Ferrari F1 vs Champ Car at Laguna-who's faster?

[GIBSON]

Ok, so the Ferrari factory driver is new to Laguna (says he really loves the track, wishes more European tracks had elevation changes like Laguna and really enjoys driving in front of people...).
The car is last years Ferrari, no data as to set-up, tires etc.
He gets 5 clear laps of fresh tires and turns a 1:09.1.
Track record is held by Helio Castroneves (sp?) in a CHAMP car
4 years ago (in qualifying traffic) of 1:07 and change. I was pretty impressed with the Ferrari (great sound of course) and the test driver but it makes CHAMP cars look pretty good.
Whatever you think of the results, having an F1 Ferrari at Laguna
is a real treat.
Also a great drive by Brian Redman in a 908 to beat a Lola T-70
in a great battle. Redman was all smiles afterward and was clearly
having a blast. Probably the race of the day.

[Zeke]

Unfair comparison. Give the Ferrari driver some time on the track and dial it in a bit, and it'll blow the side pods off the Champ car. Better yet, put Brian Herta in it and he'll show the thing the way around. Herta is fearless on the track, kinda like Zanardi.

[Doug E]

What a great idea for a Speedvision (oopps, I mean Speed TV) special

If you really wanted to make it interesting, put Schuey in the CART car and see what he could do...

[Carrera3.5L]

Originally posted by Doug E

If you really wanted to make it interesting, put Schuey in the CART car and see what he could do...

Actually, what would be interesting is put Schumi in any F1 car other than the Ferrari so F1 would be worth watching again. Betcha he wins in the BAR!

[Yellowbird RS]

Montreal same track see the times for 2003 CHAMP car and the 2004 F1

[andrew johnson]

Carrera 3.5


Good Idea re shumacher - really balances it out a bit

I have seen him drive at Melbourne GP twice. He is clearly a better driver than everyone else in F1 at present. So much smother and when he makes a mistake, seems to come back with ease.

I recall a rumour that Tommi Makinnen (WRC) got in a Honda F1 and put it in a wall on the first corner. Is this correct?

Andrew

[nostatic]

Schumacher is supposed to do an event (after the season?) where he'll be in a WRC car. That should be interesting. On a semi-related note, Colin McRae didn't embarrass himself in the Ferrari 550 in Le Mans.

[Carrera3.5L]

Originally posted by andrew johnson

I recall a rumour that Tommi Makinnen (WRC) got in a Honda F1 and put it in a wall on the first corner. Is this correct?

Andrew

I'm not sure about that, but I know Robby Gordon quite well and he had an F1 test many years ago when he was Ford's golden boy and winning with Roush in IMSA GTO. This of course was before his Champ Car and NASCAR days.

He tested with the than Stewart F1 team at Paul Ricard circuit in France and stuffed the car very hard, writing it off. Both Stewarts (Jackie and Paul) were livid and told Robby he'd never have a ride with any F1 team. I think alot of it had to do with Robby's arrogance as a driver.

I think driving WRC and circuit racing are two completely different animals, I wouldn't expect Schumi to jump into a WRC car and be lightning quick, same as I wouldn't expect him to get in a top fuel dragster and immediately go 320 mph.

I say put him in the Minardi and see if he can crack the top 10!!!

Ralph

[jluetjen]

I wouldn't expect Schumi to jump into a WRC car and be lightning quick,

Don't underestimate Schumacher's driving ability. Senna tested some rally cars when he was young and did quite well.

As far as the old saw of F1 cars versus Champ cars; Speed did an interested comparison during one of their Canadian GP shows. They spliced side-by-side in-car video clips from both an F1 car and a Champ-car coming out of the hairpin at the west end of the course (turn 3?). The two cars were pretty close accelerating out of that corner and heading up to the next right-left. But the champ-car was left for dead when it came to braking -- the F1 cars were braking in like half the distance. This echos what a lot of the drivers who have crossed over or tested both cars have said -- it's the F1 brakes which are the most incredible part of the car's performance -- and the hardest to adjust to. You can put the difference in braking performance down to weight and the ability of the carbon F1 brakes to handle the heat. This is consistent with the fact that both cars have lots of aero drag and downforce, ~ 800 - 900 HP, and the F1 car is generally quite a bit lighter then a Champ Car. Keep in mind that the alcohol fuel of a champ car has about 1/2 the calories of gas, so they get half the milage of an F1 car, and have to carry twice the fuel to go the same distance. Plus the rules specifiy that champ cars will be heavier then F1 cars by at about 200 lbs if my memory is correct. So right after a pit stop, a Champ car will be carrying quite a bit more weight then an F1 car.

So in the end, it's no contest -- F1 cars are faster around a road course.

[GIBSON]

I'm sure that given time and the right set-up, the F1 car would eventually better the 1:07 at Laguna. Bertolini is a very quick driver however. He showed it at Laguna. Laguna is not really as much of a horsepower track as a handling track and for a newcomer, it's pretty hard to be fast out of the box. As any of you who compete know, taking 2 seconds off of a lap time is huge so it would take some time for a F1 car do bring it down but I'm sure it could be done. They are lighter and would be quick at Laguna. Next we have Champ cars in September, we'll see what times they can post but I doubt they'll beat the 1:07 Castroneves set.
BTW, Bertolini has been invited back to try again, he can't wait.
Ferrari has not commented.

[ZLP]

Originally posted by Yellowbird RS
Montreal same track see the times for 2003 CHAMP car and the 2004 F1

7.5 Seconds!!! Now that’s huge!!! For those of you who think CHAMP cars are comparable to F1 cars, you just don’t know..... There is a reason F1 is the pinnacle of racing....

[CarreraS2]

Is a Champ car and an F1 car even comparable?

Isn't an F1 car many hundreds of pounds lighter? (Equating to quite a percentage difference in weight). And more powerful? And have better braking?

That would seem to add up to a much faster racecar.