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FINDING THE LIMIT Contrary to popular belief, as drivers approach the limit and the tires come under ever-increasing stress, the fact that the tires are reaching the limit of grip can actually be felt and therefore responded to accordingly. During high speed cornering, so much stress builds up in the tire that the area in contact with the road becomes stretched like a piece of elastic. This has the effect of pulling the remainder of the tire (and the car) sideways. This happens despite the fact that the tire itself is not actually sliding. The angle between the direction in which the tire is traveling and the direction it is pointing is commonly referred to as the 'slip angle'. In F1 Challenge ?99-?02, the effects of slip angle cannot be felt, but are instead relayed to you through audio. As the tires begin to screech in the corners, they are beginning to be stretched and are either at (or very near to) their limit of grip.
Tip: If you never hear the tires screech, you?re not pushing hard enough! RACING LINES The main objective of a racing driver is to win. To do that, the driver has to be able to drive a car quickly around a circuit by taking the ?Racing Line?. Each corner, chicane and even straight has a particular line each driver should follow to achieve the optimum lap time. Detailed below are the most common types of corners found in F1™ today, and the racing line suited to each.
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1. FAST CORNER |
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By its nature, a fast corner will be shallow. It is important to turn in early and smoothly, as dramatic changes of direction will lead to a catastrophic spin. The objective is to carry your speed into and all the way through the corner.
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2. 90-DEGREE CORNER
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The apex of a 90-degree corner is right in the centre. Approach the bend on the outside of the track, brake early, head for the apex and feed the throttle to the exit.
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3. THE 'S' BEND or CHICANE |
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The line through a chicane is dictated by whether it comes before or after a long straight. If it follows a long straight, brake late and carry your speed into the corner, sacrificing your exit speed, which is less important. If it precedes a long straight, brake early and sacrifice your entrance speed so that you can get on the power earlier and make a fast exit.
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4. HAIRPIN |
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Brake in a straight line, keeping to the outside of the track on the approach. Turn in late, sacrificing entry speed for the chance of getting on the power early for a fast exit. Remember that the fastest line in qualifying may not be the best line in a race when you may be closely followed by a rival. Under these circumstances you must protect your position by remaining on the inside whilst approaching the hairpin.
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5. DOUBLE-APEX CORNER |
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A double apex corner usually exists where there is a short straight between two corners. Although they appear to be two corners, this type of layout should be treated as one corner by running wide in mid-corner. This technique will allow you to get the power down earlier for the best possible exit.
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6. CONSTANT RADIUS CORNER |
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Position yourself on the outside approaching the corner and turn in early. Follow the inside of the corner, creating a long apex, and accelerate out. The steering wheel should be held in one position from entry to exit because the curve of the corner as its name suggests, remains constant.
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7. OPENING CORNER |
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At an opening corner, go to the apex early and allow the car to run wide as you feed in the power towards the exit. The shallower angle of the exit phase should allow you to accelerate earlier on the exit and carry more speed through it. order to increase the amount of weight transfer to the front under braking, which in turn helps prevent the front wheels from locking up during braking. Finally, you might use extra wing and slightly longer gear ratios to gain more grip and reduce the chance of wheel spin when accelerating.
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8. TIGHTENING CORNER |
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On a tightening corner, turn in late and go to the apex extremely late. Brake very briefly just before reaching the apex and then put the power down for a good clean exit.
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F1 FORMULA 1 (& device), FIA FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (& device),
FORMULA ONE, FORMULA 1, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
and translations thereof are trademarks of
Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula One Group Company.
Licensed by Formula One Administration Limited, a Formula One Group Company.
All rights reserved. |
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