SmallSoldier wrote: ↑13 Sep 2019, 17:03
Mudflap wrote:godlameroso wrote: ↑13 Sep 2019, 13:29
Not to mention you'd run out of fuel.
Not necessarily - peak power is still 100 kg/h at higher TE.
That’s one that I was thinking about the other day... Maximum fuel usage is 100Kg/h... Maximum amount of fuel is 105Kg... The races last more than 1.7 hours... There shouldn’t be able to drive at maximum power during a race if they are on the throttle for more than 50% of the time.
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The fuel saving is there, but it's not as severe as it was before, partly due to the fuel allowance being 110kg this year IIRC. On some tracks you can underfuel, for example Austria, Barcelona, Hungary, on some tracks underfueling can be an advantage if you can compensate for it with pace from the chassis(like Melbourne or Canada). You run the engine only to stretch the lead.
I think during the race it's obvious that they do not run at full power, for both reliability and race pace sake. It's not just the power unit that can't take it, it's also the tires, as more power through the rears means more slip, and more wear.
However if we were to know the true average power used during the race it would still be very impressive. I would venture average power is ~880hp +- 40-50hp. 1,000hp is used at times, and even lower modes are used at times as well. For example if you use more pace early on the race for track position, you may have to run at a lower pace later on in the race, not all race but to satisfy the fuel target.
As with all things, fuel weight, it's influence on chassis performance, and the rate at which it is consumed by the power unit are all very tight knit variables which are affected by other things. It really shows how important the fluids used by the power unit are, and how much gains can be had by the actual design of the engine and it's ancillaries with regards to reducing pumping losses, or efficiency gains. Again increasing efficiency by reducing windage losses for instance can allow you to carry just that little bit less fuel onboard and gain you a tenth of chassis performance. Or repositioning the radiators improves COG because it lets you make a more streamlined water pump. Often there is a balancing act where adding weight somewhere can let you remove more somewhere else for a net loss of weight, or better COG.
