Yesterday only provide a small little area of focus of F1 racing. But I'll also bring up about the diffuser thingy that happen right now in F1, since we are now at aerodynamics...
The diffuser is a small little cuts, slits, holes and flip-ups at the bottom rear end of the car. The diffuser act similar to wings - using air flow to press down the rear end of the car, giving grip to the rear tyres in the process. F1 cars are rear wheel driven cars (cars with engine power driving the rear wheels of the car. The front wheels are free from the engine and are not turning with the energy churned out from the engine - more about FWD Front-Wheel Driven cars, RWD Rear-Wheel Driven cars and 4WD 4-Wheel Driven cars maybe later in the blog)
The current situation arises due to the following... It is known that F1 cars are lapping quicker and quicker round the circuits with lap times tumbling down. This also pose as danger because as cars go round quickly, should an accident occur, the impact force will be relatively greater, which might harm the driver. The solution is to have amended rules each year to slow the cars down. And for this year, the FIA would like cars with less dependent on aerodynamics - longer, lower front wings and taller, narrower rear wings. This will lessen the amount of downforce generated by the cars. And to compensate this loss of downforce from wings, the FIA re-introduce slick tyres, which allow the team to gain back a little in terms of traction. So, the idea is simple. Produce a car less dependent on aerodynamics, and thus a slower car than previous years.
However, the FIA rules are not too precise enough and that 3 teams found a loop hole and develop diffusers, which will reduce their loss of downforce due to the wing changes this year. Also, the FIA would like to promote overtaking so that there are more action on track, which will please viewers. The diffusers are devices at the rear end of the car, which creates turbulance to the air flow. And should a car follow behind closely, the aerodynamics of the car behind will be affected. This will cause the car behind to lose downforce and hence unable to overtake. This situation happend in the past as cars are unable to overtake because if the car behind follow closely to the car in front, it loses its performance.
As such, majority of the teams go with the spirit of not developing the diffuser and developed further into other areas of the car. So can you imagine when cars with diffusers turn up on the track. The other cars were sort of handicapped, so as to speak. And going slightly deeper, FIA also introduce movable front wings and KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System). The adjustable front wings can be used by the driver for overtaking the car in front by simply adjust 1 plane on the front wing. KERS is an expensive new toy in F1 where it uses energy, recovered during braking, stored in a cell and utilise it when the driver wants it. This KERS is believed to boost the car, raises the car with extra 80bhp for a short duration of time. Also in spirit of overtaking. More about KERS some other time, so as not to bore you to death.
So, why are the other teams so angry and all the appeals and stuff. Take for instance, a KERS car behind a diffuser car. During the straights, the KERS car could boost the car and draw closer to the diffuser in front. But he has little or no chance to overtake it when it comes to a corner. The diffuser car simple open up a gap again as it can take corners at higher speed. The KERS car will then fall back further down. But on the straights again, the KERS car can close up the gap and this cycle continues. Unless there's a mistake made by the driver in the front car (leaving enough open space for the rear car to get pass), a pass is rather unlikely.
So in view of all these, the diffuser teams claimed they followed the rules closely and did not break any of them (due to loopholes), whereas the non-diffuser teams insist that the diffuser teams were rather unsporting knowing the general objective of the regulations.
Anyway, the results for the first 2 races are provisional and not exactly finalised as the Court of Appeal will happen after the 2nd race (Malaysian Grand Prix). Verdicts will rule either the diffuser are legal, which you will see other teams desperately coming up with diffusers for their car for subsequent races (which is dumb, as it increases cost again, which the teams and FIA are strongly against); or diffusers are illegal and that points might be stripped off from the 3 diffuser teams (which is double whammy as the teams on diffusers are low budget teams and at such situation, their commercial exposure are higher. And that the other big teams could have easily close up their deficits pretty soon, so why not let them have some points rather than no points at all as this would spice up and make the championship much more interesting)
Alright, I think that's enough for now. Hope that gives you a little gist of what to watch out for, for this seasons's F1 races...
