Ask The Apex

[Hamberg]

Cheers Enja, that makes an awful lot of sense!

 

[MCLS]

I've got one which was mentioned in the last grand prix, why does the safety car need a co driver?

 

[Fenderman]

Ballast?

 

[Slyboogy]

I've got one which was mentioned in the last grand prix, why does the safety car need a co driver?

Probably to give the safety car driver instructions that he may have missed as he is concentrating on his driving and the conditions of the track?

 

[Fenderman]

That's way too sensible.

 

[Slyboogy]

That's way too sensible.

Expect the unexpected...even from me

I wonder what the proper answer is though, I am intrigued...

 

[Fenderman]

I thought that was the proper answer! The only problem with it is they never appear to be talking to each other. Ah, but maybe it's to guarantee that if Berndt spins off there will always be someone around to push.

 

[Slyboogy]

I thought that was the proper answer! The only problem with it is they never appear to be talking to each other. Ah, but maybe it's to guarantee that if Berndt spins off there will always be someone around to push.

Fenderman...I never have facts when it comes to "Ask the Apex" - just either general knowledge, or educated guesses, but 95% of the time it's not a concrete fact.

I for the life of me cannot think of anything else why there is a co-driver there, think they might be in the wrong discipline...

 

[Brogan]

The co-driver is Peter Tibbetts and he's exactly that - a co-driver.

If anything should happen to Bernd Mayländer then the co-driver would take over.

 

[Andrea_Moda_Rules]

Now. Herbie Blash (spelling?) A man who is relatively high up in the FIA food chain.
But what exactly is his job role? Is he Charlie Whitings number two?

 

[Galahad]

Now. Herbie Blash. Is he Charlie Whitings number two?

He is.

 

[f1fansp]

Seems like the most appropriate place to ask this.

We've heard a lot about the EBD and different proportions of off-throttle blowing, hot and cold blowing etc and the different engine maps .

Thus far I've nodded along with the crowd, but just thinking realised I have absolutely no idea what engine maps are, how they're controlled (presumably in the pits, not on the car?)

 

[FB]

In my rather simplistic world I understand engine mapping to be changes in the advance and retard of the ignition i.e. the position of the piston when the spark plug fires, adjustments to the fuel/air mixture - there is a finite amount of fuel which can be burnt in the piston relative to the air so unburnt fuel can travel down the exhaust and burn in the exhaust or the engine can be run "lean" to save fuel but then it produces less power, and limits on the number of revs up to the maximum the FIA allow.

All this has to be controlled by the driver, control from the pits is outlawed, so this is why you hear drivers being told to "change to fuel mode G" and other such bizarre requests.

I'm sure there are much more complex engineering answers so for all you engine wizards out there feel free to shoot me down

 

[Brogan]

Short and light on detail, but it does at least explain mapping in broad terms.

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/statistics/staff/academic-research/lawrance/personal/enginema/

 

[Bill Boddy]

The engine mapping is controlled in the car, a driver will use a number of settings during a race.

There are many variables in the way an engine is set up, things like ignition timing, fuel rate of feed, valve timing etc. Some of theses will give more absolute power, some will give more torque (acceleration) and some will save fuel, plus various combinations.

A good example is that at the start powerful acceleration is need to get away from the line without giving away places and hopefully gaining some. This is more important at that time than being able to get maximum speed on the straight which may still be a full lap away.

There is a limitation on how often the driver may change the mapping, so they have to balance the average needs at that time of the race. very often the pit crew will tell the driver which setting to use.

There can also be a mapping to continue keeping the engine at high revs even when the driver has lifted his foot off the accelerator. This ensures that the temperature of the exhaust gasses remains high to improve the efficiency of the blown diffuser, this is what will be banned.

I'm sure that there will be someone with a better, more accurate description to follow.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Drat and double drat, I should have waited.

 

[FB]

Here's one for you techy types - is the EDB more efficient because the gases are hot?

 

[Fenderman]

Yes. The EBD maximises the use of convection, i.e. the natural tendencies for hot air to rise and for hot gases to expand. The extreme temperatures generated by the burning of fuel in the exhaust pipes draws the cooler air that is funnelled under the cars chassis through the sytem at a faster rate which increases the ground effect being generated by the diffuser.

Edit: Forgot a another critical component of the process - I've inserted it in italics so you can see where I missed out this salient detail!

 

[Sarinaide]

So the term "laying down rubber" gets used a lot in conjunction to track conditions improving over the coarse of the race weekend. I this a misnomer or is the correct state of affairs not so much laying an invisible snail trail of rubber but more the accurate circumstance of events is that the race line gets cleaned.

 

[Josephiah]

I think it's both: the line does get cleared of debris and dust, but a layer of tyre rubber does actually build up on the surface of the track over the course of the weekend. And it often is visible, especially in the braking zones.