F1 needs 'solution' to wet weather visibility problem
Oct.22 - Two Formula 1 drivers say the new 'ground effect' aerodynamic era has triggered an unexpected problem.
The new rules were designed to make the racing closer and the cars easier to overtake, but an unintended side-effect became very clear recently at Suzuka.
"We have to find a solution," Ferrari's Charles Leclerc told the Belgian broadcaster RTBF in Austin. "The weather alone would have allowed us to drive. If we were alone on the track, there would be no problem."
Brad Pitt and Charles Leclerc
"But the concern comes from the characteristics of the new cars. The floors have become very powerful. Suddenly, it sends all the water into the air and there is absolutely no visibility."
"Sometimes we can't even see the white line to the side of the car and yet it is one metre away from us. It's not driving anymore, it's just luck."
"It's a shame," Leclerc added, "because as I say the weather wasn't really the problem. It was just the visibility."
Mercedes' George Russell admits that the visibility problem in Japan was "huge", but he isn't 100 percent sure it is due to the ground effect alone.
"Hard to say," said the British driver. "Or maybe it's due to certain types of asphalt because sometimes there's a lot more spray than at other places.
"Obviously it's difficult to change things at this level, but we have to find a way."
One idea is that, when the FIA decides it is too dangerous to go racing, a period in which drivers can circulate safely to disperse the water could begin.
"I was quite surprised how quickly the standing water disappeared once we were racing," Russell said. "So maybe this is something to think about.
"We try to get rid of the water faster by doing some laps in the F1 cars."
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Circulating around would be impractical unless those laps counted towards race distance like any extra unplanned formation lap or refuelling was allowed for such a purpose.
An opportunity exists for engineering solution to design a machine that can remove a large proportion of standing water, after all there was a time when snow blowing machines didn't exist, its just needs an engineers solution-build cheap prototypes and so on , failing that lets all race in Sandland 24/7
Major airports around the world have extremely powerful blowers used to clear standing water from runways.
We have also seen the ride-on floor washers with big squeegee's and vacuum's - surely there are large squeegee / vacuum trucks that could clear a course in reasonably short order.
Another alternative designed by coating's engineers at a large paint company came up with a superhydrophobic repellent coating. A few thousand gallons of that twin-agent coating would surely be the answer.
Never mind that NOTHING will grow on soil touched by the product for the next 50 years - we'd at least be able to see our hero's banging around the course in the middle of a deluge, with no spray hindering their safe passage into the record books.
It's a race, not the Second Coming of Christ! Call the damn thing off. FFS.
Oops! I forgot - the oh-so-compliant Europeans that run the FIA, will opt for another binder full of stoopid regulations. For driving in rain.
Point of order ~ FIA's president is Mohammed Ahmad Sultan Ben Sulayem. He is Arabic and from UAE, not European!
And the newly appointed CEO of FIA is Natalie Robyn, an American appointed by Mohammed.
Those two are responsible for running the FIA, and neither are European.
Nothing compliant about this European hehehe, if we want a dozen Prime ministers in a month we get them.Boris to run the Fia I say...
If they just had some drier rain, that would be quite helpful. 😎
Or they could use narrow tyres the same width as bicycle tyres!
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