Re: Audi in F1???

[only5kgt@uswest.net]

Thanks indeed... I work with all sorts of racing nuts, and no one had heard this
yet.
Some thoughts (general  in nature, to put it mildly...)
Of course awd is disallowed in F1, I think they put that series together to
maximize expense while minimizing innovation. When Colin Chapman tried awd
(can't, alas, pinpoint when... list Lotus junkies?) it was overweight and hardly
the magic bullet. Didn't get banned from the outset though, and profoundly ahead
in the wet (duh!)
Being as much of a car nut as I am, I fear I've never gotten as far into racing
as I might. Something about my personality just doesn't appreciate the tight
regulation (not talking needed safety stipulations here) which comes in in the
name of parity and cost containment. Newsflash, people: Racing is absurdly
expensive. Trying to control this (in top-flight series, at least, like F1, CART,
LeMans etc, or even Winston Cup NASCAR) is foolhardy and makes for stagnant
engineering, IMO.
I look at the original Can-Am as a pinnacle of "real" racing. Build the fastest
ostensible sportscar you can put together. Period. Limits largely open-ended.
Turbo flat-12? Sure. 500 cubes of Chebby? Bring it on. Active vacuum system
(Chaparral)- at least until the competition got paranoid about failures...
Porsche ended that series, it is argued, with the 917-30. I argue that the series
was canceled before anyone else could try to build a better mousetrap. All the
truly great race machinery came about when rules were just loose enough to let
the innovators in- will the current era be remembered in the future as compared
with luminaries like:
Auto Union Silver Arrows
MBZ 300SLR (desmo straight eight, anyone?)
Lotus Indy Turbine (late 60s)
Porsche 917-30
1000HP 1.5 litre '80s turbo F1 era

My (vacuous) point is that banning AWD is NASCAR mentality. These stone age
flying billboards are a mockery of racing.
Puttin' on the asbestos suit now,
Rob

MSV96@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 12/1/1999 "Iain Atkinson (ETL)"
> <iain.atkinson@etl.ericsson.se> writes:
>
> << AUDI ADMITS F1 PLANS
> Audi has admitted they have a Formula One project in the wings. The German
> marque, who was rumoured to a buy-out of the Benetton team in 1997, could
> enter the sport in the next five to seven years. The increasing involvement
> of major carmakers has doubtlessly sparked the motor giant's interest.
>
> I wonder if they will be using the Quattro system?? >>
>
> Thanks for the news flash Iain! I didn't see anything yesterday on this on F1
> message boards I frequent but it sounds plausible. Here's hoping that it
> really happens *and* we in the US have a decent venue USGP by then (and I
> don't mean Tony George's speedway/infield "road circuit" either...;-)...)
>
> As far as quattro? No, awd is banned in F1. However, last season the Benetton
> (?) team ran a front half-shaft/differential arrangement to shift torque (?
> please no t*rsen threads from this) side to side on the front wheels to
> increase grip at the front. This was a passive device and it was
> controversial, but it was allowed. The device in question was developed by
> Audi for use in the FWD A4 touring cars to help them offset the AWD ban. Not
> sure if it helped any as the Benetton cars were not real good last year,
> partly due to old engine technology.
>
> Ah...Audis and motorsports, a subject I love ;-)
>
> Mike Veglia
> 87 5kcstq