shorter wheelbases

[Steven]

I also read that the '03 BAR 005's wheelbase is 3050mm. Well I'd say 3050mm...the shorter the better.

I keep wondering why that could be a good thing. Possible in sharp corners, but that is really the only benefit I can see.
I know back in 1998, when car's width was brought down from 220 to 180 cm, Newey was almost the only one who kept the car equally long, and had therefore the best car for 1998.
Now apparently everybody wants shorter wheelbabes... I still think longer is better, since that would create a longer distance from CoG to the wheels, which may increase grip

[Guest]

A shorter wheelbase gives you some dynamics advantages, especially on circuits with twisty corners like Monaco or Hungary. However a longer wheelbase gives you more high speed stability in fast corners like in Malaysia, Spa.... Also a decisive factor on choice wheelbase lengh is the fuel tank size. The larger the tank, the larger should be the wheelbase as this would be better for the use of the tyres & other dynamics reasons as well.

[Irvingthien]

I agree a shorther whellbase is sharp aroung corners, but i don't know longer whell base enables high speed stability and better grip before i read this forum. i tend to go with shorter wheel base because f1 cars today are fast and need to be sharp around corners to get good times.

[NickT]

One thing not to overlook is the tyre development that has happened since 1998, when the tyres were very twitchie and tended to to grip or not, with very little progression! This made the stability of a longer wheel base an obvious choice, with 20 20 hindsight

However as the tyres progressed and when tyre war kicked in with Michelin's involvement, then the nature of the tyres changed as has race stratigy. The tyres are much more sticky and progressive, but at the expence of durability. This has had a knock on effect on race stratigy where 2 stops are becoming the norm and 3 occaisioally working to.

Because of this fuel tank size can be reduced and the cars can move closer to the theoretical ideal track to wheelbase ratio of around 0.7, if memory serves me correctly

[Guest]

its possibly to balance the fact that the michelins prefer to have the cog further forward?

[scarbs]

As I understand (or at least had it explained to me) the wheelbase thing is not related to turning circle for tight corners. Its to do with sensitivity to longitudenal weight shift.
A shorter wheelbase car can be more responsive to ballast tuning (or require less ballast for the same effect). All teams are pressing more and more weight forwards, up to 48%in order to work the front tyres. But in order to get the aero working at the front they need to have as longer gap as possible to the sidepods, hence teams are shortening the rear end, which adds unwanted rearwards weight bias, adding ballast forwards compensates. With a long wheelbase, there's a limit to where the required ballast can go (Ferraris prob in 03..?). lightening rearend components like the gearbox helps here.