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Added on the 14/09/2018 11:15:18 - Copyright : Auto Moto EN
A charter led the Scuderia Ferrari racing team from Austin to Mexico City on Monday morning. Just over two hours of flight to completely change horizon: from the plains of Texas to a megalopolis that, seen from the plane, never seems to end, with a crazy traffic and the police at every street corner. All around there are mountains, but it is hard to realize, especially when the sun heats, to be over 2200 meters above sea level. Two miles more than Austin.Elevation is a classic theme of the Mexican GP: it has always been the highest race in the world (the lowest of course is Baku, which is 28 meters below sea level). Air rarefaction, about 25 percent less, has an important effect on aerodynamics. Normally on this track we use a maximum level of downforce: but even so, the overall load is lower than that of Monza. For the engines the speech is a bit 'different, since the turbo compensates for the lower air density and therefore the relative loss of power.Like a week ago, even here the weather has some unknowns. During the weekend, storms are expected almost every day. But it is difficult for this to discourage the public, that since the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez has returned to the calendar has never failed to fill the stands on the day of the race.
"Suzuka, the most loved and imitated circuit. The fear of typhoon Trami - which unfortunately has done serious damage in Japan - has now passed. At Suzuka the days before the Grand Prix are full of bright sunshine and late summer temperatures. But the weather announces imminent rain, which could last, sometimes, until Saturday before qualifying. Most of the team arrived in Japan directly from Russia. It is always exciting to see how the Suzuka International Circuit comes alive day after day, as families who take the children to the big amusement park mingle with the fans of Formula 1, who are truly unique here for passion and inventiveness. If you ask a driver - and those of Scuderia Ferrari are no exception - to list his three favorite tracks, 99 percent will include the track created in 1962 by the Dutchman John Hugenholz to build a test track commissioned by Honda. It is actually a ""modular"" circuit, which can take advantage of different configurations and lengths depending on the type of race: but the track of the Grand Prix, with its 5,807 Km, is naturally the best known. A succession of breathless curves, including the upward double ""they"" that inspired more modern installations such as Austin. Few braking, top speed close to 330 Kmh despite not long straights, overtaking not easy but always busy riders. A ""rhythm"" track where a good aerodynamic balance is the key to being fast."
The hardest braking point on the Marina Bay Street Circuit is in front of turn 1. The driver has to slow down around 160 km/h over just 98 meters. The calculated brake energy involved is 1,932 kW. The driver is subjected to 4.8 g, while he pushes with 141 kg onto the brake.
"Summer’s not over yet, but the Formula 1 summer break of definitely is. Scuderia Ferrari went back to work in full swing this week and now its drivers, Seb Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, are preparing for the race weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, a track that everyone loves. Four-time Spa winner Kimi added: “I really like the layout of this circuit, driving here is great. I preferred the old part of the track , at the Bus stop chicane, but apart from that bit, the circuit hasn’t changed too much. This place always brings good racing, so it’s nice for us and also for the spectators. We’ll see what the weather holds; here it can change very quickly, it might rain in one place and the next corner it can be dry. We’ll need to adapt the best that we can. As any other race it’s a bit of an unknown where we are going to be against the others; we will find out over the weekend and especially on Sunday. We’ll keep doing the same job we have done so far and then we’ll see what the outcome is”. "
After an absence of two years, the Singapore Grand Prix is back, run as usual at the 5.063 kilometre-long Marina Bay circuit. As always since its inception in 2008, Sunday’s 61 lap race, equivalent to 308.706 kilometres will be run entirely at night. Singapore was the very first Formula 1 race to be run from start to finish under floodlights, with over 1700 of them around the track. Even though the sun has set, it is one of the toughest races of the season for drivers, engineers and mechanics because of the heat and high humidity, while the ever present threat of rain can make for unpredictability on track.Characteristics. The street circuit is very slow and twisty, with the unforgiving walls right up against the side of the track. A high aerodynamic downforce is the order of the day, but despite that, top speeds exceed 310 km/h, thanks in part to the DRS system which can be used at three points: on the main straight, between turns 5 and 7 and between 13 and 14.Critical points. The track is very hard on the braking system, given that the drivers hit the brake pedal for about 22 seconds per lap. On the other hand, engine power is less important, with drivers only spending 44% of the lap at full throttle, but the internal combustion engine still comes under significant stress because of heat and high humidity levels. Another key element is fuel consumption with drivers often being advised to “lift and coast”, getting off the throttle early, rather than braking hard, to avoid running out of fuel in the closing stages.
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