CART vs. F1?
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 30,809
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From: Sydney
Originally posted by Roceye
Who are the most skilled drivers/riders
F1
CART
Winston Cup
or
F1 motorcycle
Who are the most skilled drivers/riders
F1
CART
Winston Cup
or
F1 motorcycle
I'd say that in their own field each are the pinnacle. Move them to another field and each might fail.
The reason drivers aspire to F1 is the money and prestige (think money).
I know which are the maddest. Motorcycle racers. They always end up retired and hurt.
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 79
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From: Southaven
Originally posted by AusS2000
Oval tracks, whoo haaa, what a bore.
Oval tracks, whoo haaa, what a bore.
Like golf, F1 racing is best watched on TV.
Just to stir things up, any comments on IRL?
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 312
Likes: 0
From: Louisville, KY
Some few corrections (without the intention to offend anybody) and to try to answer the first question that started this thread:
1) Weight: F1 car's is actually 600kg with driver (they actually weight less and have to put ballast on them to meet the regulations) The ballast is placed on the floor to try to lower the center of gravity. The Champ cars minimum wt is 770 Kg with driver.
2) Power: the F1 cars are producing close to 850HP at 18,600 rpm(Ferrari and Mercedez), Champ cars about 900+HP at 15,000 rpm aprox (this is the 2000 data).
3) Engine: F1 uses a 3-liter normally aspirated V10 engine
Champ cars use a 2.65 turbo V8
4) Fuel: F1 Unleaded petrol, Champs Methanol
5) Tires: F1 threaded, Champs Slicks
6) Brakes: Carbon fiber in F1, Iron cast in CART
About performance, it is very difficult to judge in an objective manner. The only thing I could tell you is that The F1 cars are QUICKER, while the Champs are FASTER.
Every single part of the F1 car has been designed to produce downforce, so even in low down force configuration (Hockenheim) the drag these cars produce is amazingly high which restricts their high speed, but by the same token, it gives them impressive cornering speeds and braking ability. The carbon fiber brakes also gives them a tremendous advantage, reducing drastically the braking distances.
The Champ cars are the other way around. They have been designed for high speeds ovals, so they don't produce as much drag (and therefore downforce). It is a compromise. When they race in tight road courses, they have to use gigantic wings in order to compensate for the lack of downforce given by the body. So they are not a fast going into corners, added to the longer braking distances given the inferior Iron brakes.
In other words, power/weight ratio is not the only answer. I think Champ cars would kick the hell out of F1 in ovals, but a Ferrari would get its money back in a road course (even Road Atlanta).
Zanardi once said "F1 cars have amazing acceleration compared to CART, but you reach a point when the car doesn't push anymore, while a Champ car would keep accelerating". That is because of the huge drag that F1 cars produce.
After an F1 Test for Jaguar Franchitti said "the biggest difference between them is the amazing braking power of the F1 car". That's thanks to Downforce and Carbon brakes.
I still watch both of them and love every single race.
My little comment about competition in F1: If you were a fun of Schumacher, you would not say there was no competition in F1. Down to the last race every year with Hill, Villeneuve, Hakkinen. When he went to Ferrari the party was between Hill and Villeuve. True, it is a 2 men race, but nonetheless exciting. At least better than Zanardi kicking the hell out of everybody, before being replaced by Montoya who did the same in his Rookie year.
Excellent racing though (with Franchitti). This year in CART was kind of boring, but that's a personal opinion.
I still want to go to an oval race to see the difference.
BTW, I got my reservations for the Canadian and US GPs, he, he
Hope this helps.
1) Weight: F1 car's is actually 600kg with driver (they actually weight less and have to put ballast on them to meet the regulations) The ballast is placed on the floor to try to lower the center of gravity. The Champ cars minimum wt is 770 Kg with driver.
2) Power: the F1 cars are producing close to 850HP at 18,600 rpm(Ferrari and Mercedez), Champ cars about 900+HP at 15,000 rpm aprox (this is the 2000 data).
3) Engine: F1 uses a 3-liter normally aspirated V10 engine
Champ cars use a 2.65 turbo V8
4) Fuel: F1 Unleaded petrol, Champs Methanol
5) Tires: F1 threaded, Champs Slicks
6) Brakes: Carbon fiber in F1, Iron cast in CART
About performance, it is very difficult to judge in an objective manner. The only thing I could tell you is that The F1 cars are QUICKER, while the Champs are FASTER.
Every single part of the F1 car has been designed to produce downforce, so even in low down force configuration (Hockenheim) the drag these cars produce is amazingly high which restricts their high speed, but by the same token, it gives them impressive cornering speeds and braking ability. The carbon fiber brakes also gives them a tremendous advantage, reducing drastically the braking distances.
The Champ cars are the other way around. They have been designed for high speeds ovals, so they don't produce as much drag (and therefore downforce). It is a compromise. When they race in tight road courses, they have to use gigantic wings in order to compensate for the lack of downforce given by the body. So they are not a fast going into corners, added to the longer braking distances given the inferior Iron brakes.
In other words, power/weight ratio is not the only answer. I think Champ cars would kick the hell out of F1 in ovals, but a Ferrari would get its money back in a road course (even Road Atlanta).
Zanardi once said "F1 cars have amazing acceleration compared to CART, but you reach a point when the car doesn't push anymore, while a Champ car would keep accelerating". That is because of the huge drag that F1 cars produce.
After an F1 Test for Jaguar Franchitti said "the biggest difference between them is the amazing braking power of the F1 car". That's thanks to Downforce and Carbon brakes.
I still watch both of them and love every single race.
My little comment about competition in F1: If you were a fun of Schumacher, you would not say there was no competition in F1. Down to the last race every year with Hill, Villeneuve, Hakkinen. When he went to Ferrari the party was between Hill and Villeuve. True, it is a 2 men race, but nonetheless exciting. At least better than Zanardi kicking the hell out of everybody, before being replaced by Montoya who did the same in his Rookie year.
Excellent racing though (with Franchitti). This year in CART was kind of boring, but that's a personal opinion.
I still want to go to an oval race to see the difference.
BTW, I got my reservations for the Canadian and US GPs, he, he
Hope this helps.
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