19 replies to this topic

[7MGTEsup]

I was just looking at some tracks and thinking how they could change the entry and exit to some pitlanes to drastically reduce total pitstop times. Doing this would open up many more pit strategies as you wouldn't need to make up 20 - 25 seconds due to a pit stop. Looking at some tracks it would require very little changes, and you could keep the 80kmh speed limit but reduce a pitstop loss to 10 seconds or possibly less.

 

Like at China, if you made the pit entry 2/3 of the way down the back straight it would probably mean a 10 second reduction in pit time.

 

Edit: Maybe I should re phrase that bit about China. The pit time itself wouldn't be shorter but because you missed a few hundred meters of track your loss relative to everyone else would be less.

 

Thoughts?

Edited by 7MGTEsup, Yesterday, 15:08.

[chdphd]

Make the pit exit miss the first corner. Canada does that. That also misses the last corner.

 

Would have to be adapted for each track and may not be possible.

[Goron3]

They already do this as much as possible, but it's not always easy due to the number of pit boxes needed (not just F1).

Upping the speed limit, as The Race suggested the FIA are looking into, would be more effective. At tracks like Monza and Imola, which have huge pit lanes, perhaps they could have two speed limits, one for the main part of the pit lane and one for the long exit.

[7MGTEsup]

Make the pit exit miss the first corner. Canada does that. That also misses the last corner.

 

Would have to be adapted for each track and may not be possible.

 

It would only work on a few tracks but even if it helps with 6 - 10 tracks a year that would be great.

[7MGTEsup]

They already do this as much as possible, but it's not always easy due to the number of pit boxes needed (not just F1).

 

I'm not talking about changing the size of the pit lane, just cutting out some of the track to make the time loss less due to you shortcutting some of the track to enter the pits.

[Beri]

I was just looking at some tracks and thinking how they could change the entry and exit to some pitlanes to drastically reduce total pitstop times. Doing this would open up many more pit strategies as you wouldn't need to make up 20 - 25 seconds due to a pit stop. Looking at some tracks it would require very little changes, and you could keep the 80kmh speed limit but reduce a pitstop loss to 10 seconds or possibly less.[/size]
 
Like at China, if you made the pit entry 2/3 of the way down the back straight it would probably mean a 10 second reduction in pit time.[/size]
 
Edit: Maybe I should re phrase that bit about China. The pit time itself wouldn't be shorter but because you missed a few hundred meters of track your loss relative to everyone else would be less.[/size]
 
Thoughts?[/size]

Soooooo.. in your china example; cutting the track short would reduce the length of a lap by several hundreds of meters. Thus reducing the actual length that a Grand Prix should last; 305km. Which is kind of an issue here. Rules wise seen that is. And also by the definition of a (current day) Formula One Grand Prix.

[PayasYouRace]

Soooooo.. in your china example; cutting the track short would reduce the length of a lap by several hundreds of meters. Thus reducing the actual length that a Grand Prix should last; 305km. Which is kind of an issue here. Rules wise seen that is. And also by the definition of a (current day) Formula One Grand Prix.

Was never a problem with other shortcut pit lanes in the past (Buenos Aires, Silverstone, Donington Park, etc.)

A few tens of meters a couple of times per race doesn’t make much difference when the race is the fewest number of laps that exceeds 305km.

[pdac]

Why would you want to lower pit stop times?? If anything, lengthen them significantly or, better still, get rid of tyre changes and only have stops for unexpected reasons.

[MikeTekRacing]

Why would you want to lower pit stop times?? If anything, lengthen them significantly or, better still, get rid of tyre changes and only have stops for unexpected reasons.

because people on different tyres is fun. More options, less obvious what the optimal choice is - you have better racing.

Otherwise, you sort cars fastest to slowest, everyone races to the same delta for 70 laps. Where is the variety supposed to come from?

[Benchulo]

I like the idea. The negative I see about this is drive through penalties will not be effective at such tracks.

[MikeTekRacing]

I like the idea. The negative I see about this is drive through penalties will not be effective at such tracks.

missed this. yeah, maybe go back to stop&gos

[Benchulo]

missed this. yeah, maybe go back to stop&gos

Yeah, with stop and gos, this issue won't be there.

