Yes, braking distances are very short, but that's one of the things that makes F1 cars different from all other racing cars, as they stop even faster than they go. The flip side is that it does indeed hamper overtaking. I think however that the real problem is with aero and tires. The aero is such that the cars can't follow closely through most corners, and the tires wear in such a way that they grain and leave marbles anywhere off the racing line. This is why the cars run single-file through corners because if they get off line, they'll skid off into the marbles. I don't know if it's even possible to make a tire that doesn't produce marbles, especially when the cars exert such downforce on them, but I think aero changes (Like flat bottoms and single-plane front and rear wings like in IndyCar), could improve following and overtaking.R.? wrote:I was amazed when I watched the Canadian GP. At the end of the backstraight they brake just before the 50m mark. From 310kmh for the chicane! Same in Barcelona at the end of the pit straight. 50 meters before the corner. No wonder Button couldn't get pass Schumacher. Braking distance is too short.
However, (and I just did it myself) when we talk about how to improve overtaking, we talk mostly about American racing like NASCAR or IndyCar, which race predominantly on ovals. Road courses and ovals are 2 very different animals. Ovals can be run effectively on multiple lines, but on road courses, there is mostly just 1 effective racing line.
(and Iceman, sign me up for Lotus! I can change oil and I need a job!)
