Q: After reading both parts of the hybrid feature, I’m left with a couple of questions. The “drum” of the MGU is fixed to the crankshaft, and is probably pretty heavy. Since this has effectively added a second flywheel to the ICE, were any modifications made to offset the added rotational mass?
In the same vein, the larger brake disks add both unsprung weight and rotational mass. I have no frame of reference, but it would seem this should effect dampers, spring rates and possibly the force needed to steer without power steering. Were any of the suspension or steering components modified to support this? I’m thinking of the “everything is connected to everything else” bromide, and wondering how far down the chain a change like this has to be chased?
Eric Swan, Dallas, TX
MP: No offset to the rotating mass. No changes to the suspension with the brake package update. The harder tires for the hybrid, which weren’t used with the hybrid from March-June, was a big area of setup changes. And with the weight of the hybrid, there have been more changes, but so far, my race engineer friends tell me the hybrid-related setup tweaks haven’t been huge.
Q: Glad that things went well with the hybrid’s debut but tough to see Dixon out due to the early failure. I may have missed it, but I don’t remember seeing what happens at the beginning of a race or restart. Will there be a one lap delay in the availability of the hybrid power similar to P2P? Will it be disabled during rainy conditions?
There was much talk about the added weight of the hybrid system, but I don’t recall anyone saying that the center of gravity is now higher due to the mass of the capacitors at the top of the bellhousing and its increased height. Is that a noticeable problem?
Don Hopings, Cathedral City, CA
MP: ERS power is always available, provided the ESS is charged and the driver hasn’t burned their per-lap limit of energy use. So, assuming all are charged, all drivers would be on the ERS deploy button to start and restart each race.
The CG is slightly higher with that new 46.3-lb ESS sitting atop the MGU, but it’s nothing like the 50ish lbs the aeroscreen added higher up on top of the tub.
Q: Near the end of the race at Mid-Ohio, the booth mentioned how Canapino was on a fuel-saving run. Right near the end it seemed as though he ran out, although I later read that he had actually finished. I am wondering — if he was indeed on a fuel save, what new things might he and Juncos have been playing with in regard to the hybrid? Was he deploying the extra energy on those laps? I was surprised we didn’t see more gambles on fuel, say from a Dale Coyne.
And thanks to a fellow Seattleite, Michael, for a thoughtful letter last week. Racing is about moving forward, but I agree that Milwaukee should be about the history and stars of the old age. I do agree Rex Mays should get that race name back, but I liked Chris’s suggestion that it be named a “Classic” instead of “250.” I think the classic name is more legendary-sounding and fits Milwaukee as a classic oval.
Kristopher, Seattle (Wallingford neighborhood), WA
MP: There’s nothing about IndyCar’s ERS unit that will help to save fuel in any meaningful way. It adds power and torque on top of what the V6 turbos make.
Q: With the rules stability for GTP/Hypercar secured, when (if ever) might the Rolex 24 fans have hope to see the WEC Hypercar entrants at Daytona?
Andy R, Detroit, MI
MP: As soon as a Hypercar manufacturer wants to engage IMSA to do benchmarking of its car to compete against its GTPs. Heart of Racing is doing this, for a full-time IMSA campaign, so it’s not a WEC team coming over, but it is with the Aston Martin Valkyrie, and that’s amazing.
Q: I just read that Valteri Bottas may be on the radar screen at IndyCar if he does not land at Williams. Regarding your silly season analysis, is he on anyone’s radar? I think he’s one of the most underrated drivers, having beat Lewis Hamilton on his best days with the same car. I would love to see him on an oval.
Regarding Nolan Siegel, is he bringing any money to McLaren? It is interesting how many drivers are looking at IndyCar and how few seats there are. Rossi could certainly fit in at Ganassi or Penske if there is ever an opening.
Jim Doyle, Hoboken, NJ
MP: Haven’t heard a peep about Bottas. The team insists Siegel is not paying for the seat, which conflicts with what I’ve been told many times. The window for Rossi at Penske or Ganassi appears to have passed.
Q: Clear this up for me, A “pay driver” has a bad connotation, in that we believe that driver to be someone that got their ride, not based off talent, but based off the money they bring to the team. However, don’t many drivers bring company sponsorship money with them? Wouldn’t a company typically invest in a driver with talent and thus be, what us fans determine to be, a deserving driver?
I’m sure there are also less-talented drivers that have special privileged relationships with companies, or, perhaps an entire country that funnels money to support a driver’s racing career.
Will Jeffery
MP: Yes, it’s a complicated affair. Without his family’s wealth that got him to Europe and on the road to F1, the world would have never known Ayrton Senna. Some kids come from wealth and that money is used to propel them upwards; Lance Stroll comes to mind. Then you have what we see in IndyCar with a David Malukas, whose family is a success in trucking, was able to fund him through his opening seasons in IndyCar, and as he looks to land his next full-time seat, it’s known that he needs to be hired and paid like all the other pros because the family funding is not longer part of the package.
Q: Are the stories being reported that Toyota will have an alliance with Haas F1 true?
We keep seeing these manufacturers rumored or confirmed to be going racing somewhere other than IndyCar. What is Roger Penske and IndyCar doing wrong? After all, he is the mighty Penske — people do what he wants.
David Tucker
CHRIS MEDLAND: In a word: Yes. My understanding is that the scale of it is still being worked on and some of the reporting around it has overstated its scope, but there is definitely work ongoing between Haas and Toyota.
There are plenty of directions it could take moving forward, but as a starting point, Toyota has a lot of highly-skilled personnel and some excellent facilities in Cologne. That could lead to the wind tunnel being used by Haas, or even future component construction, but the details have not yet been finalized. I’m hoping to be able to put a bit more meat on the bone for you this weekend in Budapest.
MP: Might be the 10th time we’ve answered this on the IndyCar side, but Penske had Toyota USA ready to join a few years ago, but a change of CEO right near the finish line killed the deal.