US F1 Update

[Don]

Seems there have been conflicting reports on the demise of the US F1 Team, but from MotorSport.com:


US F1 car to make test debut on American soil
Racing series F1 : Date 2010-01-08
By Motorsport.com/GMM

" The first US F1 car will make its debut on an American circuit, it was announced on Friday.

The Charlotte based team's sporting director Peter Windsor told the official F1 website that the FIA has granted special dispensation to allow winter testing for US F1 away from the normal European group sessions.

"Because we are a new team and start everything from zero the first time we will run the car will be in the United States at the Barber Motorsport Park in Alabama, the circuit that was nominated by the FIA for us," he said.

Windsor added that the maiden test will take place "at the beginning of February", but was not more specific.

He said the FIA dispensation allows for three tests in the US, before the car is shipped to Spain "to do some testing there before we fly out to Bahrain".

It has been reported in recent days that Argentine driver Jose Maria Lopez is close to finalising his sponsorship package for one US F1 race seat, while the Briton James Rossiter is rumoured to be in contention for the other.

Said Windsor: "We are very close to announcing our drivers. We've been talking to some great racing drivers over the last couple of months -- and it is very difficult choosing from the good drivers that are around.

"I think there are still a lot and the difficult thing is to choose only two out of ten that are available. It's a difficult job and I hate having to do that. We have not signed our forward deals yet in terms of the contracts, but we are pretty near to announcing," he added. "

[Wayne Maybury]

There will be lots of changes in F1 this year. New rules, new teams, new drivers, new engines, drivers changing teams, etc, etc. It is going to be very difficult to predict what is going to happen this year.

Wayne

[Don]

There were some press comments regarding the ability of the US F1 Team to have a car ready for the 2010 races. With the announcement of a driver, looks like they are still meeting their time schedule, having also obtained FIA & F1 permission to test at a US track.

" U.S. F1 confirms former Renault test driver José María López for 2010
01/25/10, 9:11 pm et"

" The U.S. F1 team has signed former Renault test driver José María López as one of its drivers for this season."

\http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100125/F1/100129951

[PatBuckley]

I would have thought that they could have found an American to drive for them.

[Excaliber]

Curious, would Danica P. even stand a chance of competing at the F1 level?

[Got the Bug]

Originally Posted by PatBuckley

I would have thought that they could have found an American to drive for them.

Agree with you Pat. But, everyone is a free agent and F1 isn't like a competition between countries.

[PatBuckley]

True - but it is a team with at least 50% of the principals not American, using the name USF1 who started out saying that they were going to be using American drivers (or at least they inferred that on many occasions) who are now choosing a guy who has never raced in F1 and who is not from the USA......

Ernie - she wouldn't stand a chance. With the exception of Montoya and Villeneuve, guys who have DOMINATED Indy car racing haven't done squat in F1 - as in Michael Andretti, Da Matta.....Danica only won one race and that was pretty much a gift.

[Don]

At least the USA F1 Team is US based, in Charlotte and a number of the personnel have come from the US.

One of the challenges Michael Andretti had, he was not based in Europe and commuted from the US. It has been stated that the F1 ride required total commitment along with experience in the lesser series of open wheel cars

[Wayne Maybury]

In all fairness to American drivers, very little emphasis is placed on open wheel race cars in the US. Most skilled drivers end up in stock cars trying to make it to NASCAR. In addition, those who do race open wheel cars spend much of their time on oval speedways. Learning to race open wheel cars on road circuits just isn't part of the average young American race driver's agenda.

While jumping from F1 to NASCAR is difficult, going the other way is just about impossible. If USF1 wants to have American drivers, they are going to have to make a long term investment and commitment to the driver development process.

Wayne

[IndyCobra]

Originally Posted by Wayne Maybury

It is going to be very difficult to predict what is going to happen this year.

Wayne

Oh, I don't know. My guess is that the first car to make it to the first turn will win the race if he doesn't break or crash. In that case, the second car through turn one will win. that pretty much sums up EVERY F1 race.

[Don]

Wayne, I believe another difference between F1 and any US based racing series, is the cultural differences in how the Teams interact with each other. I believe it was Scott Speed and maybe Montoya that mentioned the positive differences in the US.

Indy Cobra, good point, do not recall all the specific changes, but F1 mentioned they recognized the difficulty in passing. 2010 changes might include less down force, requiring more braking prior to the corners, new tire compounds or return to slicks w/o any groves, etc........time will tell

[Wayne Maybury]

Originally Posted by IndyCobra

Oh, I don't know. My guess is that the first car to make it to the first turn will win the race if he doesn't break or crash. In that case, the second car through turn one will win. that pretty much sums up EVERY F1 race.

Unfortunately F1 does not have enough passing as many of the present day drivers sit back waiting for the driver in front to make an error; no error - no pass. It isn't like the good old days of F1 when it was pass, crash, or blow it up trying. The changes made to the cars some 5 or 6 years ago were supposed to improve passing but reliance on aero down force made passing more difficult. Going back to slicks and limiting aero down force should increase passing but time will tell. They have also eliminated fuel stops this year so pit strategy is all but gone.

One well executed F1 pass under braking is far more exciting than 1000 "freight train" passes in a NASCAR restrictor plate race however.


