The KERS & DRS Effect?

[FB]

Having been astonished at how much faster Sebby V's pole time in Canada was yesterday compared to 2010 I though I'd do some analysis of the change in pole speed from 2010 to 2011. Obviously this doesn't take into account the effect of the change from Bridgestone to Pirelli but, as ever (apart from in Spain) F1 cars are getting faster and faster.

FYI all averages exclude Malaysia as 2010 was wet.

 

[Jru]

Pretty interesting. The circuits with the worst DRS effect are those with the biggest reduction in lap time - Canada, Turkey and China. Maybe the FIA need to see this and use it to moderate what they are doing ...
(worst DRS effect is too much overtaking - subjective to me of course!)

 

[Galahad]

Spain might be accounted for by the loss of the double diffusers and associated downforce. I can't really think why DRS would be any less useful there than at another circuit - perhaps straights make up a slightly smaller proportion of the lap, but I don't think massively so?

The circuits with the lowest downforce profiles - particularly Canada - show that the negative downforce effect is more than offset by the positive DRS/KERS effects.

Where do Pirelli fit into this? Perhaps on the first lap the grip is not too dissimilar to Bridgestone; it's all in the degradation?

 

[Jru]

I guess if we want a comparison of the Bridgestones to Pirellis could we look at McLaren's first winter test this year? I seem to remember that they were faster relative to the race in Catalunya but the problem was that the car had been developed though the year so that would have to be taken into account somehow...

Am I correct in thinking that the Pirellis were tested in Abu Dhabi at some point with last year's cars?

 

[RevMaxPower]

So how do you apportion the benefits of the various changes - tyres, KERS, DRS, Driver, new front wings etc etc.? They all have a part to play.