A1 cars require more skill than F1!

[Kiwi3]

...Yes it's true, according to Neel Jani (who should know, being Toro Rosso's Friday test driver during 2006).

"It's very hard to drive these cars, but this is a track I like.

"To be quick you have to find a way to slide these cars without losing time, it requires more skill to drive these cars than in F1." (source: Autosport.com)

I would have thought they would be a lot easier to drive. Being significantly slower the G-Force experienced must be a lot lower.

[outflat]

Originally Posted by Kiwi3

I would have thought they would be a lot easier to drive. Being significantly slower the G-Force experienced must be a lot lower.

The G-Force impacts on how physically "easy to drive" it would be, and clearly F1 will be harder that way.

But being able to make the car go quickly is a different matter.

[gravel_monkey]

well just remember the a1 is a proper race car (sort of) with no driver aids at all.

[Knowlesy]

You know, I was surprised. I fully expected Neel to say the A1 GP cars required a lower level of skill and to downplay his weekends achievements. I was shocked.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

F1 cars have dumbed down a bit in recent years, but an A1GP car has as been said no driver aids.
That means no traction control,
Mechanical gearshifts under driver and not computer control
No launch control
And as Germany showed today...no anti-stall for the pitstops.

So while the drivers may not be under the same physical G loading, they have so much more to concentrate on in order to get the best from the car.

[Adam43]

When have F1 cars been the most difficult cars to drive? Since 1950 this has rarely been the case. I hope no one is suggesting we should be surprised about this.

With vast differences between the cars in F1 it will aways be the car that first and foremost produces the lap times. In a spec. series it is harder to grab the advantage over the other guy (although set-up can go along way to do that).

[The Zuschauer]

Every car is difficult to drive fast, at the absolute limit. I don't see how you could say that a Formula One is easy to drive. There's a reason why the best-of-the-best are driving them.

It's a level of finesse, attitude, fitness, technical ability (and a whole host of other qualities) that make a Formula One driver excel.

If Schumacher (the fast one) or Alonso were to make the same comment as Jani, it would be more credible. Jani's F1 experience is somewhat limited, having only ever been involved in testing.

[Gt_R]

I agree with AdamAshmore in a way.

If anything, F1's position as the "pinnacle" of technology and motorsports is a burden as much as it is a advantage. A spec series such as A1GP can concentrate much on it's structure around entertainment, removing traction control, a very basic car which is simply is huge horsepower powering the rear wheels without aids. Nobody can improve it, as the car comes as it is, and the only thing is done to driver and engineers to get the best set up and go on with the race.

In that sense, it's natural the car is harder to drive. F1 on the otherhand has to balance the desire of fans, drivers and most importantly manufacturers who are keen to see all sorts of advances. An F1 car vs A1GP car is equivalent to comparing a Mclaren Mercedes SLR vs a Lotus Elise. Both are fast, both sporty.. but taking different routes. Still, an SLR is more expensive and at the higher "pinnacle".

It's interesting to watch drivers impress and slide around, controlling trottle and stuff. Sepang was great to watch, and Nico's ability to win by such a margin is really something to take ntoe of.

[Knowlesy]

I don't believe that it is any harder to drive an A1 GP car though. I think, really, it just calls on different skills.

No racing car is easy anyways.

[RotorFan]

You're excusing away F1 with your fancy philosophy - for me, it requires more brain power to control a car in the wet with no traction control than with. Yesyes?

[ISPL]

It is a red herring to talk about which car is (or maybe) more technically difficult to drive. Every formula has its oddities. Whatever the car and whatever the driver aids is irrelevant. The real question is what a driver and team can add to the performance of the car. A good driver and team should shine in any formula if they are able to find that extra 10% perfomance to bring to the car.

[ISPL]

As I'm now offically calssed as a 'Rookie' does that mean I can only comment on Friday free practice?

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by ISPL

As I'm now offically calssed as a 'Rookie' does that mean I can only comment on Friday free practice?

No not at all - the rest of us have commented on more than 6 races previously and therefore we are now no longer allowed to comment on Friday rookie practice.

Maybe

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by RotorFan

You're excusing away F1 with your fancy philosophy - for me, it requires more brain power to control a car in the wet with no traction control than with. Yesyes?

Sorry, but I am not, and never will excuse away F1.

I, like anyone else, would prefer to see less driver aids.

However, I have serious doubts that Neel Jani would jump into a Ferrari and suddenly find his life extremely easy.

[liamoohay]

lets put it this way:

if we have shuey and ferdie in the a1gp races they wouldn't neccessary shine with such clarity as they did in much superior cars as they had in f1. and certainly they wouldn't be sharing the wins in a1 between them and many drivers in a1 now have a better or equal chance than these 2.

i also think that playstation kids may be more adapt to driving a f1 car than a a1 car although they would still fail miserably in both.

[Rubinho]

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

...Mechanical gearshifts under driver and not computer control...

Actually the A1GP car has Zytek electronic paddle-shift. You were pretty much on the button with the other points though.

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by liamoohay

if we have shuey and ferdie in the a1gp races they wouldn't neccessary shine with such clarity as they did in much superior cars as they had in f1.

They would shine I suspect. And they'd make mincemeat of the A1 GP field, which is hardly an almighty throng.

Alonso may find it hard to beat the competition on foot, given Spain don't enter a car though.

[Frank_White]

I suspect that F1 is easy to drive up to a point and for the last 2.5-1 seconds its incredibly hard. just look at Mika's f1 test. It helps to consider that Mika was driving in the DTM for the last two years and yet he found it extremely difficult (read his interview on Autosport) to drive the McLaren.

Even Hamilton said in a recent interview that F1 cars are the hardest he's ever driven in terms of finding the limit.

To put this in further context, I'd wager that ANY active F1 drive could compete very very well in A1GP (even a F1 failure like Alex Yoong) but 95% of the A1GP field wouldn't be at all competitive in a F1 car.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Originally Posted by Rubinho

Actually the A1GP car has Zytek electronic paddle-shift. You were pretty much on the button with the other points though.

I knew the system was electro mechanical paddle shifts....the point I was making was more about approaching a corner in an F1 car an activating the computer system that knew how many gears it actually had to change down through (for any given corner) and did so in a way that prevented over-revving.
But as I also said the F1 cars have been dumbed down a bit, and that system isn't in operation in quite that way anymore.

[strider]

Going back to what Neil Jani said originally, part of it was that it had taken him time to adapt afresh to A1GP after his F1 testing. He said that was why he had not been on the pace straightaway in Beijing. Actually it would have been a miracle if he had been, considering the circuit and the absence of pre-race testing!

As the F1 tyres are harder for next year and the cars slide more at the moment, maybe the difference won't be so great in future, although I expect the F1 boffins will soon get a handle on the tyres and make things better.