Well in response to rail-like grip and then snap oversteer, or snap loss of grip...that is what the 93 cars should feel like (maybe kind of unrelated, but worth noting nonetheless). But in general, this era of GP racing, maybe beginning in 88 saw the cars generating unbelievable amounts of grip that made the car feel like it was on rails when the tyres were up to temp - even more so the beginning of the end of the turbo's, so most of the field didn't have to deal with the power surge, and McLaren/Ferrari had quite sophisticated chassis with the McLaren even more amazing to drive. (the Ferrari drivers did complain about handling in 88) But what made these cars a challenge is that the limit was very fine. The average drivers couldn't really get reach the absolute limits, or crossed them, which resulted in quick and sudden loss of grip. The best of the best could drive them right on the limits and hold on. This pretty much continued until about 93, when the ABS, Traction control, automatic transmissions made the cars quite easy to drive, but not easy to drive fast, in the sense again that you could feel the limits as the cars grew more and more nervous. all that was lost by 94, with all the reg changes and the cars were nervous and twitchy, period. quite hard to drive, even more so to drive fast,
even more so to drive on the limits.
this is at least what i've picked up from reading various books with drivers and engineers perspectives from this exact era. that nervousness/twitchiness continued all the way until 2000, with 97 being the exception as the paddock once more surpassed the grip levels, speeds, and stability up until the limits of 93 cars, which resulted in the rule changes for 94 (banning of aids, narrower tyres) and even more so 95 (revised aerodynamics, raised minimum ride height, skid planes). So following 97 as we all know, the slicks came in, the chassis were made more narrow and raised yet again. by 2000 however, they were back to surpassing previous limits, the cars were now better to drive quickly and felt glued to the tracks once more.
prior to 88, the cars were just beasts due to the turbo's and the sudden power surge made them quite a handfull, despite the fact that in general the cars did produce massive amounts of grip due to the revised ground effects aerodynamics of the time and of course the MASSIVE, ever so sticky slicks.
but anyway, my take on it though, if there is a season to have relatively
easy driving cars (at first appearance at least, because as i mentioned, if you never feel it step out, you're not pushing hard enough
) it would be 88, 91, 92, 93, 97 (this in the slicks era of course). people always tend to complain when cars have too much grip of they feel to easy to drive, "oh thats not right, this is F1, they should be hard" but it must be understood that F1 cars are the absolute pinnacle of motorsport engineering. they are purpose built to be the quickest thing possible around a set circuit, therefore they have unbelievable amounts of grip. the challenge of F1 cars is that the more grip the car produces the higher the limits become, every car has it's limits and with F1 cars being the top step, the limits are the hardest to attain. therefore that's when and where the challenge steps in. being able to reach the limits of the car before reaching your personal limits as a driver, and then holding on and pushing along those limits for 300 km or 2 hours...there in lies the challenge. not aimed at anyone here personally or anything (certainly not you Timo) but it's a point worth noting about the simracing community with regards to what they think certain cars should drive like.
but all in all i agree there is something just not right to me about the feel of the 88 cars.
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Subject: R Factor F1 1988 
Mon 28 Dec 2009 - 18:51
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F1 1983?? 