The diffuser is a small little cuts, slits, holes and flip-ups at the bottom rear end of the car. The diffuser act similar to wings - using air flow to press down the rear end of the car, giving grip to the rear tyres in the process. F1 cars are rear wheel driven cars (cars with engine power driving the rear wheels of the car. The front wheels are free from the engine and are not turning with the energy churned out from the engine - more about FWD Front-Wheel Driven cars, RWD Rear-Wheel Driven cars and 4WD 4-Wheel Driven cars maybe later in the blog)
The current situation arises due to the following... It is known that F1 cars are lapping quicker and quicker round the circuits with lap times tumbling down. This also pose as danger because as cars go round quickly, should an accident occur, the impact force will be relatively greater, which might harm the driver. The solution is to have amended rules each year to slow the cars down. And for this year, the FIA would like cars with less dependent on aerodynamics - longer, lower front wings and taller, narrower rear wings. This will lessen the amount of downforce generated by the cars. And to compensate this loss of downforce from wings, the FIA re-introduce slick tyres, which allow the team to gain back a little in terms of traction. So, the idea is simple. Produce a car less dependent on aerodynamics, and thus a slower car than previous years.
However, the FIA rules are not too precise enough and that 3 teams found a loop hole and develop diffusers, which will reduce their loss of downforce due to the wing changes this year. Also, the FIA would like to promote overtaking so that there are more action on track, which will please viewers. The diffusers are devices at the rear end of the car, which creates turbulance to the air flow. And should a car follow behind closely, the aerodynamics of the car behind will be affected. This will cause the car behind to lose downforce and hence unable to overtake. This situation happend in the past as cars are unable to overtake because if the car behind follow closely to the car in front, it loses its performance.
As such, majority of the teams go with the spirit of not developing the diffuser and developed further into other areas of the car. So can you imagine when cars with diffusers turn up on the track. The other cars were sort of handicapped, so as to speak. And going slightly deeper, FIA also introduce movable front wings and KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System). The adjustable front wings can be used by the driver for overtaking the car in front by simply adjust 1 plane on the front wing. KERS is an expensive new toy in F1 where it uses energy, recovered during braking, stored in a cell and utilise it when the driver wants it. This KERS is believed to boost the car, raises the car with extra 80bhp for a short duration of time. Also in spirit of overtaking. More about KERS some other time, so as not to bore you to death.
So, why are the other teams so angry and all the appeals and stuff. Take for instance, a KERS car behind a diffuser car. During the straights, the KERS car could boost the car and draw closer to the diffuser in front. But he has little or no chance to overtake it when it comes to a corner. The diffuser car simple open up a gap again as it can take corners at higher speed. The KERS car will then fall back further down. But on the straights again, the KERS car can close up the gap and this cycle continues. Unless there's a mistake made by the driver in the front car (leaving enough open space for the rear car to get pass), a pass is rather unlikely.
So in view of all these, the diffuser teams claimed they followed the rules closely and did not break any of them (due to loopholes), whereas the non-diffuser teams insist that the diffuser teams were rather unsporting knowing the general objective of the regulations.
Anyway, the results for the first 2 races are provisional and not exactly finalised as the Court of Appeal will happen after the 2nd race (Malaysian Grand Prix). Verdicts will rule either the diffuser are legal, which you will see other teams desperately coming up with diffusers for their car for subsequent races (which is dumb, as it increases cost again, which the teams and FIA are strongly against); or diffusers are illegal and that points might be stripped off from the 3 diffuser teams (which is double whammy as the teams on diffusers are low budget teams and at such situation, their commercial exposure are higher. And that the other big teams could have easily close up their deficits pretty soon, so why not let them have some points rather than no points at all as this would spice up and make the championship much more interesting)
Alright, I think that's enough for now. Hope that gives you a little gist of what to watch out for, for this seasons's F1 races...
