9 replies to this topic

[homercles]

Sorry if this has already been discussed but what is the deal with the rear lights this year?  They were flashing on the approach to corners on some cars but not others.  Is this to do with what mode they are running so the driver behind knows that they are lifting and coasting?  There was no mention of it in the commentary from what I recall.

[ReeVe]

torque reduction warning (ie the car is in harvest mode)

 

alerts the driver behind that closing speeds will be high

[Race Nerd]

I'm still not clear on what the car's rear flashing red light means.  Can someone please elaborate on what this "torque reduction warning (ie the car is in harvest mode)" means? 

[TypeR85]

Doe's anyone on here believe cars should be fitted with brake lights??

[FullOppositeLock]

Basically the car is slower than normal in order to charge its hybrid system (batteries). They all do it every lap I think to give the engine more power on the straights. And it's not new this year either - it's been around for a few years (since hybrids were introduced). The Alonso crash in Australia earlier in the season also was a result of this.

[Scotracer]

I'm still not clear on what the car's rear flashing red light means.  Can someone please elaborate on what this "torque reduction warning (ie the car is in harvest mode)" means? 

 

The powertrain can't run full power at all times due to the limited regeneration/capacity of the system. So, at times (particularly in race mode) they need to switch off the hybrid boost as it's out of juice and/or start regenerating energy from the MGU-K. When this happens the driver obviously has less power -> the light was an attempt by the FIA to get one step ahead to stop people crashing in to the back of others that are suddenly slowing on the straights. It wasn't necessary as the closing speeds haven't been very big...

 

...apart from the Merc crash at Barcelona. Out of turn 3 Rosberg was ~180BHP down on Hamilton due to the mode he was in and it helped cause the crash.

[ANF]

I'm still not clear on what the car's rear flashing red light means.  Can someone please elaborate on what this "torque reduction warning (ie the car is in harvest mode)" means?

I thought I'd quote the regulations, but I can't find this function of the red light anywhere...

[ANF]

I'm still not clear on what the car's rear flashing red light means.  Can someone please elaborate on what this "torque reduction warning (ie the car is in harvest mode)" means?

According to a Charlie Whiting quote from 2014 the red light starts to flash when these three criteria are met:
• throttle has been above 95% for more than one second,
• speed is above 180 km/h,
• torque reduction is 120 kW.
 

A new warning light system has been introduced for 2014 - which alerts pursuing cars when fuel maps have been activated that means cars are not running at full performance.

Whiting explained: "If the torque management system on the car decides that it want to go into fuel save mode then a system kicks in.

"If you are flat out on the straight and you are above a certain threshold - above 95% throttle for more than one second, and you are above 180km/h and you see a 120KW torque reduction - it flashes the rear light for a second to warn the driver behind."

http://www.autosport...t.php/id/112930

[MrWorldwideJr]

Doe's anyone on here believe cars should be fitted with brake lights??

 

Honestly I don't think that having them would serve any real purpose. If you're going to run into someone because they've braked much earlier than you then the cars slow down so quickly that by the time you've seen the brake lights go on and registered that they're on it would almost certainly be too late to do anything about it anyway. And if they're not useful for warning the driver behind that you're braking then what's the point in having them.

[Race Nerd]

I'd like to see brake lights, TypeR85. 

I'd also like to see mufflers.  Yes, I know the engine sound is part of it.  Race cars can be really damn loud.  I think they'd still be noisy with mufflers, but not at ear splitting volumes.