Motorsports Thread

[Jenkins]

There's the solution. Two car designs. One for regular circuits and one much smaller design for street circuits. Problem solved.

Take the current F4 cars (as used in the F1 Academy championship) leave the minimal aerodynamics alone, beef up the brakes and drop in a 300bhp motor.

 

[FishFright]

https://www.nascar.com/

For those that think overtakes define a good race.

 

[Alex321]

https://www.nascar.com/

For those that think overtakes define a good race.

I don't think anybody is suggesting it *defines* a good race, but most of us think having the opportunity to overtake is *one* of the requirements that make up a good race.

Having a race where the only thing which disrupts the order of the cars is pit stops & accidents is boring.

But so is a race where overtaking can be done anywhere on the track with ease because there is nowhere that is less than about 4-5 cars wide, and you hardly have to slow down for corners.

Something between those two extremes makes for a good interesting race from the spectating POV.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

The problem with no overtakes is that you end up with a slower car just at the head of a line of cars following each other

while the car in front of it head off into the wide blue yonder

it is just boring - normally

 

[icowden]

Weird - Barcelona has kicked off and Ferrari have gone from looking right on the pace in P1 to "undrivable" (Lewis Hamilton) in P2.
Mercedes have done the reverse.

 

[Reynard]

Take the current F4 cars (as used in the F1 Academy championship) leave the minimal aerodynamics alone, beef up the brakes and drop in a 300bhp motor.

The F4 chassis probably wouldn't be able to handle that level of power - not with the engine acting as a stressed member. You'd end up with a car that twists far too much every time the driver accelerated and decelerated, and it would be *vile* to drive. And unpredictable. in terms of handling.

 

[Reynard]

I don't think anybody is suggesting it *defines* a good race, but most of us think having the opportunity to overtake is *one* of the requirements that make up a good race.

Having a race where the only thing which disrupts the order of the cars is pit stops & accidents is boring.

But so is a race where overtaking can be done anywhere on the track with ease because there is nowhere that is less than about 4-5 cars wide, and you hardly have to slow down for corners.

Something between those two extremes makes for a good interesting race from the spectating POV.

That's why I watch the BTCC and Formula E.

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

The F4 chassis probably wouldn't be able to handle that level of power - not with the engine acting as a stressed member. You'd end up with a car that twists far too much every time the driver accelerated and decelerated, and it would be *vile* to drive. And unpredictable. in terms of handling.

That might mix things up enough to turn it from a borefest into something entertaining though 😂

 

[Reynard]

That might mix things up enough to turn it from a borefest into something entertaining though 😂

It would be a borefest if everyone had to back off in order to keep the thing on the tarmac. And having lost someone very dear to me in a racing accident, I'd rather not have the other option of drivers pushing too hard and ending up in the scenery because of it being pot luck if they were going to be able to make the corner or not.

 

[Jenkins]

That's why I watch the BTCC and Formula E.

It's not my cup of racing tea at all, but Formula E has shown it is possible to evolve the cars, increase the performance AND make them smaller - the current Gen 3 car is (other than length) actually smaller and lighter than the Gen 1 & 2 cars (comparison here).

 

[rustybolts]

Spain : The Final Leg of the NO Overtaking Triple Header , Colapinto dragging up the rear on day 1

 

[Drago]

I bet Jack Doohan is chuckling into his beer.