Top Speed Comparisons #6 - Istanbul Park
I posted these comparisons from 2006 to 2008 to illustrate changes in top speeds as measured through the speed traps.
The first table compares the 2008 team/driver combination with the equivalent 2009 team/driver - the same driver if possible, otherwise the 2008 driver is compared to his 2009 replacement. This comparison is intended as a team comparison, but the first (driver) table is also of some interest - but should be read with care.
Notes
Honda have been renamed Brawn-Mercedes and Force India have switched from Ferrari to Mercedes engines.
'S#' Session in which the top speed was recorded (P1/P2/P3/Q1/Q2/Q3/R)
'Diff' difference in top speed (km/hr)
'%Dif' difference in top speed (as percentage of 2008 speed)
Turkish GP 2008/2009
[pre][size=1]
2008 2009
Team-Engine Driver S# km/h Driver S# km/h Diff. %Dif.
========================================================================
F India-[Ferrari] Fisichella Q1 310.7 Fisichella Q1 309.8 -0.9 -0.29
F India-[Ferrari] Sutil R 313.8 Sutil R 310.1 -3.7 -1.18
Renault Piquet R 315.5 Piquet R 309.8 -5.7 -1.81
Red Bull-Renault Coulthard R 315.3 Vettel R 309.5 -5.8 -1.84
Williams-Toyota Nakajima P2 318.0 Nakajima R 312.1 -5.9 -1.86
T Rosso-Ferrari Vettel P3 311.5 Buemi R 305.0 -6.5 -2.09
BMW Sauber-BMW Heidfeld R 313.7 Heidfeld Q1 307.0 -6.7 -2.14
Renault Alonso R 315.6 Alonso Q3 308.6 -7.0 -2.22
Red Bull-Renault Webber P3 316.8 Webber R 309.4 -7.4 -2.34
T Rosso-Ferrari Bourdais R 311.6 Bourdais R 304.3 -7.3 -2.34
[Honda] Button R 312.4 Button R 304.3 -8.1 -2.59
[Honda] Barrichello P3 312.3 Barrichello R 303.7 -8.6 -2.75
McLaren-Mercedes Kovalainen R 322.1 Kovalainen R 312.8 -9.3 -2.89
Toyota Trulli R 318.5 Trulli R 309.1 -9.4 -2.95
Williams-Toyota Rosberg R 320.9 Rosberg R 311.3 -9.6 -2.99
BMW Sauber-BMW Kubica R 316.1 Kubica R 305.8 -10.3 -3.26
McLaren-Mercedes Hamilton R 322.4 Hamilton R 311.6 -10.8 -3.35
Toyota Glock R 320.1 Glock R 309.1 -11.0 -3.44
Ferrari Massa R 323.9 Massa R 311.2 -12.7 -3.92
Ferrari Räikkönen R 323.9 Räikkönen P3 310.0 -13.9 -4.29[/pre][/size]
All 20 drivers were slower than in 2008, McLaren, BMW Sauber, Toyota & Ferrari considerably so. The majority of the 'bests' were set in the race.
The second table compares the top speed achieved by each team (IE the top speed of both drivers), and as such is a better comparison.
[pre]2008 2009
Team-Engine Driver S# km/h Driver S# km/h Diff. %Diff.
========================================================================
F India-[Ferrari] Sutil R 313.8 Sutil R 310.1 -3.7 -1.18
Renault Alonso R 315.6 Piquet R 309.8 -5.8 -1.84
T Rosso-Ferrari Bourdais R 311.6 Buemi R 305.0 -6.6 -2.12
Red Bull-Renault Webber P3 316.8 Vettel R 309.5 -7.3 -2.30
[Honda] Button R 312.4 Button R 304.3 -8.1 -2.59
Williams-Toyota Rosberg R 320.9 Nakajima R 312.1 -8.8 -2.74
BMW Sauber-BMW Kubica R 316.1 Heidfeld Q1 307.0 -9.1 -2.88
McLaren-Mercedes Hamilton R 322.4 Kovalainen R 312.8 -9.6 -2.98
Toyota Glock R 320.1 Glock R 309.1 -11.0 -3.44
Ferrari Massa R 323.9 Massa R 311.2 -12.7 -3.92[/pre]
All 10 teams were slower.
Taking the positions from table 2 at each race (1 is most improved, 10 is least improved) and averaging them gives a season average position.
[pre]Team R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 Tot Avg.
====================================================
1. F India-Mercedes 3 2 3 1 1 1 1 12 1.71
2. Brawn-Mercedes 2 6 5 4 2 3 5 27 3.86
3. Red Bull-Renault 5 1 2 7 5 4 4 28 4.00
4. Renault 7 3 7 9 3 10 2 41 5.86
T Rosso-Ferrari 4 7 4 5 9 9 3 41 5.86
6. BMW Sauber-BMW 1 5 9 6 8 7 7 43 6.14
7. Toyota 10 4 6 2 7 8 9 46 6.57
8. Williams-Toyota 6 8 8 8 6 6 6 48 6.86
9. McLaren-Mercedes 9 10 10 3 4 5 8 49 7.00
10. Ferrari 8 9 1 10 10 2 10 50 7.14[/pre]
Ferrari finished tenth for the third time, increasing their average enough to claim last place.
All data from http://www.fia.com or http://www.formula1.com.