Removing the clear racing line

[janneppi]

I was thinking about clear driving lines while driving in gravel roads last weekend, at first the road was very slippery but as we drove the same road section few times, a line formed where there was more grip, but only the narrow line, outside it was still very slippery.

I remember someone, (Mickey T i think) saying year ago that a single narrow clear line is a bigger reason for lack of passing than aero regs.

Could it be possible to remove the clear line before a race so that there is similar grip everywhere?

A single line would eventually form as driver use the fastest way around corners, but it could help with early laps boredom what we now get after the second lap. It would help with starts too where often guys who are in position 2,4,6.. are hampered by their position a compared to guys from p 3,5,7.

[ioan]

I was thinking about clear driving lines while driving in gravel roads last weekend, at first the road was very slippery but as we drove the same road section few times, a line formed where there was more grip, but only the narrow line, outside it was still very slippery.

I remember someone, (Mickey T i think) saying year ago that a single narrow clear line is a bigger reason for lack of passing than aero regs.

Could it be possible to remove the clear line before a race so that there is similar grip everywhere?

A single line would eventually form as driver use the fastest way around corners, but it could help with early laps boredom what we now get after the second lap. It would help with starts too where often guys who are in position 2,4,6.. are hampered by their position a compared to guys from p 3,5,7.

Yes it is possible to remove it, however it will form again after a few laps because all of them take more or less the same line for obvious reasons related to physics.

In the end it would be worthless unless you find a way to do it every few laps, and that isn't really possible without interrupting the race.

[janneppi]

How long does it actually take for a the only clean line to form?
There is the rubber on the line that gives grip, right?
Then outside of the line you the loose rubber and dirt coming of the tires and nature, right?

Which has more effect on grip, grippy rubber on the line or loose rubber and dirt outside the line?

[Knock-on]

How long does it actually take for a the only clean line to form?
There is the rubber on the line that gives grip, right?
Then outside of the line you the loose rubber and dirt coming of the tires and nature, right?

Which has more effect on grip, grippy rubber on the line or loose rubber and dirt outside the line?

Personally, I would say that the marbles lessen grip more than the track rubbers in.

They stick to your tyres and you also slide over them like Ball Bearings.

I see no problem with making the tyres less grippy so they create less marbles. You could also make them a bit stronger to lessen punctures.

I've got an interesting idea on the tyres.

My old Bridgestone bike tyres had grippier rubber on the outside with harder less grippy rubber towards the center.

Why cant we have the same with a F1 tyre so you have really grippy tyres for 15 laps or so before they start reducing grip.

That way, we should get less punctures and more tyre management. Make things interesting with some drivers banzai and 3 stops with others 2 stopping on long strategies.

Either that or water sprinklers at intervals during the race :D

[ShiftingGears]

The solution to getting more racing lines is not to clean the lines before the race starts, but to mandate harder racing tyres, so that there's less marbles off the racing line, and less rubber laid down on the racing line.

[ArrowsFA1]

Perhaps if everyone was running the Brabham 'fan car' we wouldn't have this problem :p

[PolePosition_1]

Personally, I would say that the marbles lessen grip more than the track rubbers in.

They stick to your tyres and you also slide over them like Ball Bearings.

I see no problem with making the tyres less grippy so they create less marbles. You could also make them a bit stronger to lessen punctures.

I've got an interesting idea on the tyres.

My old Bridgestone bike tyres had grippier rubber on the outside with harder less grippy rubber towards the center.

Why cant we have the same with a F1 tyre so you have really grippy tyres for 15 laps or so before they start reducing grip.

That way, we should get less punctures and more tyre management. Make things interesting with some drivers banzai and 3 stops with others 2 stopping on long strategies.

Either that or water sprinklers at intervals during the race :D

We had the 1 tyre per race rule not so long ago, encouraging similar antics, and I liked it.

But people complained that people were looking after their tyres rather than risk pushing for sake of 1 extra point.

So can't see that happening.

I think next year should be good, get some slicks on, making the car much more stable, and giving confidence for drivers to overtake more.

I also think they should look into manual gear boxes and different brakes, increasing the braking zone much more sharply.

[Knock-on]

We had the 1 tyre per race rule not so long ago, encouraging similar antics, and I liked it.

But people complained that people were looking after their tyres rather than risk pushing for sake of 1 extra point.

So can't see that happening.

I think next year should be good, get some slicks on, making the car much more stable, and giving confidence for drivers to overtake more.

I also think they should look into manual gear boxes and different brakes, increasing the braking zone much more sharply.

Not a single tyre rule. (Shudders)

Rather a more reliable tyre that can be used in different ways.

Slicks will hopefully solve the graining issue but will still leave the Marble issue. I remember being hit by a lump off of Steve Webster and Tony Hewitts combo in the 80's that nearly took my eye out :laugh: it was huge!!

Would love to see manual gear boxes but don't know about steel brakes. Might be an idea though.

[BDunnell]

Either that or water sprinklers at intervals during the race :D

Well, the range of lines that can work in a wet race, especially when the track is newly-wet and there isn't a dry line, is notable in itself.

[ShiftingGears]

The solution to getting more racing lines is not to clean the lines before the race starts, but to mandate harder racing tyres, so that there's less marbles off the racing line, and less rubber laid down on the racing line.

:up:

[wedge]

The quickest line is naturally the racing line and that's where the grip gets built up.

You can't stop drivers using the racing line.

The only way to get round it is get a green track ie. rain overnight preceding the race.

[gloomyDAY]

The only way to get round it is get a green track ie. rain overnight preceding the race.That or an a convoy of street sweepers. :p

http://therawfeed.com/pix/street_sweeper.jpg

Why not? That's a lot of advertising space!

[markabilly]

That or an a convoy of street sweepers. :p

http://therawfeed.com/pix/street_sweeper.jpg

Why not? That's a lot of advertising space!
Make the race even more exciting by adding a big water tank behind the cleaner to dump lots of water on the track......even add a little soap for that extra clean job, good for slip and slidding...

Besides the real problem with one tire per race rule was the competiton between the makers, with each trying to balance the line between grip and longevity.

W/o the tire (ok tyre for u brits) competition, one spec tire(tyre), real good and hard, quarranteed to take the worse abuse, throw no more marbles and accept none in return, leaving no rubber behind, a tire for all seasons, a tire for the masses that would live on through thick and thin, fire and ice, could be used that would be good for about 40k miles before replacement.

A tire (tyre) that would work just fine for track and street and off road use.... :s mokin:

[Bagwan]

I walked the Montreal track in '04 , and was amazed at the marbles .
Towards the edges of the track there were tire bits that looked to be years old .

I believe it would improve things immensely if they were to clean the track with a round of sweeper trucks between each session .

[Rollo]

The quickest line is naturally the racing line and that's where the grip gets built up.

You can't stop drivers using the racing line.

It stands to reason that there is only one shortest way through a corner. Very occasionally due to the shape of a corner will there be multiple lines through it, it happens sometimes at double-apex corners but other than that not really.

It would in theory be difficult if not impossible to remove all of the rubber laid down especially if the track is used by lesser classes during the year. A circuit might be in use up to 26 times a year, and removing a year's worth of rubber might prove to be an arduous task.