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[Selcouth_Feline]

As you all seem to like random trivia so much, and I'm pretty useless at the 'what race' trivia, I thought I'd post something a little more technical I actually only learnt this fact today....

We're all used to seeing drivers 'weaving' their cars behind the pace car to keep their tyres warm. I always thought this was to keep the tyres at optimum temps so the drivers could get maximum grip. However, there is a second important reason to the weaving. What is it?

[bud]

Brakes up to temp? engine up to temp? to have fun? hehe

[Selcouth_Feline]

Brakes up to temp?

Err, yes, I forgot about that!! Not the answer I was thinking of though

[Irv the Swerve]

Make sure that the steering wheel is working!?

No wait, is it to check you have a puncture because i saw MSC at Brazil and after he thought he might have had another puncture so he went left right and left again to check.

[Marco]

Not sure, can we have a clue?

[darwin dali]

To make sure the driver's brain (if present) is still attached inside the skull?

[Stephen]

I give up, can we have an answer?

[darwin dali]

Weaving in case of GF? To work on his basket case

[Selcouth_Feline]

Weaving in case of GF? To work on his basket case

LOL

Actually, having re-read what I wrote, I think I phrased the question a bit badly.....
Anyway...the answer was to stop suspension damage.

As gas heats up, it increases in volume, and as it cools it decreases in volume. Cars are designed to run with their tyres at particular temperatures - so the suspension etc is setup for this optimum. They need to keep their tyres warm to keep the gas volumes in the tyres up. If the volume decreases too much, the car ride height drops and this can cause the suspension to bottom out which can cause damage to both the suspension and the bottom of the car.

[Irv the Swerve]

Very interesting.

[F1_Freak]

Could they also be trying to rub the tires in, at least on the first lap? I know that normal unscrubbed tires can be a tiny bit slower than scrubbed-in ones...at least in the race.

[Marco]

Could they also be trying to rub the tires in, at least on the first lap? I know that normal unscrubbed tires can be a tiny bit slower than scrubbed-in ones...at least in the race.

That's a good point F1Freak. But did I hear that the teams can now treat the tyres pre-race and effectively scrub tyres before they get on track?

BTW welcome to the board F1Freak.

[madbrad]

Nitrogen doesn't expand and contract nearly as much as air, which is why they use it, but it does enough to be concerned in the micron size tolerances built into the ride heights, It was exactly that issue that killed Senna.

However I was gonna guess scrubbing the tires. the weaving means you actually traveled a farther distance in the lap than if you'd driven straight. hey that's another reason - to burn off fuel! LOL

Seriously I thought this thread was gonna be about the other kind of weaving - during the race when some imputent opponent has the gall to go after your position!