Originally Posted by
Lundefaret
What is a slow rally?
What is a fast rally?
Is the deciding factor the average stage speed?
In my opinion another factor is more important, and that is the frequency of inputs pr minute.
As the inputs pr minute increase, the stress factor rises, and You have to act quicker, which again puts more demand on Your abilities.
Its all about the computing power of the individual driver.
A rally can be slow, (Sardinia last year) but have a high ratio of inputs pr minute.
A rally can be fast (Rally Finland) but have a lower ratio of inputs pr minute.
It can also be measured in different ways, but the important factor is how many parameters pr minute the driver has to react to.
If You take Rally Finland, it has a completely different ratio now, than what it had 10 years ago, and a very different ratio to what it had 20 years ago. This is because of technical development.
The WRC have some of the most brilliant engineers on the planet, and every year they do a tremendous job reducing the amount of inputs the driver has to react to.
In Finland in 1986, with a group B rally car, You had tremendous power, but - compared to today - awful suspension, differentials, aerodynamics and tires. This meant that Rally Finland was a high frequency rally, and a "fast" rally. You had to not only manage the turns, but also the elevation, and the jumps.
With hugely better suspension, better tires, better aerodynamics, and a lower amount of power, You can now be flat a lot of places that would be absolutely unthinkable in earlier years. (This was exemplified last year, which was the first year ever the WRC drivers could be flat over the big jumps at Ruuhimäki.)
The technical development that has taken place, that have in effect "flattened" the Finnish stages.
(But in Finland You have to be able to handle the physical and mental stress of high speed.)
And, on the other hand You have "slow" rallies, that really are fast/high frequency and high input. Because they have a lot of turns pr km, the inputs increase and if you combine this with other factors like low grip (which can work both ways), rocks and different hurdles, then You have a rally that requires more computing power.
This frequency can off course change in a single stage, and from stage to stage in a single event.
To be able to stay in Your comfort zone as the frequency rises, You have to have a high level of automatization of reactions to input, so that You have the surplus computing power to be able to react to not scheduled inputs, like rocks in the road, different grip levels, etc. You also reduce the needed mental computing power needed to keep the car on the road, if You have a good relation between speed and risk. (Driving technique/style).
If You should give drivers scores You could combine the ability to handle high frequencies, the ratio between risk and speed in their driving style, and their pace notes.
