Every F1 car is meticulously put together. Every part is crafted and assembled to ensure the best car is available. Sometimes, things go wrong, and the car has issues. One of those issues is something called oversteer/understeer. But what is that? And how does it affect the driver?
Everything in the car must work appropriately for the driver to be safe. Even one minor issue can cause a colossal crash. The team must worry about the F1 driver, the other 19 drivers, and other staff around the track. That’s why it’s so vital that they fix any and every issue with the car.
What is Oversteer?
Oversteer occurs when the back tyres lose their grip and become unstable, making the F1 car more uncontrollable during a turn. Depending on the track/tyre conditions, it can occur when the turn is sharper than expected. A change in the car’s weight distribution can also affect oversteer.
Car balance, oversteer, understeer, operating windows… 👀 What exactly do these terms mean & how do teams decide and change car set-ups, both on and off the track? 🤔
Shov is back to explain Vehicle Dynamics, and he brought his whiteboard! 😄
WATCH ➡️ https://t.co/NVxX2c1ts4 pic.twitter.com/vYofKdYMw2
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) May 15, 2020
When suddenly thrown off, the weight distribution can significantly affect the car. If the tyres can not handle the new weight, they can spin out under the sudden pressure. This particulate example of weight change usually happens when the driver moves to slow down. A driver having issues with his tyres and steering is very important to fix because if he is stuck on the track or spins out, he can hit another F1 driver or a driver can hit him.
What is Understeer?
Understeer is essentially the same thing as oversteer, except it happens to the front of the car. One thing that sets understeer and oversteer apart is the difference in tyre grip. Tyre grip is more important when it comes to understeer because understeer works against rapid acceleration. This makes it dangerous because the car generally attempts to go faster when its tyres lose their grip.
Many F1 sessions have been red-flagged because a driver spins out and hits the barriers. A driver could spin out without a warning. Anything can cause the tyres to lose their grip if the track is not broken in, wet or cold. Tyres can also lose their grip if the driver attempts to get too much out of the tyre too quickly. The drivers must be careful with their tyres.
