Are A1GP Cars Quick Enough?

[mbathshah]

Just noticed that Kovalainen in a GP2 car set a new GP2 record at Paul Ricard of 1.14 on slick tyres. Scott Speed set a time of 1.24 in the August test in the USA A1 Car. Seems that these cars are not that quick even compared to GP never mind F1. Any thoughts?

[Ian Sowman]

I'd say speed is largely irrelevant.

[dazbaz_99]

Lack of straightline speed is made up for by the low downforce and slick tyres producing close and exciting racing, they may look slow compared to F1 but they certainly arent slow. I think the spectacle the cars produce is far more important than them toucing 180-200mph. Perhaps we will see performance increases as the series develops. Im sure the rules & regs wont stay like they are year in year out.

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by dazbaz_99

Lack of straightline speed is made up for by the low downforce and slick tyres producing close and exciting racing, they may look slow compared to F1 but they certainly arent slow. I think the spectacle the cars produce is far more important than them toucing 180-200mph. Perhaps we will see performance increases as the series develops. Im sure the rules & regs wont stay like they are year in year out.

That's a great summary, i agree. Only thing i would add is that they could make them look a bit tidier!

[SALEEN S7R]

Personally id like to see the cars have a bit more top end, watching them on TV you can clearly see a differnce between them and the GP2 cars on straight line speed. Im not saying that the cars are slow, because they arent, they do however lack that "wow" factor IMO, which GP2 does have. IMO.

GP2 will be even faster in 2006 too, as reported in Autosport Magazine this week when Kovalinen recently tested the revised GP2 car, with Bridgestone slicks the car was around 2 seconds a lap quicker than the fastest time Piquet JR set at the recent test at Paul Ricard.

That means that GP2 cars will be what, 5 seconds or so a lap faster than a A1 GP car in 2006?

[ss_collins]

From what I have heard whilst its all well and good reading AS reports on some tyre testing - it is unlikely that the proposals will happen and the cars will be little changed for 06. AS seems to make a lot of assumptions and hope they are right, which in my situation we simply cannot and must not do. I have been chatting with some senior GP2 types recently and they seem to feel that the new package won't happen.

[JohnMiller]

Was it the same track layout at Ricard then??

[NikkiM]

i think the cars are quick enough for the first season, i am pretty sure they can easily increase the power output of the Zytek, the car for sure can take up to 600bhp i would guess, and of course the tyres can be developed.

The A1 management are pretty dynamic,they will i am sure be watching how this first season goes,see how the drivers develop etc.

[Kicking-back]

It was not the same track layout at Paul Ricard - one has to be very careful of that before determining car speeds.

Some fool on another forum looked at the Germany round and tried to claim A1GP cars were 15s a lap slower than the DTM! (He'd overlooked the fact that the touring cars used a layout which was about 1km shorter!)

I think the A1GP cars are about the right speed, given the mix of experience among the drivers

[Go-Pakistan]

It doesn't matter that the cars are not as quick as GP2. A1GP is a different series! They seemed plenty quick enough going round Brands Hatch.

[Steevp]

I'd say the car is too fast for 50% of the drivers in A1GP.

I was really looking forward to A1, but I find my interest waning as it becomes obvious that the cars may be equal but the drivers are totally mismatched.

Now they've fixed the wheel nut problem (They say) I fear we may be seeing the same 3 or 4 drivers at the front every race.

[mbathshah]

Originally Posted by Steevp

I'd say the car is too fast for 50% of the drivers in A1GP.

That is a very interesting comment. Sadly I would have to agree with it.

[Adam43]

The absolute speed of an A1GP car is irrelevant.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

John Watson was quoting 160 miles per hour on some of the in-field straights at Lausitz, this from exiting a the previous corner without the aid of traction control and computers automatically changing up through the gearbox at the perfect moment.

That sounds perfectly fast enough to me.

