[WEC Race] Sao Paulo 6 Hours 2012

[TF110]

So the track being 4.309 kilometers with Toyota doing 35 laps on average lets say, equates to them doing 150.8 km per stint. Compared to Silverstone's track being 5.891 kilometers and Toyota doing 23 laps on average lets say, equates to them doing 135.4 km per stint. That's an 11.3% increase in fuel economy.

Now the speed at Silverstone per stint, the Toyota was up by 10.1 second over the #1 Audi by it's first pit stop on lap 22 with a total time of 39 minutes. With a 23 lap stint covering about 40:50.0 for it's second run, it was up 18.206 seconds over the #1. So on average for the first 22 laps or 39 minutes the Toyota had an average time of 1:46.36 per lap 1st stint. Their 2nd stint came out to be on average of 1:46.52 per lap 2nd stint. So their first 45 laps came on average of 1:47.7 including the pit stop.

Audi's first 22 laps came out to be an average of 1:46.81 per lap. On lap 45 with the gap to Audi at 18.206 seconds so the average lap including the pit stop for Audi up to lap 45 was 1:48.4.

So a .64% difference in their average times for the first hour and 20 minutes at Silverstone.

Now at Interlagos, Toyota's first pit stop came on lap 33, 46:27.0 into the race. At the end of lap 32 they had a lead of 10.284 seconds on the #1 Audi. So taking away lap 33 from both teams, leads Toyota with a total time of 44:55.231 from 32 laps or an average of about 1:24 per lap to Audi's 1:24.5 per lap. About .59% difference.

In all Toyota seems to have lost no speed advantage over Audi (a miniscule .05% loss), but definitely gained (11%) in fuel efficiency.

[MJones94]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

The program is running with a restricted budget, so there are no resources to implement big updates (to engine, hybrid system, ...) this late in the season. Toyota explicitely said that they have not changed the car since Le Mans except for the higher downforce aero package.

The better fuel consumption is just a result of the track layout and an improved strategy (deciding when to run the engine and hybrid system in which setting, asking the drivers to save fuel, ...).

I heard that Toyota had supposedly spent a total of $50m since the creation of the TS030 on the Drive network on Youtube. This was during their Le Mans coverage, so a good 3 months ago. Is that considered a restricted budget in factory P1 terms then?

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by MJones94

I heard that Toyota had supposedly spent a total of $50m since the creation of the TS030 on the Drive network on Youtube. This was during their Le Mans coverage, so a good 3 months ago. Is that considered a restricted budget in factory P1 terms then?

I believe Peugeot had a 150 million euro budget to cover the first 3 year of their programme, so 50 million euros per year.

[Rennen]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Another 80 kg saved ..... you sure Lapierre-Wurz were actually in the car at all ?

Davidson weighs 55kgs ('suited & booted') probably less than the Super-capacitor...hope TMG are allowed to race their new spare car at the final round? Please!...I'm getting bored watching all the others having fun!

[Simmi]

Have to agree let's get the Super CapacANTor re-installed.

[Graham Goodwin]

Originally Posted by TF110

In all Toyota seems to have lost no speed advantage over Audi (a miniscule .05% loss), but definitely gained (11%) in fuel efficiency.

Not exactly - Yopu missed out the strategy part - Toyota ran a VERY conservative fuel strategy at Silverstone, and always had more than a lap of fuel left in the tank - That accounts for a fair chunk of their improvement.

[Flo aus N]

Tha Advantage of an Hybrid System will be huge in Bahrain. Due to that, Audi Sport released a message, that they will bring 2 Etron to Bahrain.

[TF110]

Originally Posted by Graham Goodwin

Not exactly - Yopu missed out the strategy part - Toyota ran a VERY conservative fuel strategy at Silverstone, and always had more than a lap of fuel left in the tank - That accounts for a fair chunk of their improvement.

So they purposely short pit at Silverstone? Is that what you're saying by playing it safe? My calculations aren't exact. I'm just going by the information available to all of us. So the % increase is just race by race.

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by TF110

So they purposely short pit at Silverstone? Is that what you're saying by playing it safe?

The interview with Pascal Vasselon is freely available on DSC.

Certainly at Silverstone our fuel strategy was based on securing a finish so we held plenty in reserve, we never fuelled the car on the limit, we always had a lap of fuel in hand.

[Mal]

Clearly they were setting Audi up at Silverstone ready for the Brazil round - clever stuff but it will only work once..... unless they still have more in reserve??

[TF110]

I read that, thanks. Still though, a lap of fuel wouldn't have made any difference. And anyone can do the calculations, but for Toyota to have made an 11% increase in those two weeks doesn't just come down to being conservative at Silverstone IMO. Correct me if I'm wrong! But even at 1 lap further at Silverstone would be around 7% shorter stints than in Brazil. If they were able to do 2 further laps at Silverstone the increase would be around 2% per stint.

[pedrocor]

Well, fuel consumption disadvantage at Interlagos was roughly the same as Le Mans.

35 laps to 38 laps (~-7,9%) - 3 laps -> 12,9 km
11 laps to 12 laps (~-8,3%) - 1 lap -> 13,6 km

The main problem to Audi were the tires, to double stint them they should be able to put 2*38 laps on them, but only #1 did once 78 laps but with 3 laps under Safety Car. In normal race pace, only managed 73-74 laps tops. That and a problem with the first set for #1 (only 65 laps) cost 1 extra stop at the end of the race.

In other hand, with KERS limited use to excess of 120km/h for Audi meant it was very little used on the slow back of the circuit, while the rear orientated Toyota KERS' maybe helped their fuel consumption exiting slow corners.

[Victor_RO]

Any update as to when Larbre's appeal concerning their disqualification will be heard?

[GTfour]

Originally Posted by Rennen

Davidson weighs 55kgs ('suited & booted') probably less than the Super-capacitor...