Posted on 08/05/2009 7:57:45 PM PDT by Chode
This will be a general purpose thread for F1 news and pings that really don't require a thread of their own.
I’ve got three different sources claiming the teams’ meeting scheduled for today with the FIA over the clever compression ‘trick’ Mercedes and Red Bull/Ford are using has concluded. The upshot is that the FIA has reiterated that so long as the Merc and RBR engines pass the room temperature compression check, they are within the bounds of the TR and they WILL NOT ban the use of the ‘trick.’
One source claims there was discussion about a new rule mandating real-time compression testing to be monitored during the event but it did not receive “consensus.” Not surprising considering there are 11 teams on the grid and six of them will be running either Mercedes or Red Bull/Ford engines.
The option remains open to file a formal protest but that can’t happen until the first event. And even then they have to be able to describe with a certain degree of specificity what it is they’re protesting. They can’t just say, “We’re protesting because the Mercedes engine makes too much power,” they have to describe functionally what it is they’re protesting, and how that contravenes the TR. And that can’t happen until they figure out how it’s being done, or somebody who’s “in the know” spills the beans.
The frontrunner for guessing how it works is that something makes the piston extend further into the combustion chamber. I figure it makes a difference of about 0.37mm in “stroke” to get from 16-to-1 to 18-to-1 (in an 80x53 cylinder) but I’m not convinced it’s that simple.
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/what-has-been-agreed-f1-2026-engine-meeting-compression-ratio/
F1 is well on it’s way to College Football Status.
“F1 is well on it’s way to College Football Status.”
Bad Bunny is planning on wearing a dress for the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show, according to a report from RadarOnline citing individuals familiar with the preparations. Sources told RadarOnline that the Puerto Rican performer intends to wear a dress during the halftime show as a tribute to queer icons, drag culture, and political resistance tied to Puerto Rican history.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4363503/posts
College football is REAL unlike the NFL
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of FIA lore,
Recalling my seven championships in days of yore,
While my nappy head nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. “
“’Tis some Verstappan fan,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this, and nothing more.”
.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning’ wanting for my eighth title in the fore,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice,
“Something like a Verstappen fanish,
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—
‘Tis just me breaking wind and nothing more.”
.
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Racer of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—
Perched upon a bust of Fangio just above my chamber door—
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
.
But the Racer, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only
One word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered—not a feather then he fluttered—
Till scarcely more I muttered, “other friends have flown before—
On the morrow I will begin my eighth championship season
As my hopes have flown before.”
Then the Racer said, “Nevermore.”
.
And the Racer, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Fangio just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,
And the lamplight o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my championship season from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted—nevermore!
I may watch the last 5 minutes if it’s close.
That used to be true. College football has gone down the toilet. It’s turned inton second rate pro league.
Well, in NCAA division AA football it’s a really good game.
My local team (and one of my two alma matters):
Boys, welcome to racing. You got out smarted! The vaunted Euopean bureaucracy group think missed that one in the standards. Too bad F1 is not run like NASCAR, “that car maybe legal today, but tomorrow it will not be legal…. “
just another example of there’s more action off the track than on the track somedays…..
Predictions of doom and gloom notwithstanding, The Ferrari SF-26 was debuted today — as scheduled — at Fiorano, with Hambone at the wheel.
Short video of same here:
Ted Kravitz take on the proceedings here:
Gary Anderson’s analysis of the car here:
https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/gary-andersons-take-on-ferraris-basic-2026-f1-launch-car/
(I wouldn’t have created a new post just for this but ... ) This comes from Ralf Schumacher, so consider this the source. Ralfie says to shut up Hambone’s kvetching, Ferrari has created a Hambone-spec car and a Leclerc-spec car, and will be developing both for the immediate future. I’ve read that same comment from other sources so that much at least I believe to be true and correct.
What is speculative is Ralfie claiming this will be the ruin of Ferrari’s 2026 season because their efforts necessarily are divided. And since both manpower and cash (and all other resources) are limited by F1’s regs, neither car can be developed to the same extent as the teams who only have a single spec car.
