Quote:
Originally Posted by ayau
Can teams make non-engine mods throughout the season? Maybe better aero? Less drag on straights and more downforce on corners?
|
Yes, developing the car over the course of a season is essential, there's also suspension settings and setups that can be modified throughout the weekend, similar to NASCAR it's very unlikely that two drivers will have identical setups and if they did it may benefit one driver more than the other due to their personal style.
In 2009 Brawn GP dominated the first half of the season, however due to their limited budget they could not develop the car as much as their competitors, by the end of the season the Red Bull & Mclaren were the cars to beat with Ferrari improving massively from non-points finishes to podiums.
You picked a good weekend to watch, the first two races were rather forgettable, the only reason I saw it was because my gf turned it on and took a nap, I probably would have skipped it until I saw this thread.
Edit: Also you will see them making aero adjustments during the race, I believe either this race or the previous one Vettel came in and took a turn out of the front wing. Basically there's a screw in the front wing that adjusts the angle of the wing elements to increase or decrease downforce. Like Alxtheoreo said they can bring new components to a weekend as long as they are approved beforehand.
Great example is the 2010 British GP:
Quote:
|
2010 – “Not bad for a number two driver”. Who can forget Mark Webber’s radio message after the 2010 Santander British Grand Prix. Red Bull brought new aerodynamic package, which included two new front wings, to Silverstone for Sebastian Vettel and Webber to race with. During FP3 Vettel’s wing came off and was destroyed. Having no spare front wing, Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner decided to take Webber’s wing and put it on Vettel’s car for qualifying and the race. Having qualified a very close 1-2 Webber overtook his team mate into the first corner and never looked back. The infuriated Aussie went on to win the race in dominant fashion.
|
http://thejudge13.com/2013/06/24/f1-...stone-round-8/