The Motorsport Thread

they say that by designing the car with front engine helped them to achieve lower drag which would lead to greater top speed on straights and less fuel consumption. FWD cars have problems while cornering though, as they tend to understeer a lot if there is no throttle input or if there is too much throttle. They tried to fix that by using much wider tires at the front than at the back (front tires are 14" wide while rears are 9"). And finally, V6 biturbo is only driving front wheels with about 550-600HP, while electricity is driving rear wheels with about 700HP. In that way by throttling up or down electric engine they can balance the understeer which is there because of FWD. That balancing is probably done by ECU (just like brake-by-wire in F1)


All in all, this car is something quite different from any of its competitors. If they managed to pull it through it may prove at least competitive with Toyota, Audi and Porsche. If they really nailed it it may be even better.
 
Thanks for the explanation, yet to that amount I know the technology, too. :)
I meant what effect it has to put the gearbox in front of the engine.
 
It is difficult to make any solid conclusion without being able to look at numbers, but those that come up to my mind:
1. weight savings - gearbox is closer to driven wheels so there is no need for long drive shafts which save some weight. Also, drive shafts are moveable parts of the car as they are rotating to drive wheels and moving up and down together with suspension parts. The less moveable mass there is on the car the easier it is to make it move more predictable.
2. aerodynamics - putting engine behind gearbox instead of vice-versa gives them more free space at the very front of the car and that gives them more freedom with aerodynamic designs for engine cover, front splitter and any winglet that might find itself there.
3. cost savings - if there is some kind of accident which damages front of the car (provided it is not huge crash) it is cheaper to change gearbox and maybe clutch than to change the engine.
 
3 weeks ago in 2nd race of the season in Indy Car
YouTube - Crew chief hit during IndyCar pit stop


Crew chief wasn't injured too hard. What helped him is that he jumped just before impact so car just flipped him in air instead of crushing him full on. Just a week later he was at Long Beach for 3rd race, ready in pits, but medical staff advised him of taking a bit longer rest.


Also, if anyone is interested, here are complete replays of first 4 rounds:
YouTube - 2015 IndyCar Series: R1 St. Petersburg

YouTube - 2015 IndyCar Series: R2 Louisiana

YouTube - 2015 IndyCar Series: R3 Long Beach

YouTube - 2015 IndyCar Series: R4 Barber Motorsports Park
 
If you want 14 hours of fantastic racing, here are first two round of this years FIA World Endurance Championship:


6h Silverstone
Enough said about this race is that after 6 hours and 201 laps top 3 in LMP1 category were from 3 different teams (Porsche, Audi, Toyota) and gap between 1st and 3rd was 15 seconds. Similarly close was in other categories too.

YouTube - 2015 WEC Round 1 - 6 hours of Silverstone [HD]


6h Spa Francorchamps
Field was a bit more stretched here than in Silverstone, but again close battle for a win

YouTube - 2015 WEC - Round 2 - 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps [HD]
 
a bit of controversy in DTM this weekend in Austria.

In closing stages of Race 2 Audi called Timo Scheider from pit and told him to push Mercedes drivers Wickens and Wehrlein off the track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d08rS9wOeI


Later Scheider claimed that he received no call from pits and that he did not intentionally push Mercedes drivers off the track but that they were on brakes too early. Telemetry showed that claim to be false.

After the race Audi told that Mercedes drivers were playing games against Scheider so that they just returned the favor.
 
Yet another death in motorsport in this year.

Last night ex-F1 driver Justin Wilson (drove for Minardi and Jaguar in 2003) lost his life after and accident in IndyCar race at Pocono raceway on sunday.

In front of him Sage Karam lost control of his car and crashed into the wall. Nose cone from his car detached and flew across the track when at almost full speed Justin Wilson arrived and collected that cone with his head. He suffered sevear head injuries and was in coma, but died less than two days later.

Here is replay of said accident
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7EFP_wr2fo


Also, on Sunday we lost Guy Ligier who was founder and owner of once famous team in F1, Ligier, which raced from 1976 to 1996 scoring 9 wins and 50 podiums
 
today was one of the best races I have ever seen since I have started following MotoGP. In first few laps it was 7-man battle for lead, but after few laps top 4 riders (Marquez, Lorenzo, Rossa and Iannone) went ahead and continued their battle for the win through all 27 laps with Marquez winning at the end in front of Lorenzo, Iannone and Rossi.


There are two races to go in the season and it is tight battle for the title between two Yamaha riders, Lorenzo and Rossi. Rossi leads with 11 points ahead of Lorenzo, while Marquez is 63 points behind Lorenzo. Iannone is 4th in the championship.
 
Alexander Rossi who drove in last few races of 2015 F1 season for Marussia has just won the Indianapolis 500 race.
 
Luis Salom (24) died yesterday after he crashed in free practice 2 for Moto2 Catalan GP (at Barcelona Circuit). He fell off his bike at the penultimate corner (MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 use last 2 corners F1 used before, not the chicane F1 uses now) and slid into the barriers.


Organizers decided to switch to F1 layout for reminder of the weekend so that approach is slower on that place and because of that Free Practice 3 today was longer than usual so that riders can practice new set of corners.
 
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I read that he didn't die because of the barriers, but because his bike was deflected from the barriers and hit him. Anyway, very sad to hear such news. :(
 
I won't claim that I know for certain what happened because I don't know. I wasn't watching friday practice sessions for Catalan GP and have only seen this crappy footage of the crash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t38StPT2FI


His bike slid into the wall soon followed by Salom himself. Did he collide with the bike or wall (or maybe both) I don't really know.


