Slower cars not being able to race?!

[Nicolai Nicholson]

Iit seems the slowest guys are the once paying the price tag of the full grid. Amplified by a short track and a t1 accident, they found themselves not being able to race as they were lapped all the time. Next track is even shorter, so I think this issue needs to be discussed.

 

[Graham Healey]

Well the race was bad for me. As I said already I lost so much time waiting for accidents that the lapping started really early.

From that time on it was impossible to drive. Slowing to a standstill to let people pass, the hard tires get very cold very fast. A lot colder than when you leave the pit even. So you have no grip and have to be careful until you get some temperature in them. By the time you do the next lot of guys have caught you up and it starts all over. When you spend half the lap standing still you can't get any rythym at all. I found myself going the whole length of the harbour in second gear once

I think the Monaco circuit makes the problems a lot harder than a normal circuit. It is very narrow, you have the walls right up close, and you have to work to keep heat in the tyres anyway. Because of the circuit I felt I could not drive, and let people pass by just slowing a bit. Particularly when 2 or 3 cars were coming close together I felt I should stop and let the whole group pass. Maybe that was wrong.

Interlagos should be different, hopefully.

 

[Valter Ostman]

I have raced at Interlagos a number of times in F3000, MAK and FsOne F1 cars. I agree with you Graham, Interlagos will be much better, there are many "safe" places for the leaders to lap slower cars like the one I drive.

 

[Brendan Crosby]

Although a lap of interlagos is shorter than monaco I don't think there will be as much of a time gap between faster and slower drivers because there are longer straights and more high speed corners (~60% of lap spent full throttle instead of ~50%). This should serve to make laptimes more equal. If or when a slower driver is lapped interlagos is a much wider circuit with many more safe places to pass cleanly (as others have previously noted).

 

[Nicolas Rouge]

I agree with Graham, Valter and Brendan : Monaco is a very peculiar circuit. You can't overtake without risking your life there, and traffic during qualify session was really an issue.
I think it will be another story at Interlagos, we won't have those kind of problems.

 

[Frans van der Linden]

I agree with all......

But Nicolai, dont forget division 1 and 2 where mixed up...

It is not for nothing that some prefer to drive 2nd div.. and others 1th div.

Edit:

PS. in real f1 some are also doomed to be lapped all the time...;-)

 

[Nicolai Nicholson]

But Nicolai, dont forget division 1 and 2 where mixed up...

It is not for nothing that some prefer to drive 2nd div.. and others 1th div.

Please elaborate. I do not really know much about who prefer split divisions and who prefer one division when we are as few as we are. I guess I only assumed the vast majority would prefer one big division.

 

[Frans van der Linden]

i dont mind driving in 1 division ( 2 div. mixed up ) but that explaines the time differents........ and driving skills.

And i understand that if there are only a few drivers in a division that we are mixed up.
I dont like to drive against 8 or 10 people too. I prever a full grid!

So: No worries or what so ever mate

 

[Jim Hawley]

I can understand how difficult it was for the slower cars, having experienced it from both angles, after my pit/fuel cockup having 110ltrs on board and being nearly 2 laps diown I was driving with eyes in the back of my head,

I do think though that interlargos will be better, it should be easier to let cars through without having to slow as much, which should help to keep tyre temps up enough to keep the thing at least drivable

Jim

 

[Peter Marshall]

As a comment, I personally believe that one division offers more fun and also increases the overall challenge for all drivers.

With regard to the increase challenge:
The leading pace setters will have more cars to lap and pass safely; remembering that the "soon to be lapped" car decides when you make a pass safely according the race document.

Most of the field will need to be aware of who is in front, who is behind, the different strategies being employed, etc. More real time calculations and assessment.

Then there is the weather. A 25% chance at Brazil looking at the calender.
I don't mind racing in Div 1, 2 or 3...