2015 Formula Student Germany

[MegaDeath]

I thought i remembered hearing somewhere that the FSG autocross course is always the same layout, or was it the endurance course? Or both maybe?

It's both.

They changed in 2012 when they expanded out onto the the actual race track from the infield.

But since then they have been very similar, just slight alterations to one or two corners over time.

[BeunMan]

The course is the same as last years, only the start/finish have been adjusted for safety reasons.

[Michael Royce]

Interesting comments and discussion about the "scrapping" DQ'ing/not DQ'ing.

We used to have this argument a number of years ago and the scrutineers always got criticized one way or another. We were damned if we did and damned if we did not! So for 2008 we changed the rules to require a 1 inch static ground clearance with the driver aboard. This was something that could be measured easily, no arguments, because either the car met or it did not. And Steve Fox even made some "hockey pucks on sticks" that made checking very easy. No more problems for the scrutineers and teams knew where they were. Then for some reason, the Rules Committee decided it did not like the "1 inch static ground clearance requirement" and the rule was dropped for 2011 and they went back to the "old" (present) rule.

Is it time for a change back?

Michael Royce.

PS. We still have the "1 inch static ground clearance" rule for Formula Hybrid!

[mech5496]

IMO it should be changed back, as it is an easy, objective way to measure it. P.S. To my experience, more than 1" is required to avoid scraping...

[JurrienK]

Final five almost on track, according to my calculations, KIT and Delft are almost equal on points. Both need to drive 74.8 average to beat AMZ (90% sure about that), which is the best team that has already finished.

[JulianH]

Congratulations to Delft. Impressive performance all week-end, without any mistakes, always placing on the top of the rankings.

The Dekra Award seems to be striking again:
2011: Zurich wins Dekra - Overall Delft P1, Zurich P2
2012: Zurich wins Dekra - Overall Delft P1, Zurich P2
2013: Zurich wins Dekra - Overall Delft P1, Zurich P2
2014: Zurich does not win Dekra - Overall Zurich P1
2015: Zurich wins Dekra - Overall Delft P1, Zurich P2

[JT A.]

Interesting comments and discussion about the "scrapping" DQ'ing/not DQ'ing.

We used to have this argument a number of years ago and the scrutineers always got criticized one way or another. We were damned if we did and damned if we did not! So for 2008 we changed the rules to require a 1 inch static ground clearance with the driver aboard. This was something that could be measured easily, no arguments, because either the car met or it did not. And Steve Fox even made some "hockey pucks on sticks" that made checking very easy. No more problems for the scrutineers and teams knew where they were. Then for some reason, the Rules Committee decided it did not like the "1 inch static ground clearance requirement" and the rule was dropped for 2011 and they went back to the "old" (present) rule.

Is it time for a change back?

Michael Royce.

PS. We still have the "1 inch static ground clearance" rule for Formula Hybrid!

In my opinion, more design freedom is always better. A 1" ride height rule doesn't guarantee the car won't scrape the track anyways, depending on spring rates and aero. So from what I've gathered from talking to various people, nobody has a problem with DQ'ing cars that scrape, as long as you enforce the rule when you say you're going to, and enforce it the same for everyone.

[Z]

As usual, EXCELLENT COVERAGE of everything by FSG.

Unfortunately, the digital fairies didn't let me watch Enduro live here (too slow updates/bandwidth...?).

But a quick check of results posted so far shows that in Enduro Combustion there were ~44/71 DNFs = 62%!!! (Edit, and 69% DNFs in Electric class!)

Does anyone know if some/many of these were DQs because of the "scraping" rule, or were they all genuine DNFs?

And if all genuine DNFs, then can someone give a brief summary of the failures?

Z

[Z]

Also, big congratulations to GFR (aka "The Team of Many Names")!

For those of you who still doubt that a 50 hp single can do well in these competitions, consider that second placed Stuttgart was 43 points behind GFR, and third placed Graz was 183 points back! Both these Teams have very high horsepower cars (Graz = 90+ hp from their website, not sure about Stuttgart).

Oh..., but just checked GFR's website, and ... they actually claim 51 hp!
~o0o~

Julian,

35 point penalty??? That, and better tyres for the Wet-Pad might have made the difference?

Z

[mech5496]

Wetpad did made a difference for sure.. With regards to DNF's, at least for the part I watched, they were almost all DNF's and not DQs. On the top of my head, the only DQ I remember was the one from KIT e-car for dripping coolant.