AMG.Tzan wrote: ↑30 Jun 2024, 21:58
Any guesses as to what makes this car lose so much pace every time in the last stint??
It’s probably weight going down but what exactly does weight affect that makes the car lose so much performance? Suspension setup?
And I’m saying “so much” cause basically Max goes from gaining 0,2-0,5 sec (depending on the track) in the first stint to losing the same in the last stint! That’s almost a 0,5-1,0 sec of performance swing…
Deg was indeed bad for RB20 yesterday. What confuses me even more is the explanation for the 'setup-change' between Sprint and Quali, made by Marko+Horner - "it was for race pace".
The notion that it's the aero-imposed stiff suspension that causes accelerated tyre wear, seems more likely, with every passing race. The RB20 is kind to tyres when there is lots of fuel, and becomes progressively worse as fuel load burns out. It's been the case since Miami (could see it even before the bollard mashing incident that destroyed rear underfloor).
Full tank fuel + aero load => the total pre-loading in the springs is keeping the tyres happy when subjected to varying impacts from the road - bumps, dips and kerbs. The moment fuel load is removed, the total preloading becomes lesser and springs are way too stiff to keep the tyres happy in relation to the varying impacts from the load => glaringly evident in slow speed ckts like Monaco, the chicane kerbs in Imola/Canada etc - tyres aren't pressed back enough into the ground during rebound, even resulting in actual bouncing ("jumping like kangaroo"). This doesn't affect in high speed corners even if kerb riding is involved, as the pre-loading is back to necessary levels thanks to the aero-press at high speed.
And because the stiffness of suspension is imposed due to floor design and ride -height windows, this might not be something that can be solved by 'development' - this very likely is a baked-in limitation coming from the RB19-->RB20 design change.
Just a theory.
chrisc90 wrote: ↑03 Jul 2024, 16:23
Wouldn’t explain the gap in qualifying though would it?
Good point. I was waiting for someone to ask
Again, theory :
1. Q is on soft tyres, and deployment is designed to 100% drain the battery in one lap => speeds are higher, downforce is higher, aero-press on suspension is higher.
2. Being Q, tyres never get 'old enough' for enough reduction in surface friction to expose the limitation from the suspension.