[PayasYouRace]

Circuits where this might work are few to be fair. Most have fairly direct pit lane entrances and exits, with not a lot of scope to shortcut the circuit. However, I think these are the prime candidates.

 

Shanghai is a good example because of its twisty layout. The OP's suggestion for the entry is doable, as it's off the racing line and only requires a short link between the backstraight and the pits. The exit could be done too, with a steep downhill link to Turn 4.

 

 

Spa has an obvious one on the entrance.

 

 

Some others, like Jeddah, Miami, Montreal and Silverstone, already feature substantial shortcuts in their pit lane layouts.

Even with this, it would fail if taking a drive through the pits was faster than the actual track. It would turn the pit lane into the racing line. Not a bad concept though, as reducing the penalty for taking new tyres means it's more favourable to push and get new ones.

 

One last point, the entrance and exit must be as safe as possible.

[pdac]

because people on different tyres is fun. More options, less obvious what the optimal choice is - you have better racing.

Otherwise, you sort cars fastest to slowest, everyone races to the same delta for 70 laps. Where is the variety supposed to come from?

 

It's not motor racing, though. It's how-fast-can-a-bunch-of-guys-change-the-tyres racing. If you want to have tyre changes, then make the pit stops much longer (less people, less automated equipment). That makes the strategy for pit stops even more important as the time in the pits compared to flying around the track is very significant.

[Sterzo]

because people on different tyres is fun. More options, less obvious what the optimal choice is - you have better racing.

Otherwise, you sort cars fastest to slowest, everyone races to the same delta for 70 laps. Where is the variety supposed to come from?

Not for me. It's utterly boring, because the differences in speed become meaningless. There has been over a century of motor racing in dozens of different categories, where there has been good racing without the artifice of making people use different tyres.

[SenorSjon]

Circuits where this might work are few to be fair. Most have fairly direct pit lane entrances and exits, with not a lot of scope to shortcut the circuit. However, I think these are the prime candidates.

Shanghai is a good example because of its twisty layout. The OP's suggestion for the entry is doable, as it's off the racing line and only requires a short link between the backstraight and the pits. The exit could be done too, with a steep downhill link to Turn 4.



Spa has an obvious one on the entrance.



Some others, like Jeddah, Miami, Montreal and Silverstone, already feature substantial shortcuts in their pit lane layouts.
Even with this, it would fail if taking a drive through the pits was faster than the actual track. It would turn the pit lane into the racing line. Not a bad concept though, as reducing the penalty for taking new tyres means it's more favourable to push and get new ones.

One last point, the entrance and exit must be as safe as possible.

Spa would be very dangerous with the pit entry being less of a braking point than the chicane. Or reinstate the old bus stop.

The pit lane speed limit used to be 120 kph with some at 80. If I understand correctly, it is 80 everywhere now.

[PayasYouRace]

Spa would be very dangerous with the pit entry being less of a braking point than the chicane. Or reinstate the old bus stop.

The pit lane speed limit used to be 120 kph with some at 80. If I understand correctly, it is 80 everywhere now.

The Spa one would be no more dangerous than Monza. You’d be mostly off line before braking.

[ANF]

Spa would be very dangerous with the pit entry being less of a braking point than the chicane. Or reinstate the old bus stop.

The pit lane speed limit used to be 120 kph with some at 80. If I understand correctly, it is 80 everywhere now.

It's 80 everywhere except at some circuits with narrow pit lanes where it's 60. Maybe it's only Monaco and Singapore now? It used to be 60 at Sochi and Paul Ricard too, and at Albert Park before the pit lane was widened in 2022.

Edited by ANF, Yesterday, 20:55.

[Brawn BGP 001]

I like the idea. The negative I see about this is drive through penalties will not be effective at such tracks.

How many drive through penalties do we even get now in a season? I can count one hand I think.

[ArchieTech]

How many drive through penalties do we even get now in a season? I can count one hand I think.

And if it's a problem just turn it into a 10 second stop/go. And make the usual stop/go penalty time 20 seconds. Or something like that anyway, it would be easy enough to force a time loss if needed.

Edited by ArchieTech, Yesterday, 22:11.