7

Driver change after sprint race?

Fernando Alonso is once again feeling unwell ahead of a Grand Prix. For argument's sake, let's say that he's not well on Friday and doesn't take part in the Practice Session and Sprint Qualifying in Interlagos, being replaced by Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich. I assume that he won't be allowed to take place in the Sprint Race Saturday morning because he didn't take place in the Sprint Qualifying. But, if he feels fine in the afternoon, can he participate in the Qualifying session Saturday afternoon or is he forced to sit out of the remainder of the weekend?

8 Comments
2024/10/31
20:16 UTC

45

What exactly does "starting from the pit lane" entail?

Do they step on the gas as soon as the lights go out but are limited to pit lane speeds? Or Do they have to wait until the last car on track has passed a certain point? Are there courses where the pit lane exit is not near the start of the race? If a car starts from the pit lane, how far behind the last car on track will they usually enter the course?

22 Comments
2024/10/31
02:01 UTC

0

why didn't the 2022 f1 regulations have full wheel covers ?

tyre wake and trying to out wash tyre wake is the biggest cause of dirty air on an f1 car. I know that brake cooling might be an issue but we could of surly had fia liquid brake coolers to combat this?

edit: liquid cooled brakes

edit 2: or bigger brake ducts

https://preview.redd.it/0xqelssuaxxd1.png?width=960&format=png&auto=webp&s=759471f676ddf67abeba9eabee6da5b77f716258

39 Comments
2024/10/30
16:49 UTC

14

Starting grid time advantage question

What is the time difference between grid slots? If everyone position was equal machinery and got an identical start, what would the interval be between each driver?

21 Comments
2024/10/30
12:05 UTC

34

What is the reason for higher tyre degradation on the Rb20 relative to previous years?

Hi all, Just wondering why the Rb20 is experiencing higher Tyre degradation compared to previous years and hence affecting race pace.

What could be some possible fixes?

33 Comments
2024/10/30
10:10 UTC

226

Does anyone know how is this white part of the cockpit called?

65 Comments
2024/10/30
05:37 UTC

5

Ask Away Wednesday!

Good morning F1Technical!

Please post your queries as posts on their own right, this is not intended to be a megathread

Its Wednesday, so today we invite you to post any F1 or Motorsports in general queries, which may or may not have a technical aspect.

The usual rules around joke comments will apply, and we will not tolerate bullying, harassment or ridiculing of any user who posts a reasonable question. With that in mind, if you have a question you've always wanted to ask, but weren't sure if it fitted in this sub, please post it!

This idea is currently on a trial basis, but we hope it will encourage our members to ask those questions they might not usually - as per the announcement post, sometimes the most basic of questions inspire the most interesting discussions.

Whilst we encourage all users to post their inquiries during this period, please note that this is still F1Technical, and the posts must have an F1 or Motorsports leaning!

With that in mind, fire away!

Cheers

B

2 Comments
2024/10/30
00:00 UTC

1,288

Why soft tyres aren’t used as much as they used to in previous years?

I was watching the 2022 Interlagos race highlights and I noticed that until 2022 soft tyres were used A LOT during races, while now majority of the strategies are medium > hard tyres. Is there a specific reason for that?

123 Comments
2024/10/29
20:47 UTC

11

I have a question about the pedal overlay they show about the cars on replays.

So, sometimes when they are showing a replay of something happening during eace or qualy, they put that overlay on screen that show the speed, gear, drs end pedals.

The throttle pedal as they show you can always se being pressed progressively, and not always 100% throttle.

However the brake pedal overlay, is alway either 0% or 100%, never seen the brake being released progressively, even if it’s a corner you go from 300 km/h to 70 km/h. Even when the driver do a miner braking mid corner it goes to 100% instantly, and the throttle doesn’t.

So the question is, they don’t show the brake pedal trace correctly on purpose, showing only 0% or 100%, or can the driver really be on 100% braking like that and not lock up the wheels, being way harder to lock up than it actually seams?

28 Comments
2024/10/29
11:42 UTC

2

Details of Power Plant Changes

So, I know that you're allowed to use 3 engines through the season. Are you allowed to run different setups across the 3 changes you're allowed, or are they technically identical?

