How fast COULD the cars go?

[Brown, Jon Brow]

In the BBC commentary I heard them discussing how fast the cars could go without any regulations.

Ant said that drivers would need fighter pilot style G-suits to cope with cars that would be conering at 300mph.

So how fast do reckon they could go if the designers were unrestricted with regards to ground effect, wings, streamlining, power, turbo's, electronic aids etc

One can only wonder at the incredible technologies we would see.

*exits dream mode*

[Knock-on]

In the BBC commentary I heard them discussing how fast the cars could go without any regulations.

Ant said that drivers would need fighter pilot style G-suits to cope with cars that would be conering at 300mph.

So how fast do reckon they could go if the designers were unrestricted with regards to ground effect, wings, streamlining, power, turbo's, electronic aids etc

One can only wonder at the incredible technologies we would see.

*exits dream mode*
I think they go quite fast enough already.

With silly speeds you will see less racing as it'd be almost impossible to safely overtake.

Less aero and technology = better racing.

How long is a piece of string?

Knock-On's right.....speed alone does not make motorsport.

[ioan]

How long is a piece of string?

Priceless! :D :up:

[Knock-on]

Knock-On's right.....speed alone does not make motorsport.

Unless you like Drag Racing :D

[V12]

How long is a piece of string?

Knock-On's right.....speed alone does not make motorsport.

Agreed but it would be a fascinating spectacle nevertheless, and I for one would pay to watch it.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

I think they go quite fast enough already.

With silly speeds you will see less racing as it'd be almost impossible to safely overtake.

Less aero and technology = better racing.

But I wasn't talking about improving the quality of racing, I was merely fantasizing about what is technically possible for a car to do and what people like Adrian Newey could create if they were just given a blank sheet of paper.

[V12]

I vaguely remember an article on this in Motor Sport magazine with Gordon Murray, was a few years ago and I don't have it to hand. They basically laid down the simple rules of maximum dimensions (to stop Jeremy Clarkson's idea of entering a Transit van with a modified rear section as wide as the track so that all the jet-propelled opposition burn out and retire when they come up to lap him :p : ), and the fact that it must be a car in the traditional sense of being a propelled vehicle running on wheels touching the ground (so no hovercraft lol)

What Murray basically came up with was a single seater version of a closed-roof LMP prototype (e.g. Peugeot 908), but with full underbody ground effects and powered by an unrestricted gas turbine engine. With enclosed wheels and bubble cockpit the aerodynamics were relatively simple, compared to the cluttered mess of 2008-style F1 cars for instance. This was a few years ago mind, but I think the general idea if discussed with someone like Murray or Newey today would be similar.

[woody2goody]

There was an article in F1 Racing in 2003 I think and they said that with no regs, Williams designed a 6 wheeled car (4 back, 2 front) that would in theory lap Silverstone 15-20 mph faster than an 03 car.

It had extended side pods that ended up making a long rectangle style rear section of the car. The rear wing was low and flat, mounted on the very back of this 'block' section. The front wing was very similar to an Indycar.

[ioan]

But I wasn't talking about improving the quality of racing, I was merely fantasizing about what is technically possible for a car to do and what people like Adrian Newey could create if they were just given a blank sheet of paper.

There are already "cars" that went as fast as sound, and with a blank sheet and lots of money + all these steps forward in materials and technologies research they can go even faster.
How fast? There is certainly a limit but it changes every day and it's difficult to guess such thing.

[Dave B]

There are already "cars" that went as fast as sound, and with a blank sheet and lots of money + all these steps forward in materials and technologies research they can go even faster.
How fast? There is certainly a limit but it changes every day and it's difficult to guess such thing.
Ah but don't forget that cars like Thrust SSC require a long straight run far in excess of anything found on the F1 calendar. I guess the original question means how fast could a hypothetical fanasty F1 car lap an existing circuit - corners and all.

[ioan]

Ah but don't forget that cars like Thrust SSC require a long straight run far in excess of anything found on the F1 calendar. I guess the original question means how fast could a hypothetical fanasty F1 car lap an existing circuit - corners and all.

I see, my bad.

That would sure be limited by:
1. Human resistance to high G-forces
2. Track layout
3. Tires (if they are strong enough to withstand the enormous solicitations than they will be to hard to provide enough grip)

I think that the limits of the human body would be the first to be reached, pressurized suits or not.

[jjanicke]

I agree with ioan. Actually think something like tires would be the weakest link and therefore limit how fast the rest of the technology/racer actually could go.

How fast? very tough to speculate.

With more and more regulation (smaller engines, less aero, spec tires, etc) today's cars will certainly be faster than last years cars within a few races, for sure before the end of the '09.