How Are Under Weight F1 Cars Made Legal? - 10-Tenths Motorsport Forum

Artwinter · 19 Jul 2001, 16:14

How are some of the highly financed F1 teams building there cars considerably under weight? But yet when they are weighed for the race they end up legal?

Art

Minardi fan · 19 Jul 2001, 16:29

Don't they stick a load of ballast into the chassis?

(That or get Mansell in the car...

)

Artwinter · 19 Jul 2001, 17:01

Manardi Fan.

You are partiially right but what kind of ballast is used and where is it actuall installed and what do they gain by using it?

Art.

Artwinter · 19 Jul 2001, 17:22

Sorry Minardi Fan.

Art.

EERO · 19 Jul 2001, 17:54

Quote:

Originally posted by Artwinter
Manardi Fan.

You are partiially right but what kind of ballast is used and where is it actuall installed and what do they gain by using it?

Art.

The ballst is a series of metallic weights in arcane highly dense metals, bolted low in the chassis to lower the center of gravity. I understand that the mounting locations vary from circuit to circuit as optimum balance is sought.

Red · 19 Jul 2001, 18:14

I believe that they are using depleted uranium. At least they did that a couple of years ago, and I remember some talking about this issue, since it is a highly expensive material. And alegedly health hazardous. They are placed at the lowest point at the car (I don’t have time right now to check my points, I’ll come back tomorrow, but I’m sure that the positions of the ballast are highly regulated) and the purpose is to alter the centre of gravity. Both in vertical plane (to make it as low as possible) and horizontal (helping for adjusting the car’s balance, the oversteering/understeering tendencies of the car. The first goal one is clear, make the CG it as low as possible; the later is adjusted during the friday/saturday/warm-up practice sessions as by driver’s requests.

Just a correction, not only the highly funded teams manage to make cars lighter that 600kg. Every one of them can do that; the difference is the amount of ballast that a team has to add (thus offering a greater flexibility and a more stable car)

Artwinter · 19 Jul 2001, 20:15

A year or so ago I read an article that mcLaren was using Tungsten slugs in the wooden plank. This way they were adding weight as low as possible and could change the balance of the car as desired. It also lowered the center of gravit one inch. They also said that the cost of these Tungsten slugged planks was 160,000 pounds a year.I have to admit that they have some great engineers in F1.

Art

eatapc · 19 Jul 2001, 21:45

Quote:

Originally posted by Red
I believe that they are using depleted uranium. At least they did that a couple of years ago, and I remember some talking about this issue, since it is a highly expensive material. And alegedly health hazardous.

Depleted Uranium (DU) is used primarily in weaponry as a denser substitute for lead. Here is a faq from http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/faq_17apr.htm

Q. What makes depleted uranium a potential hazard?

A. Depleted uranium is a heavy metal that is also slightly radioactive. Heavy metals (uranium, lead, tungsten, etc.) have chemical toxicity properties that, in high doses, can cause adverse health effects. Depleted uranium that remains outside the body can not harm you.

A common misconception is that radiation is depleted uranium's primary hazard. This is not the case under most battlefield exposure scenarios. Depleted uranium is approximately 40 percent less radioactive than natural uranium. Depleted uranium emits alpha and beta particles, and gamma rays. Alpha particles, the primary radiation type produced by depleted uranium, are blocked by skin, while beta particles are blocked by the boots and battle dress utility uniform (BDUs) typically worn by service members. While gamma rays are a form of highly-penetrating energy , the amount of gamma radiation emitted by depleted uranium is very low. Thus, depleted uranium does not significantly add to the background radiation
that we encounter every day.

Champ69 · 19 Jul 2001, 23:05

A team was also looking at using a form of hydraulic system to push liquid around the car so provide the optimum handling in every corner of a track (sound like the active suspension days), currently the just use static weights as was mentioned. But the FIA quashed the idea because of the costs and the potential danger of superheated liquid burning mechanics. I do not remember where I read or this so I hope someone can back me up. Also To gain extra weight in the car Johnny Herbert used to **** in his cockpit

Red · 20 Jul 2001, 04:40

Yep, that’s why I said allegedly. Unlike the ammunition, the ballast does not explode or otherwise spread small particles all around. It’s much like the Be-alloys affaire. Beryllium (or its oxides) could be toxic; if swallowed, inhaled...
-----------
Champ, now THAT would be some “active ballancing”

Valve Bounce · 20 Jul 2001, 04:56

Oh! Poo!!! :confused: :confused: :confused: (that's my smelly smilie) , and that can have a distinct effect on the dirty air for following cars.

Champ69 · 20 Jul 2001, 05:14

My message was censored. The **** was pea. I have read a few stories about drivers peaing in their cars. Apparently Johnny Herbert was one of the worst. The funniest one was when one of the Stewart mechanics was trying to find out what a strange liquid was coming out of Johnny’s car on the pre-grid only to find out it was urine.

Jacky to Johnny: “pit on lap 28 for fuel, tyre and nappy change”

DNQ · 20 Jul 2001, 06:44

Quote:

Originally posted by Champ69
My message was censored. The **** was pea. I have read a few stories about drivers peaing in their cars. Apparently Johnny Herbert was one of the worst. The funniest one was when one of the Stewart mechanics was trying to find out what a strange liquid was coming out of Johnny’s car on the pre-grid only to find out it was urine.

Jacky to Johnny: “pit on lap 28 for fuel, tyre and nappy change”

????????????????????????????????????