I'm not sure that F1 didn't deliver some good overtaking in 2017. That results in a power to weight ratio of 0.85kW/kg. Add seven-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi to the mix at 67kg and the 2017 Yamaha tipped the scales at 224kg. DOWNFORCE – MOTOGP & FORMULA 1 COMPAREDĪ MotoGP bike is an impressive machine – in 2017 the bikes produced 170kW with a minimum weight of 157kg (without rider).

One way to get a feel for the impact of aero on an F1 car is to compare them to a MotoGP bike, which has very little in the way of aerodynamic downforce. Cornering speed is critical to lap time and this is significantly enhanced by aerodynamic downforce, in addition to mechanical grip. Somehow the drivers managed to drag those weighty 2017 beasts around the racetrack in record times last year. The power to weight ratio is a key factor in the performance of a grand prix car, but clearly it’s not the only thing that counts. So while the overall power generated by a 2017 Mercedes powertrain is 12 percent higher than the MP4/4 – 750kW to 670kW respectively – the power to weight ratio is actually 17 percent lower than what was achieved nearly 30 years ago. It is debatable whether faster lap times alone actually improve the F1 spectacle or the quality of wheel-to-wheel racing, but it was commonly agreed that the pinnacle of motorsport needed to be significantly quicker than other categories.Ī change was required – there was a need for speed. The pole time for the 2015 Spanish Grand Prix was nominated as a specific target reference. One overriding goal of these changes was to improve lap times by a full five seconds per lap. More powerful engines, fatter tyres, wider chassis, lower and larger rear wings – the cars re-acquired many of the characteristics associated with Formula 1 in the golden era of the 1970s and ’80s.

They came amid growing dissatisfaction among viewers with the direction F1 was taking in the hybrid era, while also acknowledging the significant improvements in driver safety that have been achieved over the years. The rule changes for the 2017 season were designed very much with the fans in mind. For this reason the FIA has on many occasions introduced rule changes designed to counter the inexorable rise in speed.īut 2017 was different. Greater speeds are certainly thrilling for fans, but they inevitably increase the risks faced by drivers in the event of an accident.

F1 average speed