As for the races today...I was disappointed with Moto3 race. Moto3 usually produces the best race of the weekend, but probably due to the nature of Barcelona track it was quite boring and confusing. Top 10-15 riders following in line one by one during the whole lap until they come to the main straight at the end of which we get a random order into T1 due to huge slipstream boost (because of low power of those bikes) and then again no action for the whole lap.

Moto2 was a bit better than usual, while MotoGP was fantastic today with great fight between Rossi and Marquez
 
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On Friday one of my dearest wishes will finally come true. I’m going to the Nürburgring for the first time, riding shotgun! 😍
We will be driving the Nordschleife and the GP track! 😍

I’m so freaking happy!! 😍
 
PRO_TOO said:
That is some of the sickest...! :APPLAUD:
Insane machines and driver skills even when I never was a huge fan of motorbikes though.
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Bear in mind as well that lap was done to promote the brand new bike he was riding (a BMW you'll be pleased to know :) ) and as such, including the fact he had to slow down for a yellow flag at one point was around 2 1/2 minutes slower than the lap record which is also owned by him. A staggering 135mph and change average speed lap over a 38 mile course on public roads.

I'd highly recommend anyone to add it to their bucket list. You haven't seen anything until you've stood at the side of the road and seen a bike go past at 180-200mph literally a few feet away. It is honestly the definition of jaw dropping.


Enjoy the lap at the Nürburgring!
 
PRO_TOO said:
On Friday one of my dearest wishes will finally come true. I’m going to the Nürburgring for the first time, riding shotgun! 😍
We will be driving the Nordschleife and the GP track! 😍

I’m so freaking happy!! 😍
Click to expand...
My buddy and his dad are in quarantine since last Monday (both feeling ok-ish), so I have to postpone my visit to the Ring.
thats life... always a surprise up its sleeve, aight!?

anyway... I’ll just be driving it in ACC later.

@mattmid it is like crazy. On motorvisionTV there is a lot of tourist trophy footage (from 2018 and 2019) the whole easter weekend. Countless hours... I let it run on TV for 1,5 days now even when I do other stuff in the living room. :) lovely stories from on and off the track!
devils on bikes! It is just special! All respect to them! :SNACK:
 
@PRO_TOO Ah, that's a shame, hopefully it won't be too long until you get to go.

Haha, how about that for a coincidence! Isn't it incredible? The passion of the riders shines through doesn't it? The skill level is beyond belief really, even for those finishing well down the order. It beggars belief that you could average 135mph for a 38 mile lap on public roads. There's a famous quote by one of the legends of the TT, Joey Dunlop who once said something like there's a green blur and a grey blur, the trick is to stay on the grey blur!
 
mattmid said:
@PRO_TOO Ah, that's a shame, hopefully it won't be too long until you get to go.

Haha, how about that for a coincidence! Isn't it incredible? The passion of the riders shines through doesn't it? The skill level is beyond belief really, even for those finishing well down the order. It beggars belief that you could average 135mph for a 38 mile lap on public roads. There's a famous quote by one of the legends of the TT, Joey Dunlop who once said something like there's a green blur and a grey blur, the trick is to stay on the grey blur!
Click to expand...
Yes my friend, it seems like I’ve already learned a lot. Joey Dunlop, the legend, didn’t he win 23 titles?! When he died all country stood still?!
And yes I think the quote you are referring to is about the hillsides and the houses and I think I heard about it in the last couple of hours running the TT footage on TV. 😊👏
So many unique stories of the drivers and such. Lovely stuff from the old days as well.
Absolutely perfect timing that is. I would’ve let it run but it’s Bundesliga time now. Today’s top match between Leipzig and Bayern will be pretty interesting. Same with Dortmund vs. Frankfurt and Leverkusen vs. Schalke.
 
@mattmid the Bundesliga delivers so far. Except Schalke. But somehow they do as well! 😂
Frankfurt did great. Dortmund Same bs as the last couple of weeks (under value).
anyway... as soon as the Leipzig vs. Bayern fixture is done I’ll be switching to Motorvision.TV! All I know is there is no TT scheduled for Sunday!:TD: Let’s see.
 
@PRO_TOO Yeah saw that result for Frankfurt! Big win for Bayern too. They've sadly already cancelled the TT for this year what with covid (was cancelled last year too) but it will be back in 2022. It's hit the Island quite hard economically I think because they have so many visitors during the two weeks of the TT races.
 
Yesterday was a sad day for MotoGP. Just before the start of Moto2 race in Mugello it was announced that Jason Dupasquier (19) had passed away in hospital after he succumbed to injuries sustained in Moto3 Q2 session on Saturday. Dupasquier lost control of his bike at the exit of T9 (Arrabbiata 2) and fell on to the track when moments later Ayumu Sasaki, unable to avoid him, colided with Dupasquier hitting him on his chest and head. Medical aid was provided on the scene and short time later he was transferred to a local hospital in, what MotoGP chief medical officer described as, stable condition.


Dupasquier is first fatality at a MotoGP event since 2016. GP of Catalunya when Luis Salom fell in penultimate corner whilst practicing for a Moto2 race. His bike slid into the wall only for Salom to follow it in and in the process he collided head first with the fuel tank of his bike whilst sliding at around 120km/h.
 
Had much hope for the new M4 GT3 on this weekend (it's a fantastic car in ACC) but no luck.
 
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