Venturiation wrote: ↑08 Feb 2023, 17:06
We were overweight at the beginning of the season, though we did a lot of work to bring it down towards the minimum,’ explains Elliot. ‘However, weight is an interesting equation in this era of Formula 1. Although it’s one of the key performance drivers, it is also limited by regulations. Because of that, car development differs from what one might think. We are always targeting a lower lap time, and reducing the weight to the minimum amount gains a certain amount of lap time performance,
but a heavier car with a more sophisticated aerodynamic package generates even more performance on the track.
‘
Because we have so many tools to develop a more performant car, lowering the weight to the minimum isn’t as dramatic a driver as it once was in Formula 1. Additionally, we’ll take a weight penalty for a more reliable car, as a DNF or grid penalty from replacing components that have failed, or run over the maximum unit allocation for the season, carries a high burden in the championship standings.’
Source here
https://www.racecar-engineering.com/art ... mg-f1-w13/
I think we do understand your point. When you are designing a Formula 1 car, the optimization variable is
laptime, not weight, or aero. The designers have simulation tools that tell them whether the performance benefit of the aero part, outweighs the weight penalty. If it does, they'll run it. Weight and aero are selected only in the combination that maximizes laptime.
You can be sure, it's possible to develop a car at the weight limit with all the aero you wanted. It usually just takes a year or two because of the way the budgets and design cycles work. If more aero parts are required, then weight will be removed in a different area of the car. They are ALWAYS trying to reduce weight over a 6-12 month time scale. That does not mean that in between the endpoints, the weight doesn't increase because of an aero part or a more reliable mechanical component.
No one commits themselves to running overweight forever. They will always be trying to find areas to lower the weight, where the car can afford it.
A lion must kill its prey.