Which makes perfect sense to me.
Williams is not going to make the preseason testing at Barcelona. Developmental problems.
https://www.independent.co.uk/f1/williams-f1-2026-test-barcelona-car-b2906431.html
The thing that bothers me most about the FIA turning F1 into ‘spec’ racing, and the YUGE gaps in performance that their gerrymandered rules structure creates, is the wasted talent. And problems like this make me sad for Carlos Sainz, because he’s one of the great talents being wasted.
The racing was better back when the teams spent every cent they could get their hands on, the cars burned unlimited dead dinosaurs, teams went through half a dozen engines in a weekend, and 30% of the field DNF’d at every event.
I had a Honda four stroke single cylinder motorcycle that had a trick for reducing compression when kick starting. When you used the kick starter, a linkage delayed the closing of the intake (or maybe exhaust) valve during the compression stroke, thus lowering the compression and making it easier to kick over. Once the kick starter got to the bottom of its travel the intake valve would close fully, allowing the engine to run.
Instead of some complicated system that moves the piston closer to the head, a simple heat-controlled mechanical intake valve timing mechanism could be used to keep the intake valve open during part of the compression stroke, thus reducing the compression ratio.
Then when the engine reached operating temperature, the intake valves would close sooner, thus effectively increasing the compression ratio.
I have no idea what Red Bull and Mercedes' trick is, but something to do with valve timing would be my guess.
YOU and your post made me do it!
TR 5.10.2:
Variable valve timing and variable valve lift profile systems are not permitted.
It can't be as simple as the piston or con rod expanding because the piston would have to expand sideways as well as vertically, which would mess up cylinder wall clearance.
And the con rod still has to mate with the wrist pin and crank journal bearings, and abnormal expansion would mess that up.
Piston, con rod and crankshaft all have to be machined from a single billet, so it can't be one area expanding more than the rest.
And all must be made from iron/ferrous material except the con rod, which alternatively can be titanium. So no high-expansion exotics.
It's probably something so simple and obvious we'll all do the polish salute when the how of it finally leaks out.
(Polish salute)
And oh by the way, Williams is missing Barcelona because their chassis can’t pass the crash test. And now it’s announced that Aston Martin will be late for Barcelona for the same reason, and might miss it, too.
McLaren has announced it also will be absent from the five days testing authorized at Barcelona, but they’re claiming this is was planned to give them one day’s extra development time.
In truth, that’s smoke-and-mirrors, a difference without a distinction, because whether this was planned or not it still means they’ve run out of time and aren’t prepared to participate in the opening day of the testing, which is tomorrow, 26 Jan., same as Williams and Aston Martin.
Would you imagine it’s a foreshadowing of what your season will be like when your top driver steps in dog poo during testing?
https://x.com/Cl16__FanpageFr/status/2014706460173746582
Or is this merely karma, considering the same driver let his puppy poop in the paddock last year (and he wasn’t prepared to clean it up)?
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Dp9g7NzIZwg
This allegedly is the first video of the active aero in use.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLhdmxpO37Q
It’s Hambone at the wheel and you had to see this coming. The F1 press were all like, “Oh Praise Jesus, ... Hambome moved the active aero! HALLELUJAH!”
From what's shown on this video it appears that the flaps can be deployed independently or as a pair. When deployed together (as in these images), the rear closes before the front. I read discussions about getting the timing so the transition doesn't disrupt car stability and adding aero drag to the rear of a moving object (behind the CG) increases longitudinal stability, which lessens the tendency to swap ends. Plus, when you slam on the brakes on an F1 car, there's a YUGE weight shift to the front wheels, which can make the rear loosey-goosey. So the rear wing closes first, causing the Center of Aerodynamic Pressure to move rearward and increasing longitudinal stability.
There's no "opening as a pair" shown in this video but the closing sequence takes tenths of a second, maybe as much as half a second from when the rear flaps start closing until the front flaps finish closing. I'm pretty sure the sequence was automated and not reliant on the driver's timing because he's already got enough to do and they're certain to have spent lots of brain cells determining the optimal timing.
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