F1 Technology Overrated?

[fpv_gtho]

Everyone says that

[Matra et Alpine]

Well Matra, if they didnt have so many engine suppliers, they could try a control ECU idea to try get rid of electronic aids, but i think it'd be alot of work right now to try and do it with Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, Honda, Renault and Cosworth engines being used.

I don't buy into the "control ECU" as I think it limits the innovation a team can come up with to improve the performance and optimise the engine.
Take MotGP, there the bikes run many different firing order, crankshaft angles and ignition timing. You coulnd't have that with a control ECU. So I'm against it as it stifle innovation.
The V10 has limited F1 and the V8 continues it. MotoGp is now the peak of engine design and execution. You're getting V5, I4, V4 and V-twin with all kinds of firing orders from big-bang to the Honda being 'configurable' for offset and simultaneous combustion cycles. Yamaha run their engine in REVERSE rotation to improve the handling of the bike !!!
F1 should let engine designers innovate too. If they don't it'll just become a borign NASCAR/IRL/CART and lose all interest.

[fpv_gtho]

I guess its the only real solution to eliminate electronic driver aids though, unless the ECU had certain parameters that the team engineers could and couldnt modify

[ruim20]

My ideia of F1 is on the same lines as CoventrySucks, 2, 3 liter and go for it! do what ever you want, then that would probably make f1 the top sport, most advance at least.

[Matra et Alpine]

My ideia of F1 is on the same lines as CoventrySucks, 2, 3 liter and go for it! do what ever you want, then that would probably make f1 the top sport, most advance at least.

If you dont' find a way to limit the power it will be judged too dangerous. None of the "old" circuits will be able to host any races and the new ones will need even BIGGER run-off areas and the crowds will now be about 1/2 mile away from the action

[ruim20]

aaa the miracle of TV and free will drivers, want to race? don´t want to race?

i personaly don´t give a Sh... about current F1, it´s a dead sport, giant SCX.

Almost nothing is brought to current road cars, EVEN supercars only profit from tecnology that was avaiable at over 10 or more years. just my opinion.

[Matra et Alpine]

Almost nothing is brought to current road cars, EVEN supercars only profit from tecnology that was avaiable at over 10 or more years. just my opinion.

paddle gearboxes ?
These were crap until F1's double clutch pre-selection was adopted. Even WRC followed suit
Exotic brake materials ? Carbon, ceramic.
c/f ? Sure it was around 10 years ago but little was known about making it crash-worthy
The complexity of engine mapping for ordinary road cars is unliekly to have progressed without the leasp F1 had to take to tease every hp out
From a 'driver' perspective, F1 is still a great race. Yes, it's not overtaking as much as we'd all liek it to be, but to see the driver control the machien is as much fun for some of us. I'd be happy watchinh an F1 car on a circuit on it's own if spectarors were allowed close enough !! But I'm a died-in-the-woiol rally fan. We walk 5 miles into a forest in the pouring rain to see a car flash past at 70mph every 1 minute

[Kralle Racing]

F1 tech is overrated like any racing series. The interests of competitive racing and cost containment override fun, interesting, and novel. Just like forced induction (banned in F1) cheaply takes street cars to 50%+ greater power, driving a fan car is night and day vs even race tires. Steering is heavy, but it just tracks s=on line through the corner.

A request: if anyone has a close-up photo of the side skirts on a Brabham BT46B or any similar era car, I'd be very appreciative if you post a link. I've only found one blurry image so far, and its a very different setup than the 2J.

[RacingManiac]

necropost!!!

[Matra et Alpine]

well to answer your direct question ...

The 2J was the innivator and like all the first gen, it was a "simple" material skirt ( rubber in the 2J ).

F1 however, took it another stage -- as is the want of the "pinnacle"
And had stiff skirts with rubbing strips in contact with teh ground. These solid skirts were then housed in a slot allowing them to move up and down. This is much more effective at increasing the downforce than a flexible skirt which can distort, fold in and reduce the groudn effect,