Additionally, it's 3 engine changes, so I'm guessing once you swap it out, that setup is dead, you cannot revisit it other than to tear it down and see what is or isn't up. Which would mean you couldn't have 3 setups and just swap between races, having 3 setups set for 8 specific races each and swapping as needed?

4 Comments
2024/10/29
04:22 UTC

0

Why do F1 drivers outside the top 10 still count towards the fastest lap, even though they can’t score the point?

I’ve been wondering why F1 still counts the fastest lap times of drivers finishing outside the top 10, especially since they’re not eligible to earn the fastest lap point. Wouldn’t it make more sense to restrict this to just the top 10 drivers, so that the point automatically goes to one of them? It could also reduce situations where drivers in lower positions pit late in the race just to set a fastest lap, since they don’t have anything to lose at that stage. Has F1 ever considered this, or is there a specific reason for including all drivers?

15 Comments
2024/10/29
00:03 UTC

624

What enables Colapinto to get fastest lap in a Williams?

I’ve been noticing in the recent races and have been wondering how that is. Sure, the formula A teams take it in the end, but the fact that the car is momentarily outpacing the rest of the grid. Is it something more with his driving or the car? How rare is this? I.e. Given that the competitiveness is a matter of seconds and milliseconds, are most teams pretty capable of this? Moreso thinking in terms of those reasons, rather than the situational luck and track positioning.

Also, obligatory newbie mention. Started watching F1 last season when Redbull just dominated and there weren’t big shakeups. It’s been exciting!

82 Comments
2024/10/28
22:13 UTC

714

How does McLaren's car come alive during the later stages of the race?

Hey newer fan here. This season it seems towards the later stages of the race the McLaren becomes the fastest car on the circuit. Curious what all contributes to this? Is it the best on tire ware? Is the car package setup to be optimized when fuel is low? Is it because all the cars are spaced out more and their car really thrives in clean air? Last Lap Lando? All the above? Or something totally different?

92 Comments
2024/10/28
16:03 UTC

1

Why are cars weighed with the tires?

I was looking at the stat that said this was the first time since 1981 that six drivers won multiple races, and I got reminded that George Russell was DQed at Spa for his car being underweight. I distinctly remember discussions back then mentioning that Spa didn't have a cooldown lap, so Russell didn't have time to pick up marbling from the track and increase his mass. That makes me wonder, why not weigh the car without that confounding variable? George may still get DQed, but why add that variance?

14 Comments
2024/10/28
08:01 UTC

114

Why don't they use speed tape to patch up holes in bodywork?

It seems like it would be relatively quick and easy to slap some tape to cover a hole like in Checo's sidepod today. Or a bigger type of flexible patch on Checo's sidepod in Austria.

Its not like nobody's ever had the idea, so there must be a good reason against doing so, so what is it?

31 Comments
2024/10/28
03:11 UTC

13

How does the driver control the DRS during the race?

DRS Control

Hey Guys,

On lap 19/20 of the Mexican GP Stroll tried to overtake Perez and shortly before the end of the straight the DRS of Stroll briefly closed and re-opened, before closing again as he breaks for the turn.

Now I was wondering how the driver is able to control the DRS during the race? Did Stroll do this manually or does the DRS maybe close when the driver briefly lifts the gas?

17 Comments
2024/10/27
20:42 UTC

36

Why does P2 get to start on the inside at some tracks?

In Eg. Mexico (and a hand full of other tracks)

P2 starts on the inside of Turn1, isn't that the better position to start in despite being a little further back, since all you need to do is stay alongside till the corner and should come out ahead.

17 Comments
2024/10/27
20:11 UTC

221

So I was watching a race from 2010 , which was the era with the f-ducts , and i noticed something on the force India , which looked quite similar to a F-duct on the letter Y on fly. Was this also another attempt at trying to copy teh F-duct ?

16 Comments
2024/10/27
14:46 UTC

34

What is this circled part in a lot of the 2000s F1 cars that relied on a front wishbone area mounted guiding vane solution instead of a traditional bargeboard, is it a side impact structure? If so, why didn't other cars have it in a similar position even if they had bargeboards?

