Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Formula 1′s Leading Team Has a Big Secret

wired.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 253 posts

Re: Formula 1′s Leading Team Has a Big Secret

#61

Post by DanBC »

ye wrote: post #16
TillE wrote: post #14

The smeary tone of this article is really quite obvious and unpleasant, and I don't think qualifying it as a "conspiracy theory" makes up for that. For example the claim that "Christian Horner isn’t saying much", when in fact he's flatly denied any kind of rule breaking.

When one guy leads by 30+ seconds, while everyone else fights for fractions of a second, either there's a major breakthrough or somebody is cheating.

When 2 and 3 are battling for position 1 can just drive, using clean air, to build their advantage. Red Bull have particularly good pit crew, and that also helps their drivers.

Re: Formula 1′s Leading Team Has a Big Secret

#62

Post by walshemj »

crockstar wrote: post #54
4ad wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a cyclist interested in recumbent and other alternative bicycle designs, I disagree. You can buy whatever kind of bicycle you want. Regarding competitions, I definitely think every cyclist has to ride the same type of bicycle, technology-wise, but I'd love to see competitions using alternative designs.

I'm not sure that's explicitly true about competitions. I know there are a number of rules around weight, helmet design, etc. However, I think there is at least some room for innovation that does occur and at least some variation of equipment (see: http://road.cc/content/feature/85959-tour-de-france-team-bik... as well as http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/4320804 ). I distinctly remember growing up and watching…

The minimum weight is stop ultra light wight bikes catastrophically failing imagine a frame collapsing in a bunch 100kph descent.

Though tease rules where implemented when steal was the only frame material you can build strong and safe bikes well under the UCI minimum nowadays

Re: Formula 1′s Leading Team Has a Big Secret

#63

Post by 7952 »

sanskritabelt wrote: post #50
7952 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would argue that it was more entertaining before it was made safe through technological advancements. It would be interesting to see a series that used self driving cars that could take more risks.

If it's entertaining because of the risks to the participants, that's not sport, it's blood sport.

No its human nature. Risk makes things more exciting to watch.

Re: Formula 1′s Leading Team Has a Big Secret

#64

Post by CrazyCatDog »

chiph wrote: post #57

the RB9 could limit power when compressed and boost power when expanded Isn't that backwards? If you're light on the suspension, that means you have less grip, and thus less traction.

Right turn: right suspension compressed, left wheels on the outside have further to travel, if both spinning at the same speed then you will break traction on one side or the other. Not sure what type of differentials are legal in F1, but the technology in the article is plausible in the absence of some fancy limited slip diffs.

Re: Formula 1′s Leading Team Has a Big Secret

#65

Post by lazyant »

brey wrote: post #7

In an environment where innovation has been strictly regulated against (better engine management software? NOPE. better foil design? NOPE), the fine art of sticking to the letter of the law but totally bending the spirit of it is naturally where the bleeding edge of F1 design is going to lie.

America's cup comes to mind too

Re: Formula 1′s Leading Team Has a Big Secret

#66

Post by crockstar »

TillE wrote: post #14

The smeary tone of this article is really quite obvious and unpleasant, and I don't think qualifying it as a "conspiracy theory" makes up for that. For example the claim that "Christian Horner isn’t saying much", when in fact he's flatly denied any kind of rule breaking.

I have got to say that I don't tend to place a lot of faith in an article that cites The Daily Mail as a source and I'm inclined to agree with you about the tone. Even the Mail article referenced paints a much more balanced story and the headline is ironically "Vettel did not cheat! Horner defiant..."

As a non-F1 fan though it certainly made for interesting reading.

Re: Formula 1′s Leading Team Has a Big Secret

#67

Post by zalew »

7952 wrote: post #38
polymatter wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

when its no longer entertaining

I would argue that it was more entertaining before it was made safe through technological advancements. It would be interesting to see a series that used self driving cars that could take more risks.

> It would be interesting to see a series that used self driving cars

how exactly would that be interesting?

Re: Formula 1′s Leading Team Has a Big Secret

#68

Post by wtvanhest »

polymatter wrote: post #25
sharkweek wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Friends and I always enjoy debating this -- At what point does a scientific improvement become too great of an advantage for competing athletes

when its no longer entertaining

For those that enjoy bicycle racing, check out motorcycle racing. For those that like gocart racing, check out NASCAR (seriously, check it out if you haven't).

The number of fans that want to see the top technology vastly outnumber the number of fans that want to see the more limited tech.

At this point, most of the limitations are for safety. It seems like a good idea to allow innovation if it is available to all athletes. I don't for example want one F-1 team to have a patent on traction control and restrict all others from using it.

Re: Formula 1′s Leading Team Has a Big Secret

#69

Post by bliti »

7952 wrote: post #36
cjrp wrote: post #10

If the secret is the automated use of KERS, you'd see it in the on-screen graphics (the HUD-esque display shows when a driver is deploying KERS). Also the article makes the comparison in noise - but surely that noise is caused by the engine being limited/throttled, something which they could not get away with in this season since the ECUs are all the same. A KERS-based traction control wouldn't make the same noise be…

I'm not an engineer but couldn't you adjust how much energy the system generates on the recovery stage? If the magnets in the generator are electrical rather than rare earth you could adjust the strength of the magnets and the breaking affect of the generator would be adjustable. This would be akin to how ABS uses brake friction but with faster adjustment and less loss of energy.

Exactly. They can program the KERS to increase its resistance under given situations, and then tune the suspension to better respond to it. I can speculate about how this might seem less upsetting to the chassis, because it is not using force in the braking system (in the corners of the chassis). Having the resistance generated in the powertrain means that the tires do not have to deal with anything other than normal breaking, and acceleration.

Re: Formula 1′s Leading Team Has a Big Secret

#70

Post by gadders »

polymatter wrote: post #25
sharkweek wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Friends and I always enjoy debating this -- At what point does a scientific improvement become too great of an advantage for competing athletes

when its no longer entertaining

I think that stopped being true of F1 20+ years ago when people could actually overtake and stuff.
Post reply on HN