Quote:
Originally Posted by chapuza
Can anyone explain from a physics point of view the benefits of adding (unnecessary) weight?
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It's a fair point you raise - and one that sees both sides firmly entrenched in their own camps of ideas...
one the one hand, I can't help but think that the late great Colin Chapman would be turning in his grave at the thought of adding weight to make a race car more controllable.
But...
There's no denying that it works!
My own view on this is three fold.
1) As /tobys says - practice time at our UK national events is very limited and so people tend to stick with what they know and making quick(ish) changes to gain a setup that is workable from.
2) By and large, the tyres that we are all using (that characterize the grip probably more than anything else) were designed at a time when the cars ran at a weight of near 1700g - so perhaps the tyre works best at that weight???
3) Although I'm no dynamics or physics expert, adding weight to slow the reaction of the car down is something I can comprehend. Cars have become so powerful as we all know that just hanging on to them has become of critical importance here in the UK. Having a car that is ultra reactive may just be too difficult for most people to hang on to. Adding weight can slow down the reactiveness of a car which then makes it more controllable - similar to how you say that a slower motor may do but without losing out in straight line speed or punch to take a short run at a set of doubles etc.
In my own experience, everytime I've run a car near 1500g in 2WD, it is mega quick on a single lap but I can't hang on to it for 5 minutes. My reactions are simply not up to the task. I find myself adding weight as the grip comes up to make my car easier to drive (i.e. slower reacting). When the grip is lower, I find I can run less weight...
I'm not saying it's right or wrong - ultimately you create a setup that works for you based on tuning the myriad of variables at your disposal. Some people may prioritise weight over something else - but if the net result is improved lap times then is it wrong? I've tried to objectively test and I'm happy with the results and conclusions I'm drawing from it. Thus it gets logged in my databank of 'what to do when it's not quite working' - which is unique to me based on my driving style and my experiences. I suspect your databank is similarly unique based on your experiences.