3 replies to this topic

[man]

Excuse my ignorance if i'm missing the obvious or making a wrong assumption

he lowline Brabham of 1986 (BT55?) set new standards regarding the low positioning of the driver. I'm well aware that the MP4/4 shared the concept in 1988. I would like to know if the concept continued with cars to this day.

Have cars since the MP4/4 been as low? It's difficult to visually tell as the 1989 McLaren for instance has an airbox and the profile is difficult to distinguish now.

[Mohican]

I would have thought that the high-nose trend started by Tyrrell in 1989, and all the ensuing focus on under-body airflow, rather impacted interest in lowline chassis.

[simonlewisbooks]

I think the low-line thinking all about getting the driver and engine weight as low as possible. The BMW being an inline engine, it was quite tall in original form so cranking it over helped out.
With current tiny V8 engines (being very low in height themselves) and the benefits of keeping as much of the driver's helmet out of the airstream for the airbox, I imagine that today's drivers sit more or less as low as those of the BT55 . Their feet are much higher of course.

[Bonde]

Looking at current formula 1 seats, I suspect the drivers today sit somewhat more upright than they did in the BT55 and MP4/4. They perhaps appear to sit lower due to the huge balloon front tyres used today, which makes the nacelle appear lower than it really is.

I'm not sure that the use of the HANS device would allow a much lower seating position, and with the [awful] raised noses, there's a limit to how low the driver's eyeline can be if he is to be able to see out of the car.