[Mr Jinxx]

It's a tricky balance. People who want speed for speeds sake. People who want racing at the edge of a car's high-performance envelope. Easy to increase basic speed - up engine power.

I like the idea personally of A1's concept of picking a high-end formaula and making it work. Once it works, then, if need be, increase engine power, keep everything else the same ... that will increase braking distances, enhance the need for drivers, without aids, to control the cars on exit, all good stuff. Depends what the crowd want, commensurate with safety considerations. I suspect that most people cant' tell the difference between 160mph and 170mph.

[Mr Jinxx]

I wish I could spell/punctuate properly after a bathtubfull of wine, on this, my birthday

[Mr Jinxx]

(I don't recall getting a card from you gits!)

[bocster]

as far as i know the cars an engines are delevoped to get another 50+ horsepower.they will increase it when they are sure they cars and drivers can handle it

[Kiwi3]

Thank you paddockman! Are Jani and Premat mismatched? No! Kerr and Jani? No! Is this some of the best racing I have ever seen? Yes!

Sure Premat, Jani etc are mismatched compared with Teng and Shaaban for example, but there is more than enough thrilling dices in an A1 race to keep me on the edge of my seat. I don't know where some of you guys are coming from. There are leaders at tail-enders in any series. I don't remember Mathius Lauda troubling the leaders in GP2 either, and is a Toro Rosso or MF1 driver going to be challenging for a podium next year?

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally Posted by Kiwi3

Is this some of the best racing I have ever seen? Yes!

Just wondering, but have you ever seen a GP2 race? The racing there is every bit as good as what you find in A1 GP and the cars are 2-3 secs a lap faster. The racing in A1 GP is great I admit, but IMO there are lots of other series out there that have racing which is just as close.

[Kiwi3]

No I have not seen a GP2 race unfortunately, I would love to. I wouldn't notice a 2-3sec difference though and I don't think many spectators would.

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally Posted by Kiwi3

No I have not seen a GP2 race unfortunately, I would love to. I wouldn't notice a 2-3sec difference though and I don't think many spectators would.

2-3 secs at Sepang, 4-5 at a high speed track like Monza. I think lots of people would notice the differnce at Sepang, depending where abouts on the track you are, on the 2 main straights A1 GP cars were doing around 175mph, GP2 would be around 185mph-190mph. The cars are fine in every respect IMO, apart from their top speed.

[I love 04s]

Thought I would add a little to this.

Firstly, the Zytek 3.4l in the A1 is basically identical, the speed is not lost there. Do not forget that a Sportscar is far more efficient aerodynamically in a straight line due to the closed in wheels - in an open wheeled car the wheels are spinning against the flow of the wind and they are not exactly aerodynamic themselves - nor are the exposed wishbones etc.

Secondly the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans is far longer than the straight at Sepang - far longer!!

Thirdly tell Hayanari Shimoda that the cars are not fast enough after his crash in Sepang. Make the cars faster and they are more dangerous.

PS. Speaking of Hayanari - 7th fastest in GP2 test today at P.R. HTTT- not bad going!

[Andrew Kitson]

Happy birthday Mr.Jinxx - hic!
The speediest thing A1-GP need to do in the UK is get the TV coverage on terrestrial TV, highlights if necessary and in news reports. There are still a great number of households without Sky and no chance of seeing it, even at the pub when races take place in non-UK friendly timezones or when there is a football match on the other Sky channels. The mainstream media blurted out that it will be the 'new' F1 around the time of the Brands race, yet I bet they will not announce the winners of future races on the news as they do with F1. The biggest news to them typically was the car rolling at Paddock.

[maltafan]

I think the worst thing in A1 is presently the wheel nut problem and I hope that in Estoril, teams will not have this problem. In my opinion, A1 tried to do what F1 presently does not have ie, overtaking, sprint race, scores for pole position sitter and fastest lap and the 1 mechanic per wheel system. On the other hand they lack speed and it is something that all motorsports lovers love and miss in A1.