Don there is no doubt that there is a certain level of arrogance involved with the F1 teams which is unfortunate. Don't forget that Bernie runs the show and he wants to control every aspect of every race. I personally think that F1 would be better off with someone else running the show but for the time being, like it or not, it's Bernie's sandbox.

Wayne

[Don]

Road & Track ( quotes ) mentioned that not having refueling will influence the race strategy ," race strategy with refueling was all about the complex balance between the weight of the fuel load in the car and the performance of the tires over a short stint " " Now it is going to be change the tires and go "

Previously, there were different fuel loads at the start of the race , same fuel load as used in qualifying . Now everyone starts with a full fuel load. " Qualifying goes back to days of pure speed on nearly empty tanks "

" The difference in car behavior between the first and last laps will be significant "

" Drivers will have to cope with a much bigger balance change than they have been used to. That will benefit drivers who can adapt more readily to changing circumstances, as opposed to those who only shine when their car is just-so. "

Rules will still require the use of both prime and option compounds during a race

[IndyCobra]

Originally Posted by Wayne Maybury

One well executed F1 pass under braking is far more exciting than 1000 "freight train" passes in a NASCAR restrictor plate race however.
Wayne

I agree. I was thinking more of three abreast Indycars all heading to the first turn, waiting to see who's going to lift or who's going to crash.

I saw most of the F1 races at Indy and granted, the track set up was poor, but I still stand by my statement. While that "one well executed F1 pass" is exciting, I have to watch countless hours of mind-numbing single-file racing to find it. I think changing the brakes and the down force is the ticket to more exciting racing. How can you out-brake someone when they can go from 180 MPH to 50 MPH in a couple of seconds?

[Rwillia4]

Originally Posted by Wayne Maybury

They have also eliminated fuel stops this year so pit strategy is all but gone.

Refueling is gone but they still need tires.
The time to refuel is ~6-10 seconds
Change tires ~4 seconds
and time to get through the pit lane ~15 seconds

So I think pit strategy will still be a major part. When are new tires worth the cost of time to get through the pit... Pits will be VERY important.

6+ Gs of brake power. 4 Gs during turns

[Wayne Maybury]

Originally Posted by Rwillia4

Refueling is gone but they still need tires.
The time to refuel is ~6-10 seconds
Change tires ~4 seconds
and time to get through the pit lane ~15 seconds

So I think pit strategy will still be a major part. When are new tires worth the cost of time to get through the pit... Pits will be VERY important.

6+ Gs of brake power. 4 Gs during turns

What you have written is correct but you cannot do another lap or two when you are running out of fuel. However you can bring the car in several laps early or wait several laps more when you only have to change tires. I would imagine that most teams will change tires if there happens to be a caution anywhere near when they would normally want to change the tires. I think that we are both saying the same thing but in different ways.

One thing NASCAR could learn from F1 is to have a professional race driver piloting the souped up pace car going hell-bent-for-leather around the track. I cannot believe how fast the F1 pace car goes during one of their very brief cautions. I have watched as a car that has just pitted, tries to catch the pack following the pace car. None of this 45 or 50 mph crap. It is almost as much fun watching the pace car screech through the corners with the tires howling, doing a controlled 4 wheel drift as it is watching the race cars.

Wayne

[Rwillia4]

Wayne,

Did you catch the F1 race last year when the pace car got loose coming out of a turn. Priceless!!

[Wayne Maybury]

No, I didn't see that but I have been absolutely amazed at how that car performs. I go to the Canadian Grand Prix every year and our seats are at a fairly tight right hand / left hand corner. The safety car flys through those corners with the tires absolutely screaming. I have never seen him lose control.

Wayne

[Wayne Maybury]

Ferrari introduced their new car for the upcoming season. It has been designated as the F10 (F for Ferrari and 10 for the year). They have a new sponsor so the front and rear wings are all white with the sponsor's name in a contrasting colour. Ferrari had a terrible season last year so they are hoping to turn it around this year. Testing of the new car is to begin shortly.

I find it interesting that every team in F1 must design and build their own cars from the ground up but in NASCAR modifications to the spec car are all but impossible to make. They are two very different approaches; F1 is innovation, innovation, innovation while NASCAR will stick with the same old formula until the fans, the drivers, or the sponsors, scream like mad about something.

Wayne

[Don]

Recent rule change for 2010:

MotorSport.com

" The top ten qualifiers in 2010 will have to start grands prix with the same tyres used at the end of Q3, according to reports.

Reports, including in Switzerland's Motorsport Aktuell, the Spanish sports newspaper

Marca and Finland's Turun Sanomat, reveal that the decision was made at a recent meeting of the teams association FOTA. Previously, the top ten could decide to change to a different set of their allocated tyres for the start of the race, with the only stipulation being that both types of compounds be used at least once.

Motorsport Aktuell says the move, to be rubber-stamped by the F1 Commission and World Motor Sport Council next week, is to add a strategic element in order to make races more exciting.

Marca said that "most" of the teams at the FOTA meeting voted for the rule change and that the approval of the subsequent bodies is "likely to be a formality".

Turun Sanomat said teams will have to consider whether to use soft tyres for a high grid position, because the same tyres need to be used with the hefty initial race fuel load. "