FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[xkv]

Just wondering whether the rules allow for the cars weight to be adjusted down if a team is not using KERS.

[Jensonb]

Just wondering whether the rules allow for the cars weight to be adjusted down if a team is not using KERS.

They do not. Because that would be massively unfair.

[scotty]

Just wondering whether the rules allow for the cars weight to be adjusted down if a team is not using KERS.

Nope, otherwise everyone would probably not bother running KERS and have the weight advantage. You see, KERS provides a power boost, but it's at the expense of taking up space in the car, providing cooling issues, and messing with the cars' ideal ballast placement. The weight limit was raised to encourage teams to run KERS, and lessen the effect of these aforementioned drawbacks of running it.

[texasmr2]

A minimum weight is set so I believe if a car is not using kers they still must meet a minimum weight AFTER the race, thats where the ballast come into play if I'm not mistaken?

[myownalias]

A minimum weight is set so I believe if a car is not using kers they still must meet a minimum weight AFTER the race, thats where the ballast come into play if I'm not mistaken?

In addition; if a team is not using KERS; the team must position the replacement ballast at +/-1% of the position where KERS would be located so the weight is not moveable for better balance!

[xkv]

A minimum weight is set so I believe if a car is not using kers they still must meet a minimum weight AFTER the race, thats where the ballast come into play if I'm not mistaken?

That's interesting as it means cars not using KERS suffer a disadvantage but makes me wonder why RB didn't use KERS in Australia. One benefit of not using KERS is that you save yourself from another point of failure and the negative consequences that has on the performance of the car.

Also curious about the benefit of using KERS versus carrying the increased weight - does it balance out or does the additional BHP outweight the drag of carrying the extra load.

Thanks.

[bigpat]

All cars must weigh the same, 640 kg.

A non KERS car will have a lower centre of gravity than a car with it. The batteries and motor, and cooling itself takes up vertical as well as horizontal space in the car. Opting not to run KERS allows you to run a nice flat slab of tungsten nice and low in the car. Lower the C of G, and you increase the cornering potential of the car, simple. In Melbourne this was worth more to Red Bull in lap time than KERS.

It is well known that one of the RB7's design strengths is its tight packaging.The KERS system is said to be quite critical in terms of packaging and cooling. This may cause issues in the Malaysian heat, where one would think the track characteristics will make KERS mandatory.

I think you will see KERS come and go during the season, depending on the circuit......

[xkv]

Thanks - that's a good insight!

[The_Stig_Money]

I was thinking the same thing about RBR, all the top teams meet the min. weight (with or with out KERS)

if they use a small KERS system they can use that as ballast and then still use the regular ballast.

or they could have it in the car but completly "disconnected", hence no use of KERS and Vettel: "i could not find the button" JK

[xkv]

IIRC, one of the commentators on BBC said RBR were using a smaller KERS system and mainly for their starts which if true is quite smart.

[Jensonb]

IIRC, one of the commentators on BBC said RBR were using a smaller KERS system and mainly for their starts which if true is quite smart.

Turns out they just weren't running it for reliability reasons.

[vlad]

That's just astory for the media... We all know they did it because in Australia the didn't need it, they were fast enough, and there is no large straights in Melbourne.

[vaptin]

That's just astory for the media... We all know they did it because in Australia the didn't need it, they were fast enough, and there is no large straights in Melbourne.

How do we all know that?

[Hammer278]

That's just astory for the media... We all know they did it because in Australia the didn't need it, they were fast enough, and there is no large straights in Melbourne.

Err yeah, too bad Christian Horner disagrees with you.

[vlad]

Two seasons ago they weren't running with KERS. And they were damn fast, so they know how to adjust the car without it better than with it.