Formula 1 cars in the rain.

[cerdic]

Here we go again with a rain and red flag situation. We keep being told that modern F cars are undriveable in very wet conditions because the low ride height and 'plank' cause them to aquaplane.

Most fans find waiting maybe hours for a race to restart a touch irritating.

How about this for a solution. Change the BLOODY CARS!!!!!

Tell the teams that they are expected to produce cars that function in the wet. Races will not be stopped in the rain. Ok, a raised ride height might make a slower car, but what is better? A slow car that stays on the track and wins or a fast one that crashes?

[luke g28]

Change the FIA dictated plank. Even put a rudder on the back ffs. Or change the parc ferme so that teams wont try and run a dry setup on a wet track.

[Bononi]

Change the WEATHER instead.

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by luke g28

Or change the parc ferme so that teams wont try and run a dry setup on a wet track.

I would be OK with that, but only with that.

In fact, an officially declared wet part of qualifying (Q1, Q2 or Q3) should be run with a higher minimum ride height, which can then be lowered, if necessary, for an officially declared dry race.

[S.Moss]

The car ride heights don't need altering. The problem is the tarmac used at race circuits.

Silverstone was a prime example today in that the old tarmac is very open and allows water to drain away from the circuit easy. Look at where they laid new tarmac, its great in the dry because its smooth as a billiard table but when it rains there is no gaps to let the water drain resulting in it just being a lake and the cars aquaplaning.

If you look where the cars were struggling it was all where the new tarmac has been laid at the track .

[Marbot]

So you're saying that they need to use 'old' tarmac? I know where they can get some, real cheap.

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by Marbot

So you're saying that they need to use 'old' tarmac? I know where they can get some, real cheap.

Come on don't keep us waiting !

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Bononi

Come on don't keep us waiting !

In this country we have 'travellers' who will do you a really nice drive-way in just a matter of minutes.

[S.Moss]

No they don't need to use old tarmac but its how they grade it.

It seems they now lay a very dense surface of say 3mm dense which won't allow it to be very porous and good draining but the older spec tarmac may be 10mm dense allowing much better drainage. If you look at Club corner at Silverstone you can see that from Stowe to the braking area of club its older tarmac and not much standing water, but as soon as you get to the new tarmac its like a lake because its too dense and you get aquaplaning very easy just like we saw in qualifying.

[nicanary]

Originally Posted by Marbot

In this country we have 'travellers' who will do you a really nice drive-way in just a matter of minutes.

We do a real good job, sir, a real good job. And I couldn't help noticing that your chimney could do with a bit of pointing an'all. Very reasonable rates, sir.

(Post-posting apologies for any perceived racism - it was meant to be a joke)

[GTRMagic]

Answer = pukka 'Monsoon' wets

[stripedcat]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Answer = pukka 'Monsoon' wets

Yeah maybe. I also think that they should be allowed to change the setup of the car from wet to dry and so on, if conditions change.

[MagnetON]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Answer = pukka 'Monsoon' wets

There's also the issue now that cars are so light that it doesn't take a lot of water build up for them to lift an aquaplane. Figure that the fully loaded weight of an F1 car is under half that of a normal car and it soon becomes pure math that there's a certain threshold where even "Monsoon" wets wouldn't do the business. (And yes, I'm aware that aerodynamics mean the cars press down with considerably more force than a road car!)

You also have to factor in visibility, it's all good saying "Monsoon tyres will clear 90 litres of water a second" Clear it to where? about 3m into the air so it becomes a wall of water for the car in front to drive through. Multiply that by the two or three cars in front of you and there's no way you can see unless the visors are fitted with something that can ALSO shift 90 litres of water a second.

The decision on Saturday was the right one, however the sporting rules do need changed with regard to quallification and how long it can take overall. There is a max race time and a total max elapsed "completion time" for the race, there should be similar in qually. Three hours total to complete qually and if there hasn't been a Q3 then take Q2 and if no Q2 then take Q1. If Q1 hasn't been completed then go for a random grid, we're always told these guys are the top 24 drivers in the world with lap times within 107% of each other, so they should be quick enough to start at random and sort themselves out over a full race distance.

[Greem]

I was one of the flag marshals at Chapel where the Ferrari pair spun. At the exact moment of Massa's spin we couldn't see the preceding nor the following flag points due to the spray. If those cars had spun 250m further along the track I doubt we would have seen it happen, the visibility was so poor.
I don't want to get all elfin safety about racing but there's a point at which the risk level rises to an uncomfortable point and that was one of them. IMO of course, but my opinion was being influenced a little by not wanting another crash right next to me (like Senna's was in free practice)!

[tristancliffe]

Clubs racers in cars with less grip, similar ride heights, similar vehicle weights and lesser drivers would have raced in those conditions. Admittedly less power, but then the right foot can control that.