13 Comments
2024/10/27
14:29 UTC

15

Why do stuck throttles seem more common in other forms of motorsport?

I can’t think of the last time a driver has struggled with a stuck throttle (thankfully) and even longer since the last time it caused a full blown accident. Compared to a number of the American series like Indy and NASCAR it seems like it never happens.

What would be the reason? I know things like brake by wire have helped with brake failures but what would the reason be for stuck throttles being rarer.

Or is the correct question why are they so common in the other series?

18 Comments
2024/10/27
13:16 UTC

22

Effect of air density on drivers?

So Mexico City has about 22% less air density because of it's high altitude. And I am aware that 22% less air density means less drag, less cooling effect, and less downforce.

But my question is, does that affect drivers as well? Less air means less oxygen inhaled so I think drivers might be more fatigued after the race in Mexico City

11 Comments
2024/10/27
01:18 UTC

10

How much is the Broadcasting cost?

I'm not sure if this is a 'technical question' but I wanted to know how much it costs to just air the races. Not looking for cost for Broadcasting rights. Just how much it costs to air the broadcast from the track to the broadcasting center, and onwards to the public.

5 Comments
2024/10/26
22:24 UTC

12

Are there any videos/articles about the engineering and physics of how to different tire compounds work

I’m really into the engineering behind f1 cars and have always been intrigued by the different tire compounds and how they work. I’ve tried to find a youtube video on how the different tires have different lifespans and grips but haven’t found anything so far

7 Comments
2024/10/26
19:13 UTC

40

Is George's new chassis a new car?

After George binned it he needed a new chassis. If they replaced the chassis is that essentially saying it's a whole new car? Would it be equivalent to say they built a new car using existing PU and transmission components?

15 Comments
2024/10/26
19:11 UTC

50

Why is Mexico always so dusty?

I get that the circuit is not used year around and since the circuit is in the city there may be dust/debris from the city hustle. But why isn't there an effort to clean the track via street sweeps or run support series say the weekend before or the same week? I feel like with the altitude and cooling issues there is already enough challenges. Why don't F1 make a better effort to make sure the track is ready for these cars?

21 Comments
2024/10/26
17:45 UTC

68

Why aren't the drivers positions on the steering wheel dash?

In the F1 games (and most other racing games that include an F1 car) on the steering wheel dash, there is usually a place where it says what position the driver is in at that point.

However in real F1, drivers seem to not know what position they are in until their engineers tell them - this is most seen in qualifying when engineers tell them what position they are and you can sometimes hear a shock in the drivers voice -

It seems like quite an easy thing to put in place, that also I assume would be useful to the drivers, so why isn't it there?

52 Comments
2024/10/26
14:22 UTC

14

What are the pros and cons of being able to pick whether ur pit box is at the start or end of the lane?

I was rewatching some old clips and saw the 2021 hungarian gp where lewis couldn’t enter the pits on the restart cause if he did. he would’ve been held up by every other car coming past him. What are the disadvantages to being at the other end of the pits and how much does the winning constructor gain from having this option?

8 Comments
2024/10/25
16:14 UTC

22

Does the thinner air favour more aero-efficient cars or the not so efficient ones?

Do you need more air to bring all out of an efficient car or need an efficient car to make the most of the thinner air?

14 Comments
2024/10/25
15:44 UTC

1

Question about regulatory link between driver and car

Is a driver linked to their specific car for the entire season? For the weekend? For the race?

For example, last week at COTA after Russell damaged his car so badly that he was required to start from the pits due to repairs, was it technically just the car relegated to pit lane start or both the car and driver as a unit? Could he have taken Hamilton’s car up to start in his qualifying position and let Hamilton use his car from the pits?

Another scenario: the team’s top driver crashes out in FP3 and the car won’t be fixed before Qualifying. Can the driver take his teammate’s car for qualifying?

What if a team decides for whatever reason to switch the cars of their two drivers in between races?

What if a team decides part way through the season that their car is absolute garbage? Can they completely rebuild a new one from scratch? (Cost cap aside)

7 Comments
2024/10/25
15:01 UTC

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