>> > Real F1 cars are fitted with rev limiters and devices that won't
>> > allow a gear change if it would be outside the rev range of the
>> > engine. Jeez, these modern F1 drivers have it easy, they only use
>> > the clutch about 3 times a race as well ;)
>> If that is true, how did H?kkinen manage to shift one gear too low
>> last year in ..uuh...Monza was it, and spin out.
>Because, at the time, the revs were at an acceptable level for first or
>second gear to be OK?
>> At that time there was discussion about the gear shifts in F1
>> cars...there is a rule that says the gear changes must go directly
>> from the driver to the gear box, without ANY kind of intelligence or
>> control.
>Sure?
>When the driver flicks the paddle, the throttle is released, clutch
>pressed, gear changed, clutch released, and finally, the throttle
>pressed. A computer does all that.
Yes, but the computer can't decide when or if to do it.
Well, just to prove my point, I digged up FIA rules for gear changing,
and lo and behold, I'm wrong :P. My initial knowledge of the matter was
from some Finnish newspapers, which I believe were a bit biased in the
matter. Ah well.
So, over-rev limiter is alloved when the gear is changed, but when
changing upwards, the change must be immediate.
Quote from the rules at http://www.fia.com/homepage/selection-a.html:
9.4 Gear changing :
9.4.1) For the purposes of, and only during gear changing, the clutch and
throttle need not be under the control of the driver.
9.4.2) Each individual gear change must be initiated by the driver and,
within the mechanical constraints of the gearbox, the requested gear must
be engaged immediately unless over-rev protection is used.
9.4.3 ) Multiple gear changes may be made following one driver request
provided they are not made before he needs the destination gear and that
the car is not driven by any of the intermediate gears during the
sequence. If for any reason the sequence cannot be completed the car must
be left in neutral or the original gear.
9.4.4 ) If a gear change fails for mechanical reasons (as opposed to the
predicted engine revs in the target gear being too high), further
attempts to engage the gear may be made automatically without the driver
having to make a new request.
9.4.5 ) If an over-rev protection strategy is used this may only prevent
engagement of the target gear, it must not induce any significant delay.
If a gear change is refused in this way, engagement may only follow a new
and separate request made by the driver.
