[WRC] News & rumours (part III)

[Mirek]

I know, but this it the theoretical ideal situation that never happens in reality.

Actually it is very valuable to cut every complex phenomena into less complicated fundamental processes. If You don't do that You end with a huge equation with million of unknowns for every measurable output.

But then you can have a situation like this that an underpowered car cannot utilise all of its traction, (because you need power to keep a constant speed around a circle, consider the velocity vector of car turning) if the constant radius circle is large enough... so power does matter

You need very little power to keep constant speed (in rallying limits), basically only to equalize drag, rolling resistance and power looses in transmission. Every vehicle can reach it's limiting lateral acceleration (or cornering speed on given radius). It doesn't need to be at 200 km/h. It can be at 30 km/h if it's a tight hairpin. Even a tractor can turn so hard that it can't keep a line of constant radius. In the end it really matters if You can do the circle at 28 km/h or at 32 km/h because that is from what You start the power-related process.