Take Aways
- Cadillac are pinged after recent strong races.
- Most adjustments are in line with recent performance and methodology used.
- Recent performance would suggest that Toyota should get a bigger adjustment.
- Are they, and for opposite reasons, Aston and Peugeot at the limits of what can be done? Is this driving the reason for a major update?
- When comparing historical performance it is assumed that the last two dry races (São Paulo and Fuji) were used.
- This was the best correlation for Power to Weight seen in so far.
- There is lower correlation with top speed and high speed power, but it is obvious that overall pace has been prioritised and there is, as normal, several dimensions playing off each other.
Comments, corrections, and suggestions welcome. At the very least contribute to the proof reading as the editor has gone missing.
Recent Performance
If you need reminding here is the performance from the last three dry races:
Round 7, Fuji: Cadillac has the pace, again
Then Peugeot and Porsche, well the Penske ones.
Round 5, Sao Paulo: Cadillac had the pace1.
Then Porsche. Super close with others. Toyota bottom of the pile.
Round 3, Spa: Ferrari were the pace setters.2
The gap was smaller in the race, with Alpine close. Aston Martin still feels like a new car.
Power:Weight
How are the watts per gram?! There is strong correlation with recent performance.
As such Cadillac is hit the hardest, Porsche and Alpine unsurprisingly a little too. There is some relaxing of the Toyota and Ferrari adjustments we’ve seen of late.
Aston and Peugeot remain on the extreme with most help. Peugeot showed some decent pace so they gain a bit.
Comparison to the last two races.
The best correlation was between the BoP changes and the two last races. There is an even better correlation with the last three.
The last three dry races (adding Spa) and the best two of those three were reviewed. There was decent correlation with all, but last two was best so that is shown.
Is this driving the reason for a major update?
If you lie above the line you have done better than the model, if below worse. Everyone is pretty close. Differences could be down to the simplicity and lack of rigour applied in removing outlier laps etc…
Toyota lie below the line, indicating that recent performance would suggest that Toyota should get a bigger positive adjustment. Is the ability to do this hindered by the nature of the car and the need to keep certain aspects of performance within certain criteria (top speed, acceleration, low and high speed cornering?). That would be a shame, but there is a push in some quarters to minimize differences in to speed, acceleration, or other characteristics. People struggle with variety.
Weight
I will let the chart speak for itself, but looking at this and the power we can see adjustments which have been chosen to influence the performance and which compliment and which offset. Many move in the same direction this time, BMW being the exception.
Power <250kph
This is what has really driven the Cadillac change, and it is important to consider the high speed power adjustment for that car. As we say with the adjustments from COTA to Fuji there could be some circuit consideration here.
Power >250kph
Some offsetting here.
The French grouping remains, but the others are a little more mixed now. Toyota still needs help.
Comparison to previous two races
There is less correlation here, but we might need to be considering the track differences from Fuji to Bahrain (and COTA), or just the power and weight changes above.
Cadillac needed slowing overall, but that risked top speed so that is compensated.
Long Term Tables/Charts
For reference here are the BoP tables for power and weight going back to the beginning of time.
Replenishment Rate
Yes, still 40 seconds in total.