4 replies to this topic

[Ray Bell]

As one looks back over the past three decades of F1 (more or less since aerodynamics came into play) we see so many "blind alleys" in development.
Why do these otherwise intelligent men tend to chase each other down these paths - until, of course, they realise that the road's turning to gravel and they're losing traction?
Sure, there have been a couple of worthy pursuits, like skirts and ground effect. But there have been the other showy things like the six wheeler Tyrrell (was not the Williams/Ferrari/March (?) idea better with two pairs of front wheels at the back?) which nobody else raced.
Time-wasting tangents in a business patently looking to save time and not go off on tangents. High airboxes, low airboxes, all sorts of things that come and go, all teams adopting and using them for a time before they are simply dropped.
Of course, some are dropped because of changing regulations, but not many.
I guess we can all be thankful those crazy mirror winglets didn't start a new trend!

[Dennis David]

Remember Miller with his front-wheel drive race cars. These were supposed to be specially suited for racing on high speed ovals.

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Dennis David
Yahoo = dennis_a_david

Life is racing, the rest is waiting

Grand Prix History
www.ddavid.com/formula1/

[davo]

Ray,

I to am glad that the winglets blind alley was closed off early. They were excedingly ugly!

I quite like the various 6 wheel and 4wd F1s that have made an appearance, either in development or racing. The Tyrell did at least race and even had a win (? Sweden ?) didn't it? As I understand it the special front tyres were never suject to on-going development and the advantage in terms of drag disappeared with time. The std fronts being the subject of continuous development along with the common rears.

The blind alleys do sometimes lead somewhere. Gordon Murray's low line Brabham was a dog. No traction (less weight transfer due to low CofG), no pick up out of turns (oil scavenge) but great top end (highest top speed at Austria). Murray took the design with him to McLaren and designed a fairly (!) good vehicle with a similar front half there.

Other than the Tyrrell have any 6 Wheelers actually raced? And did anyone other than Hewland (?) develop 4wd?

The low line Brabham (Unsure of model number BT54?) seems to have been largely ignored by model builders and web site owners. Does anyone have any knowledge of either?

[Ray Bell]

It's not the one-marque blind alleys that appal me, but the ones that are diligently followed by each team and then are abandoned wholesale.
Like the Cosworth years, when no other engine was considered. It's not that there was an option, of course, just the sameness achieved.

[Ray Bell]

I just thought of one that could have been interesting - the Honda V8 that Schlesser drove at Rouen in 1968. A very different motor car.