mistrx wrote:Lurk wrote:Never heard of that. Maybe you mixed up with KERS rule?
First gear is generally only use at start and pit stop. All slow corners are rid in 2nd gear, except Lowes hairpin in Monaco.
read here ;) :
http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.ns ... 2-2011.pdf
section 9.8.2
The new first gear rule with the KERS non activation rule till over 100km will make starts interesting.
There are 2 corners in F1 that first gear is used on, Lowes and the tight bridge turn after turn 10 at Singapore. Sometimes it is used on the penultimate chichane at Barcelona, the penultimate corner at China and the final corner at Valencia, the rest f the slow corners are all 2nd gear ones.
During an average race, first should be used 3 to 4 times in a race.
Theres 2 reasons the first gear rule has been brought into effect, the first is due to the start as some teams have been using a deliberately shirt first gear to get a good start, the other is due to the pit lane due to 1st gears ratio they have been in 2nd gear. Charlie wants the teams to use 1st in the pits for safety, and also to make sure the speed limiter can be more accurately seen on telemetry as some teams may have special devices for the pit lane to avoid going above the speed limit.
Charlie is seemingly wanting the pit speed limit at every GP at 50kmh as to make the pit lane safer and also to make it easier for mechanics and lollypop men to release the drivers from the box. He has also been looking at a new line system as well where a lollypop man cannot release a driver when another car in in a specified zone. He has also been wanting stacking banned and traffic lights in boxes banned, Charlie is wanting to have more human control in the pits, and has also been looking at the DTM system on the wheel nuts where the car is has its brakes applied until all 4 wheels have their wheel nuts on to a specified torque value as a pin is in place. This would mandate every team eventually have the same wheel nut and hub on their cars.
Charlie is wanting starts to be poorer and also better pit control, which is a good thing i think. It will mean we will be able to see which driver is the best at starting.
However its the 2014 gearbox rules that will bite, where each gearbox will have its own ratio and teams can only adjust the final drive ratio on each of the 4 gearboxes twice, no adjusting the ratios before every race. However there will be 8 gears on the gearboxes and DRS can only be engaged when the car is in 7th or 8th gear only, which will give the 7th gear a theoretical engagement at 260kmh and 8th will be engaged at a theoretical 310kmh. Gearboxes will also be a mandated minimum weight also, 55kg i believe they are looking at. The mounting points will be the same for every engine as well, which means that teams can put out a car to test another engine without too much fuss.
: 