Only Ferrari Will Be Running KERS @ Silverstone

Only one team will be running Kers in SIlverstone. And that system took about 50 mil dollars to develop. Thanks Max. What were u sayin about cost cutting again?


For the first time in 2009, neither McLaren will feature a KERS system in qualifying and the race at Silverstone.

The British team experimented during Friday's practice sessions by not using the energy recovery system on the car driven by Lewis Hamilton.

McLaren confirmed that the "benefits of using KERS are less pronounced" at the circuit, and on Saturday morning removed the system on Heikki Kovalainen's MP4-24.
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Mercedes' Norbert Haug said: "Silverstone is a circuit where you do not brake too often: you get less of a benefit from the system here than you would on heavy-braking circuits."

The decision means the only KERS-equipped cars at Silverstone are the two Ferraris.

 

*Hopefully* that's because they feel they've got the weight distribution right, even with it installed. Even FM said it's of "questionable" use around S/Stone.

We'll see at upcoming races I guess. If only the rules allowed 'em to use it "properly" - Apparently, they could get ~160HP out of it.

Cheers,
Ian
BTW - The expense of developing it is just another confirmation that MM has lost the plot.

 

Ferrari has siad in the past (Monaco i think) that the F60 is desinged to run with the KERS, and not without, as it affects the weight distribution...

 

Yep, understood. But, they've certainly been going back and forth with it until now.....

 

+1

i was surprised to see how Massa struggled with the new chassis.

 

It's probably the most consequently designed KERS car in the grid, especially in terms of weight balance. Remember my thread about the "lecture" by an F1 engineer I recently attended? He said that Ferrari relied heavily on the batteries being in the front wing, which had most probably made them the fastest car in the grid if FIA hadn't outruled it.

 

That sounds very dangerous. Can you imagine the front wing flying into the packed grandstands carried by the momentum of the batteries?

 

Yes, but they're on a new chassis now.

 

That wasn't the problem afaik. It was outruled because of the possibility that the driver could be exposed to fumes in case of leaking batteries.

 

Like happened to Kimi when they exploded under his legs (!) and the magic smoke came out of his cockpit a while back?........ (China?)

I *thought* it was potential danger to marshalls more than spectators, but don't know.

Gotta think that much weight way up there changes your engineering though..... [2nd polar moments, anyone? ]

If really true I'm surprised they're not in the same **** as Mclaren! How the mighty fall - 19th!
Cheers,
Ian

 

I believe that was the halon from the fire suppression system as noted by Martin Brundle, not an actual fire.

 

Err - I don't *believe* so - IIRC Windsor was going on (and on!) about the foul smell it was emitting [For quite a while apparently].

That ain't halon

Cheers,
Ian

 

I'm a bit more cynical with this, if true Ferrari fastest car with batterys up front and then gets knocked back with the diffuser issue.

That was the straw that broke the camels back, Luca then decided he wanted shut of Porno Max.

 

There has got to more to the KERS problem than meets the eye.
I dont buy the "weight distribution" argument fully. Not to the point that it is not worth an extra 80 HP for 6 seconds twice a lap. And its not just HP. Electric motors are known to produce instant immediate Torque. The old expression "Horse power sells engines, Torque wins races".
Its not like its an additional weight.
Perhaps the rotational mass of the generator is permanently fixed to the crankshaft creating an inertial drag everywhere.

 

Whatever is the problem, obviously that kers thing isn't working.
They spent a fortune developing that cr*ppy device that no one uses,
shows you how Max and is crew are out of they mind and doesn't know what they are talking about, reducing costs ?
what a joke !

 

That's one of the first things Brundle commented on (from the commentary box); about how terrible that stuff smells.

 

I think KERS is similar to Obama's health plan. Very expensive but they'll make the rich pay for it in order to cut costs for the poor.