Driving style evolution

[Zico]

Sorry I can't offer the link but I read it from somewhere that the new tyre rule has brought some problems to Ford as the tyres weight more than previous ones. Hence the weight balance is now wrong and the rear weights more than it should. That has caused some problems to Latvala and Hirvonen. That could explain the oversteering.

Im having difficulty imagining how much heavier a tyre would have to be to cause this problem.
Excluding the additional weight of the spare.. All 4 corners of the car suffer.. but for a very small change in overall front/rear weight distribution percentage.

As Pentti says... they should move the spare more towards the centre of the car.

[DonJippo]

Im having difficulty imagining how much heavier a tyre would have to be to cause this problem.
Excluding the additional weight of the spare.. All 4 corners of the car suffer.. but for a very small change in overall front/rear weight distribution percentage.

Nowadays they carry two spare wheels on board and placement of both spares in Ford might not be optimal, therefore I believe it causes trouble for them.

[MrJan]

Richard Burns was always a very tidy driver too

With regard to tyre wear it was noticeable at Turkey, the difference between Latvala (who was trashing his) and Mikko who was less agressive. Jari Mati absolutely ruined his rubber on a few stages because he drives too hard and would probably have won the rally if he hadn't de-laminated and punctured a few tyres. Also Mikko was saying that it is a different driving style between running second or 3rd on a swept road and running somewhere where sweeping is not such a disadvantage. Basically when you are running on these nasty gravel events it is important to stay neater in order to stick to the 'clean' line.

[Zico]

Nowadays they carry two spare wheels on board and placement of both spares in Ford might not be optimal, therefore I believe it causes trouble for them.

Ah.. Id always thought they only carried 2 spares on very rough rallies such as Acropolis..

[A.F.F.]

Im having difficulty imagining how much heavier a tyre would have to be to cause this problem.
Excluding the additional weight of the spare.. All 4 corners of the car suffer.. but for a very small change in overall front/rear weight distribution percentage.

As Pentti says... they should move the spare more towards the centre of the car.

Yep, like Don already said. But in the same article they mentioned they're already on the issue but rules aren't. But they're getting there.

[DonJippo]

Ah.. Id always thought they only carried 2 spares on very rough rallies such as Acropolis..

Actually in Acropolis they carried 3 spare wheels.

[fabioalpine]

Every interpretation is very interesting!
In my opinion we must consider the mental approach of the driver and his condition and feelings with the car that is beyond tyres, active diffs...

[OldF]

Looking at some pics of the Loeb’s testing and remembering an article in Vauhdin Maailma about driving styles (VM 11/2003) I had to dig out this old thread about driving styles.

In that article it’s said that the fastest way to drive true a bend is with four wheel sliding with 2WD car and four wheel drive sliding with a 4WD car. With that driving style the front wheels points straight ahead in relation to the car longitudinal axle.





Here’s the whole story:
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...VM_11_2003.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...VM_11_2003.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...VM_11_2003.jpg


Looking at the first pic, Loeb is sliding with the front wheels pointing in the direction of the movement but in the second one he’s driving true the bend with a 4WD slide. Maybe the short wheelbase of the new cars could sometimes cause surprises.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net..._3340738_n.jpg

Rally Finland 2011 test Sebastien Loeb - Petri Skog Motorsport Photography


Here’s a link to a similar thread by Pentti Airikkala

http://www.motorsportforums.com/wrc/...vers-gone.html

[tfp]

Very interesting topic.
YouTube - ‪WRC - Colin McRae - Scandinavian Flick & Handbrake Lessons‬‏
Here, Colin Mcrae explains how in modern rally cars the scandanavian flick isn't really neccessary anymore.

[N.O.T]

Looking at some pics of the Loeb’s testing and remembering an article in Vauhdin Maailma about driving styles (VM 11/2003) I had to dig out this old thread about driving styles.

In that article it’s said that the fastest way to drive true a bend is with four wheel sliding with 2WD car and four wheel drive sliding with a 4WD car. With that driving style the front wheels points straight ahead in relation to the car longitudinal axle.







Here’s the whole story:
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...VM_11_2003.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...VM_11_2003.jpg
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...VM_11_2003.jpg


Looking at the first pic, Loeb is sliding with the front wheels pointing in the direction of the movement but in the second one he’s driving true the bend with a 4WD slide. Maybe the short wheelbase of the new cars could sometimes cause surprises.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net..._3340738_n.jpg

Rally Finland 2011 test Sebastien Loeb - Petri Skog Motorsport Photography


Here’s a link to a similar thread by Pentti Airikkala

http://www.motorsportforums.com/wrc/...vers-gone.html

i think a video would be more useful here since in the first pic you only capture a moment which is not accurate and for example this momentet could be at the start of the opposite lock or an adjustment withing the corner in which the wheel point straight....

However you (or the article) is right since it is also evident to the eye that the more you turn the wheel the bigger the speed loss.