Ask The Apex

[Jen]

The yellow section was ended by the green light, ergo before that light he was still under YFC.

Well done, tby

 

[Josephiah]

The yellow section was ended by the green light, ergo before that light he was still under YFC.

Sometimes the simplest explanations make the most sense!

 

[Fenderman]

Just had a couple of questions from a mate,

How much does the leftover marbles weigh that is left on the track in an average race. And what do they do with it all after? Is it just dumped in landfill or sent for recycling with the rest of the tyres used in a race?

Just realised that no-one answered your question F1Y (or at least not correctly). With regard to the weight, they can pick up as much as a kilo'. As far as recycling is concerned, I vaguely recall one of the tyre technicians being asked this question at the beginning of this season (I think). Apparently they destroy and dispose of the old tyres as hazardous waste since they don't like the idea of other tyre manufacturers getting their hands on the secrets of their compounds.

I assume that the tyre debris on the track is less of a concern due to the chemical changes that will have occurred during the processes of wear and degradation - I don't recall that issue being addressed by the technician. How that debris is disposed of is probably down to the owners of the circuits.

 

[Slyboogy]

What does "coke-bottle" mean?

 

[Galahad]

What does "coke-bottle" mean?

The so-called "coke-bottle" is the rear area of bodywork in front of the rear wheels. The idea is that it curves elegantly in and out, like a coke bottle does, exposing the upper surface of the floor.

It's important to get this area right as it interacts with the lower part of the rear wing, the diffuser and aims to minimise the aero blockage of the rear tyre.

http://www.biser3a.com/formula-1/whats-f1s-coke-bottle/

 

[Slyboogy]

I always thought the coke bottle made more sense as the cars body is large at the back then comes in (if you exclude the front wing), but I knnew that was never right

Thanks!

 

[Slyboogy]

Another question!

If a driver has a grid-drop penalty which he received before qualifying, and the driver then goes on to get pole position, does the the driver go to the press conference or not?

Let's say qualifying tomorrow Hamilton gets pole, but since he has a grid drop the maximum position where he can start is 4th, so does he go to the press conference?

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Presumably seeing as he is still classified as setting the fastest time and the penalty is only applied after qualifying and therefore only affects the race.

 

[Fenderman]

Extract from Sporting Reg's Article 35.3

"Immediately after the qualifying practice session the first three drivers in the session will be required to
make themselves available for television interviews in the unilateral room and then attend a press
conference in the media centre for a maximum period of 30 minutes."

There are no references to this situation anywhere else in the reg's, so it looks like Lewis will be there if he is in the top three in qualy'.

 

[Josh]

Who's the guy handing out the caps before the podium ceremony?

 

[Slyboogy]

Jos the Boss

 

[Jos the Boss]

Jos the Boss

A job I would love!

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Alexandre Molina.

http://www.theracedriver.com/2011/04/f1-podium-protocol-and-the-man-in-charge/

 

[Josh]

Thanks, interesting read. Amazing to learn how much is actually going on that we never notice...

 

[MCLS]

I've got one for the Apex, if there is a spin at the start of a sector causing a yellow flag, would a driver who was ahead of the spun car anyway and still in the sector still get penalised if he set a best sector/lap time on that lap?

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Wouldn't this have happend at Monza and no penalties were applied. Surely if this did happend common sense would prevail, but then again this is the FIA we're talking about...

 

[Bill Boddy]

Since the flag sectors are comparatively short it would be unlikely that the marshals would get the yellow flags out in time.

 

[Fenderman]

I've got one for the Apex, if there is a spin at the start of a sector causing a yellow flag, would a driver who was ahead of the spun car anyway and still in the sector still get penalised if he set a best sector/lap time on that lap?

Race Control and the Stewards are equipped with monitors showing the "driver tracker" (same as the teams ) and will know the positions of any driver/s in that situation. They will know whether or not the drivers were ahead of the incident when they set their sector times.

 

[Jos the Boss]

Why dont drivers make more than 1 line? And why don't they create tyres with no marbles?

 

[Fenderman]

They do when they can - have look at Keke's latest videos. The dust this weekend was the biggest deterrent to going off of the ideal racing line. Totally agree about the marbles though. They must frustrate the hell out of the drivers. I think, although someone more in the know about rubber might correct me (Max Mosley, perhaps ), that it is to do with the Pirelli have to "design in" the degradation of the tyres so that teams are forced to use two compounds in the race (i.e. as per the FIA regulations). After all, we know that if they wanted to, and were allowed to, they could make perfectly race-able tyres that would do the whole race distance.