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View Full Version : Super Aguri fail new F1 crash test - forced to delay launch


Giuseppe F1
22nd January 2007, 19:21
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/56424

Super Aguri forced to delay launch

By Jonathan Noble Monday, January 22nd 2007, 17:36 GMT


Super Aguri have been forced to delay the launch of their 2007 car after failing the initial crash test with their new challenger, autosport.com has learned.

The SA07 is being manufactured out of Honda's R&D facility in Tochigi, but hopes of an first run early next month have been dashed because the monocoque failed the mandatory FIA crash test.

There was a chance the new car could have been launched at the first Bahrain test next month, but it is now looking likely that the car will only run for the first time in late February.

Super Aguri have set some impressive times in pre-season testing with their interim car, which bears a striking resemblance to Honda Racing's RA106.

The team are planning to run a development version of that car after Honda Japan obtained the intellectual property rights to the design.

Honda and Super Aguri will now set about working on modifications to the car so it will be strong enough to pass the crash test when it is submitted again.

Cars cannot race if they have not passed the tough FIA tests before the start of the season.
Valve Bounce
22nd January 2007, 22:26
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/56424


Super Aguri have set some impressive times in pre-season testing with their interim car, which bears a striking resemblance to Honda Racing's RA106.

The team are planning to run a development version of that car after Honda Japan obtained the intellectual property rights to the design.



I asked this guy who is very close to this team about the car, but he said if he told me about it, he'd have to kill me afterwards. :(
tinchote
22nd January 2007, 23:29
I loved the "which bears a striking resemblance to Honda Racing's RA106" :D
akv89
23rd January 2007, 01:53
How can anyone pass a crash test with Sato in the cockpit?
Valve Bounce
23rd January 2007, 03:39
How can anyone pass a crash test with Sato in the cockpit?


Heck Man!! They should be used to it by now! :p :
tinchote
23rd January 2007, 05:09
Now, talking about this seriously, it's weird, isn't it? You would assume that the engineers know their job and they can produce a car up to spec? :s
ratonmacias
23rd January 2007, 05:21
Now, talking about this seriously, it's weird, isn't it? You would assume that the engineers know their job and they can produce a car up to spec? :s


i dont think its weird with nothing to lose teams like them to make some bold moves in terms of engineering decisions.
tinchote
23rd January 2007, 12:36
i dont think its weird with nothing to lose teams like them to make some bold moves in terms of engineering decisions.

Well, if the "bold move" delayed their testing for a month, it didn't pay off, did it?
RJL25
23rd January 2007, 13:51
simply not good enough. Simulation software is good enough now that these things simply shouldn't happen anymore. Someone at super aguri has pushed the envelope too far and now there whole season is slightly delayed.

And seriously with sato in the car you'd think crash safety would be of some importance...
ioan
23rd January 2007, 15:01
It's just a move to demonstrate that they don't use the same chassis as Honda. I imagine the Honda chassis will pass the test at the first attempt, as will also the SA chassis at the next test.

As for loosing testing time, good joke, how much testing you believe they would have done anyway? I bet it will fit into the time they will still have left before the start of the season.
ratonmacias
23rd January 2007, 17:46
It's just a move to demonstrate that they don't use the same chassis as Honda. I imagine the Honda chassis will pass the test at the first attempt, as will also the SA chassis at the next test.

As for loosing testing time, good joke, how much testing you believe they would have done anyway? I bet it will fit into the time they will still have left before the start of the season.


i agree how much will they test anyway?
ArrowsFA1
23rd January 2007, 18:05
It's just a move to demonstrate that they don't use the same chassis as Honda.
You're an old cynic ioan :p
ioan
23rd January 2007, 19:07
i agree how much will they test anyway?

They don't care, Honda will give them the needed developments!


You're an old cynic ioan :p

You can't have both, either old or cynic! ;)
luvracin
23rd January 2007, 19:17
simply not good enough. Simulation software is good enough now that these things simply shouldn't happen anymore. Someone at super aguri has pushed the envelope too far and now there whole season is slightly delayed.

And seriously with sato in the car you'd think crash safety would be of some importance...


Speaking from personal experience. Simulation software is pretty good. It can predict problem areas, and make good A-to-B comparisons. But there is absolutely NO substitute for an actual test. And many times, the actual tests show a different result to simulation.

Remember how long it took Mclaren to get their car ready last year?? They too couldn't pass the crash tests.
ioan
23rd January 2007, 19:46
Speaking from personal experience. Simulation software is pretty good. It can predict problem areas, and make good A-to-B comparisons. But there is absolutely NO substitute for an actual test. And many times, the actual tests show a different result to simulation.

