Monaco will feel “smaller” in 2022 F1 cars – Magnussen

14 comments on “Monaco will feel “smaller” in 2022 F1 cars – Magnussen”

1. 

   Red Pill (@redpill)
   27th May 2022, 1:47

   Of course Mags and the other drivers would think that. F1 chassis spec’s have left behind the older city (dare I say upscale village) narrow roads in the dust. The chassis’s are 2m wide, now the same overall length of an entire Ford F-150 pickup (or longer?) and have now become much heavier. They’re literally truck size, trying to whip around Monaco.
   I’m guessing any opportunities that were once available to pass are no longer as viable. The longer chassis’s make it harder to take sharper radius turns, or trying to fit into open slots and the now heavier cars make it harder to take any opportunity to pass and brake. Then add the shiny new aero package that’s much more stable when hugging the (smooth) ground; with Monaco’s older bumpy city street’s, that will make the aero package way more unstable, hence harder to act on opportunities causing hold back and parades.

   So yeah, I can understand his sentiments. I think the car size & weight of the mid 90’s chassis was a much better fit for Monaco but this days are over.

   I do hope the race is successful and the winner wins on merit and not because of some silly shunts and yellow flags. Lets keep everyone on the track while still racing hard. I think Saturday is going to be best part of the weekend and Sunday will be a parade or lots of yellows but I hope I’m wrong.
   1. 

      amian
      27th May 2022, 7:42

      “The chassis’s are 2m wide, now the same overall length of an entire Ford F-150 pickup”

      Just to make sure you realize – 2m is the minimum proper width for a racing car. F1 cars were much wider in the 1970-1992, you do know that? They were as wide as 220cm. It’s the length that’s the problem as they are extremely long.
      With how tall the wheels are these days, the cars would look better being a bit wider.
      1. 

         S
         27th May 2022, 12:07

         Width is very much an issue – especially at such a narrow track.

         Think about it – if the cars were only 1m wide, how many car widths are there across the track, including racing room?
         4? 5?
         With 2m wide cars, merely having 2 cars side by side is pretty hairy.
         The wider the track is relative to the cars, the more likely someone will attempt an overtake.
      2. 

         Red Pill (@redpill)
         27th May 2022, 18:06

         With how tall the wheels are these days, the cars would look better being a bit wider.

         Yes, I am aware and it was in the 80’s (correct me if I’m wrong) when the overall chassis length was the shortest (real short) and looked more like Super Karts but I think they only went to 2.18 wide until the 90’s when they went to 1.8m but the weight and diameter of the wheels were significantly lighter and smaller wheels. Also all the wings were much narrower, allowing more room when cars were overlapped in tight settings. It’s not just the wheels.
         Another comparison to the current F1 length is that F1 cars are currently about 1mm longer than a Chevy Suburban, then add the wider wings and bits on the side, it’s taking quite a bit of sq, meter area footprint compared to the yesteryears.

         I remember someone posting on this site saying they wished f1 made the cars even wider than they are now so they would look better with the new wheel size, I’m very much in the opposite camp of that opinion and believe far more in that Form follows Function and good competitive racing should come way first, much before aesthetics. It’s become very apparent that chassis design has out grown almost all the tracks; and the tracks realistically can not be enlarged. Without those tracks, F1 racing is well, not good racing. Go watch the YouTube Monaco races back in the 80’s.
         F1 made the attempt to improve passing with the aero package but neglected to consider that the increased sq. m. area of the new car and larger tires can have an even greater (negative) impact of racing and passing. Two steps forward, one step back (or three).
2. 

   Tommy C (@tommy-c)
   27th May 2022, 2:05

   A gran turismo TV show? Will the first 5 episodes be a newbie practising driving around cones and picking braking points and getting frustrated that he/she/they can’t beat the gold medal time. Episode 6 is then an 8th to win cruise in a Mazda MX-5 where the competition jumped out of the way and the final episode will be a GT car race of some description. At least that’s what I’d invisage based on my experience of the game series! I suspect the Netflix producers will be a touch more imaginative…
3. 

   Jim from US (@jimfromus)
   27th May 2022, 2:25

   Time to move on from Monaco or have a smaller spec car for certain circuits.
4. 

   jff
   27th May 2022, 6:21

   Shouldn’t the Schumacher headline be:
   Miami stewards made the call with Alonso penalty, says Schumacher
   or
   Schumacher thinks Miami stewards made right call with Alonso penalty.

   There were some other articles (and even Social Media blobs) yesterday which were more deserving to be shared in a round-up.
   1. 

      praxis (@praxis)
      27th May 2022, 7:31

      That was a deliberate choice from Racefan editors, hoping to increase activities in the comments section. We always have readers who’d make comments before reading the actual text, but reading only the headline.
5. 

   frood19 (@frood19)
   27th May 2022, 7:54

   @f1frog good COTD. It made me think about the infamous race at Indianapolis in 2005 – Ferrari and the sport got a lot of criticism that day but I don’t recall Bridgestone getting much praise for building tyres that enabled them to get round the track safely. When you think about it, Michelin really dropped the ball, but much of the clamour was for moving the goalposts to allow their cars too race.

   If seven teams really have to miss races then I reckon so be it (assuming this includes the big 3, it could have interesting ramifications for the title race). There are far too many races anyway.
   1. 

      F1 frog (@f1frog)
      27th May 2022, 17:06

      @frood19 thanks, and I agree with you about Indianapolis 2005.
6. 

   Jere (@jerejj)
   27th May 2022, 8:43

   Monaco feeling smaller: Perhaps.

   Right call or not: Yes

   Ferrari indeed should be competitive should the rain become rain-affected.

   I couldn’t care less about getting myself such a photo in a frame.

   COTD raises an interesting point & perhaps allowing the suggested move for this season wouldn’t be bad, even if unideal.

   Also on this day: The 2012 edition’s 10th anniversary & Webber’s 2nd Monaco GP win.
7. 

   Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
   27th May 2022, 8:48

   If you “tactically miss a race”, that’s not force majeure, so they’d arguably be fined for bringing the sport into disrepute. Let’s hope that fine is included in the budget cap!
8. 

   matt88 (@matt88)
   27th May 2022, 10:23

   Chance of a rainy Monaco race? YES!
9. 

   Ploss (@f1-ploss)
   27th May 2022, 18:15

   In case anyone didnt know thought Id post this link…24Hr of Nurburgring

   https://youtu.be/uAxiFGrfbIY

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