13 replies to this topic

[Scotracer]

It's a topic that keeps popping up in my head but I never have the time to do any statistical analysis on - just how much improvement have we seen in the months since February 2014 when these new-era cars first turned a wheel?

 

Again, I had just a quick look today but I was a bit surprised:

 

Spa FP2 2014:

 

Weather: Changeable 17°C
Track: Dry 33°C

 

1. Lewis Hamilton Britain Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 49.189s 
2. Nico Rosberg Germany Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 49.793s 
3. Fernando Alonso Spain Ferrari-Ferrari 1m 49.930s 

 

Spa FP2 2015:

 

Weather: 22˚C
Track: ????

 

1. Nico Rosberg GER Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 49.385s 

2. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes-Mercedes 1m 49.687s 
3. Daniel Ricciardo AUS Red Bull-Renault 1m 50.136s 

 

Of course there are environmental noise factors, but I wasn't expecting 2014 to be faster than 2015 around Spa. 

 

This begs the question -> what's the root cause:

 

1) Conditions?

2) Tyres?

3) Strategy for times?

4) 2015 cars are actually slower with the nose reg changes?

 

And has anyone done any work on this? I realise one Free Practice session an analysis it does not make.

 

 

[MortenF1]

What's also funny is Pirellis predicament of cars being two to three seconds faster this year. They were faster indeed in the first fourth or something, of the season, but without checking first I don't think they've been much faster around the last few tracks. 

[DerFlugplatz]

I think with the rules being ever more restrictive year by year its perhaps not as easy to make the current car faster than the previous one either.

[Rentta]

According to sky track was 39c @ fp2

[BillBald]

According to sky track was 39c @ fp2

 

Engine power will be reduced by the higher temps, which will have a big impact in Spa.

 

So not a good comparison.

[taz]

Compared to 2014:

Malaysia was slower because of rainy conditions

Australia, China and Great-Britain were significantly faster because of rain in 2014

on other tracks they were 0.3 to 0.9 s faster than last year

 

I guess that's because of the engines, tyres are definitly not that much better than last year's

Edited by taz, 21 August 2015 - 23:21.

[Marklar]

Track was much hotter than last year. The pole laps are usually 0.5 seconds faster than last year (some more some less).

[Marklar]

What's also funny is Pirellis predicament of cars being two to three seconds faster this year. They were faster indeed in the first fourth or something, of the season, but without checking first I don't think they've been much faster around the last few tracks.

They were much faster in the first four races because 3 of them were rainy last year. The other one was Bahrain were we got the biggest improvement and that had a reason: it is a power circuit with low track temps. This years engins are more powerfull which makes an bigger difference on power circuits but just if the conditions are appropriate.

[MortenF1]

They were much faster in the first four races because 3 of them were rainy last year. The other one was Bahrain were we got the biggest improvement and that had a reason: it is a power circuit with low track temps. This years engins are more powerfull which makes an bigger difference on power circuits but just if the conditions are appropriate.

OMG. What an eye-opener, it was because of rain. 

I love how this forum allows me to tap into such endless wisdom.

[Requiem84]

Renault improved about 1 second alone in Sector 1 of Spa.

But regarding Spa, all teams seem ti have lost time in S2. Could be down to a combination of harder tires (Pirelli increased strength of tires for '15) and aero clampdown.

Summarizing, it seems engines have gained quite a bit of HP since last year?

[BlinkyMcSquinty]

The noses are lower, decreasing potential performance. The minimum weight has gone up 10 kilograms. FRIC is now formally banned, as well anti-intrusion panels on both sides of the survival cell have been extended upwards to the rim of the cockpit and alongside the driver's head. All of these things take away performance.

 

The end result is that the cars should have evolved into faster machines, but the changes took away performance. One step forward, two steps back.

[Marklar]

2014 to 2015 evolution (w/o strong rain affected sessions)
         
             2014      2015        +/-
Melbourne 
FP1          31.840    29.557      -2.283
FP2          29.625    27.697      -1.928
FP3          29.375    27.867      -1.508
Q1           30.775    28.586      -2.189

Sepang
FP1          40.691    40.124      -0.567
FP2          39.909    39.790      -0.119
FP3          39.008    39.690      +0.682

Shanghai
FP1          39.783    39.033      -0.750
FP2          38.315    37.219      -1.096

Bahrain
FP1          37.502    37.827      +0.325
FP2          34.325    34.647      +0.322
FP3          35.324    34.599      -0.725
Q1           34.874    33.982      -0.892
Q2           33.708    32.669      -1.039
Q3           33.185    32.571      -0.614

Barcelona
FP1          27.023    26.828      -0.195
FP2          25.524    26.852      +1.328
FP3          25.887    26.021      +0.134
Q1           26.765    26.382      -0.383
Q2           26.088    25.166      -0.922
Q3           25.323    24.681      -0.642

Monaco
FP1          18.271    18.750      +0.497
FP2          18.482    17.192      -1.290
FP3          16.758    16.143      -0.615
Q1           17.557    16.582      -0.975
Q2           16.354    15.471      -0.883
Q3           15.989    15.098      -0.891

Montreal
FP1          17.238    16.212      -1.026
FP2          16.118    15.988      -0.030
FP3          15.610    15.660      +0.050
Q1           15.750    15.833      +0.083
Q2           15.054    14.661      -0.393
Q3           14.874    14.393      -0.481

Spielberg
FP1          11.295    11.401      +0.106
FP2          09.542    09.600      +0.058
FP3          09.848    09.994      +0.146
Q2           08.974    08.634      -0.340
Q3           08.759    08.455      -0.304

Silverstone
FP1          35.424    34.274      -1.150
FP2          34.508    34.155      -0.425

Budapest
FP1          25.814    25.141      -0.673
FP2          24.482    23.949      -0.533
FP3          24.048    22.997      -1.051
Q1           24.941    22.890      -2.051
Q2           23.310    22.285      -1.025
Q3           22.715    22.020      -0.695

Spa
FP1          51.577    51.082      -0.495
FP2          49.189    49.385      +0.196           

Edited by Marklar, 22 August 2015 - 08:07.

[Marklar]

Fastest lap comparison (usually a bit skewed)

            2014        2015       +/-
AUS         32.478      30.945     -1.533
MAL         43.066      42.062     -1.004
CHI         40.402      42.208     +1.792
BAH         37.020      36.311     -0.709
ESP         28.918      28.270     -0.648
MON         18.479      18.063     -0.416
CAN         18.504      16.987     -1.517
AUT         12.142      11.235     -0.907
GBR         37.176      37.093     -0.083
HUN         25.724      24.821     -0.903

[thegforcemaybewithyou]

Just have a look at the stats given in this game: http://forums.autosp...e-2015-belgium/

 

Look at the "2015/2014" ratio for the pole times, it is somewhere around 99% for the dry sessions.