Simulation isn't 100% like in reality, but it can be more than 99% right if the right conditions are introduced.


Remember how long it took Mclaren to get their car ready last year?? They too couldn't pass the crash tests.

That's normal, they spent more time to develop that chromed paint than building a good chassis! :D
luvracin
23rd January 2007, 20:11
Simulation isn't 100% like in reality, but it can be more than 99% right if the right conditions are introduced.


Yeah, but in 99% of the cases the right conditions are NOT introduced. :p
ioan
23rd January 2007, 20:48
Yeah, but in 99% of the cases the right conditions are NOT introduced. :p

Well that doesn't mean that simulation tools aren't good only that the users are bad! ;)
Erki
23rd January 2007, 21:04
So they're using the same chassis that Button has crashed twenty million times?
truefan72
23rd January 2007, 21:21
that is interesting to know. But I am sure it will be rectified very soon.
I didn't know that McLaren failed their early tests last year
K-Pu
24th January 2007, 06:55
Well, thatīs nothing unusual, and if SA are losing a month or whatever redesingning the chassis itīs worse for them, but **** happens.

Anyway, failing crash tests to demonstrate theyīre not using Hondaīs chassis is a good idea... but I canīt think of an advantage of losing testing time when your chassis can pass the tests. Everybody thinks that their chassis is quite "Honda-like", so they donīt have the need of trying to make it look different. Everybody will think the same!
Hawkmoon
24th January 2007, 07:40
I think the 2007 crash tests are tougher than they were last year. I'm sure I read it somewhere.

So if Super Aguri just sent last years Honda for the test it would likely fail. Maybe they forgot to beef up the chasis they got from Honda before sending it for the test?
Ranger
24th January 2007, 07:48
Whether they passed the crash test or not, it isn't an issue too big if their Big Brother is a top-4 constructor, as Honda would easily just be able to send and supply them with the necessary parts and data anyway.
Valve Bounce
24th January 2007, 16:48
Don't worry, Super Glue will fix it. :p :
ChrisS
24th January 2007, 17:26
failing a crash test isn't really that uncommon and the people at SA shouldn't be blamed for it. Teams do fail the crash tests from time to time as they are always pushing to the limit of what is allowed

I think last years MP4-21 passed the crash tests early on but the MP4-18 failed the crash tests time and time again and as a result it never raced, and that car was designed by Adrian Newey and the people at McLaren that have years of experience

IIRC the Jaguar R4 also failed its first crash test
ClarkFan
25th January 2007, 03:22
Don't worry, Super Glue will fix it. :p :

No, Valve, Super Glue is too brittle and leaves the chassis vulnerable to fracture at the same point. The repair clearly requires duct tape. possibly a couple of rolls. Plus duct tape gives that nice "silver look" that McLaren was shooting for last year, but a much lower cost than Mac's paint job.

:D

ClarkFan
Hawkmoon
25th January 2007, 05:01
No, Valve, Super Glue is too brittle and leaves the chassis vulnerable to fracture at the same point. The repair clearly requires duct tape. possibly a couple of rolls. Plus duct tape gives that nice "silver look" that McLaren was shooting for last year, but a much lower cost than Mac's paint job.

:D

ClarkFan

Ofcourse! The miracle that is duct tape! This is the reason why Mercedes engines keep blowing up - not enough duct tape is used in the maunfacturing process. :D

Oh, and good to see you back mate. :up:
Valve Bounce
25th January 2007, 05:02
No, Valve, Super Glue is too brittle and leaves the chassis vulnerable to fracture at the same point. The repair clearly requires duct tape. possibly a couple of rolls. Plus duct tape gives that nice "silver look" that McLaren was shooting for last year, but a much lower cost than Mac's paint job.

:D

ClarkFan

Yeah! but I found that duct tape tends to go gooey, and makes one helluva mess as it starts to peel. How about Araldite? It will give the Macs that runny look. :p :
ClarkFan
26th January 2007, 03:06
Ofcourse! The miracle that is duct tape! This is the reason why Mercedes engines keep blowing up - not enough duct tape is used in the maunfacturing process. :D

Oh, and good to see you back mate. :up:

Never really went away - just got caught up in the day job (work - the curse of the drinking class) and a bit flummoxed by the new setup. With the new cars rolling out, getting fired up for a new and very interesting year.

ClarkFan