• @[email protected]
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    2311 months ago

    Massive F1 fan here.

    It’s more of an engineering sport than a driving sport. Don’t get me wrong– the drivers are absolutely top notch and do an incredible job and it’s entertaining to watch. But since it’s sooooo engineering and development based, you cars that perform different on different tracks (cuz of elevation, temperature, track design, surface).

    It’s pretty neat; worth a watch sometime!

    • @[email protected]
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      711 months ago

      This is like the argument that football is exciting because it’s a highly strategic sport: the most interesting and exciting things about it are happening on the sidelines in the coaches’ heads while 40% of the time nothing is happening on the field.

      So if the most exciting part of the race is the engineering that went into the car, then what’s the point of watching the race? You’d be probably be more interested watching Bill Nye.

    • @[email protected]
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      111 months ago

      I know I don’t have the skills to drive one (at least not yet lol) but those things are engineering marvels.

      I’ve always wanted to see one invert at speed to see if their downforce really is enough.

      I can’t imagine all the materials sciences that go on behind the scenes.

      • @[email protected]
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        211 months ago

        Driver61 on YouTube is trying to do that exact thing! He’s still in the planning stages but it’s exciting

      • @[email protected]
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        111 months ago

        So much cool matsci!

        The exhaust is no longer titanium (it’s inconel) because they 3D print the complicated bits of it now instead of traditional forming techniques

      • @[email protected]
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        111 months ago

        I’m not sure what you’re referring to but not at all! It’s the inverse of a “spec series” (which still benefit greatly from engineering) where you get handed parts to use. Teams can design the vast majority of parts themselves and do

          • @[email protected]
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            211 months ago

            There are a bunch of restrictions in F1, which largely make it harder to make fast cars. But think of it the other way around: Those restrictions make the engineering harder, and all teams have the same restrictions. That means you have to optimise even more within the limitations you have, because you’re not allowed to make some of the “easy” optimisations like cutting weight by removing the roll cage.