F1 versus dragster

[jollyeskimo]

It's something that I've always wondered.... would those dedicated funnycar dragsters with huge wheels outdrag an F1 on the quarter mile?

I'm pretty certain that the F1 has the advantage on handling/brakes, and it might even be faster for the full mile because of its aerodynamics, but would it beat one of those huge engine-on-wheels on the 1/4 mile?

Now this is something that Top Gear or Fifth Gear should do, hehe...

[SLee]

The dragster should easily win, they have more way more HP and are designed to go fast in a straightline. F1 cars are more designed for handling and braking and have extremely high drag coefficients.

[Evil Techie]

so hard to say eh
since the power and acceleration data of F1 cars are almost always classified

i think a dragster can win the 1/4 mile
but thats all it can win against the F1

also they always tune the F1 cars for different tracks
so they can probably tune the F1 to be a super dragster too
maybe F1 can win if they specifically tune it for straightline accel and use a specific fuel mixture for it too

[kbjy11]

a drag car would kill it, no question.
f1 might put up some fight up at first...but after that, all the f1 would see is a big tailpipe..

[mudmojo]

Each car is amazing at what it does.

A Formula1 car would be slaughtered at a Top Fuel dragster's dance of the 1320. It would basically be a footrace versus an invalid kind of result... not a race at all.

A Top Fuel class dragster can cover a 1/4 mile under 4.5 seconds hitting the finish line at 535kph or so... 0-535 in 4.4 seconds!

Then you have the rocket dragsters which are even faster!

I remember hearing of a story where a Top Fuel dragster driver had his eyeballs pop out of his head, being strung along only by the optic nerve conduit, upon parachute deployment... don't know if that was an urban hickville myth but yikes!

[ipfree]

It would be no contest. A top fuel dragster would be at 100mph in about 1 second.

Think about what each is designed to do. A dragster is primarily designed to go in a straight line over a short distance as fast as possible. Everything else is secondary.

An F1 car is designed to for speed, handling, braking, endurance, etc.

[JustMike]

Should be an easy dragster win... HP rating on those is 5000+ while F1 cars are generally assumed to be around 1000 HP. Not to mention the big block, big displacement torque of the top fuel engine compared to the small displacement F1 cars.

[waitin4BOOST]

Errr...you guys do know that F1 cars are limited because of FIA regulations right....they're going to de-tune it some more next season with the v8 restiction...1 amoung many restrictions they have set through out the years.

Didn't shumaucher race againest a F-14 an win?

[sshe11]

Errr...you guys do know that F1 cars are limited because of FIA regulations right....they're going to de-tune it some more next season with the v8 restiction...1 amoung many restrictions they have set through out the years.

Didn't shumaucher race againest a F-14 an win?

The engines are not limited in terms of Power, but only size ... they used 3.0L V10's till this year but will start using 2.4L V8s in 2006 ... Schumacher did race against an Euro Fighter with his F2004 and won but the fighter had to start and stay on ground (couldnot take off) so that limited its speed ... but it was still amazing how close the race was .. btw it was done on a wet track, so the F1 car could've gone even faster

[Ride-On]

Dragster - not even a contest. I'm guessing they weigh about the same, but the dragster is purpose built to accelerate. More traction with those badass tires too.

Of course, the times would be fairly close as compared to 1 lap around a road track. I'm guessing the F1 could do 10 laps of Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to 1 laps by the dragster... and I may be way understating the difference...

Schumy did race a jet and it was close at the end. Far less inertia in the F1 car. We're talking 1,500lbs vs 15-20,000lbs! Initial traction advantage to the F1 too.

[Kenneth]

The only advantage a F1 car would have over a top fuel dragster would be in the rain or with cold tires.

Even then the dragster would pull away after 200 feet.

[Evil Techie]

The only advantage a F1 car would have over a top fuel dragster would be in the rain or with cold tires.

Even then the dragster would pull away after 200 feet.

except the bridgestones
in the cold, they lose traction easily, so says schumacher lol

[stevethewheel]

Drag race? Will they let the pit crew come out and give it a push for the first 3 metres?

Ever notice how slow an F1 actually launches from a dead stop?

[Ride-On]

Umm... shall we put ANY other car beside that F1 car at the start? You might be surprised at their starting acceleration. Just looks slow... Amazing what a little launch control will do. Though can they still have traction control? Can't recall...

[ah802]

I remember hearing of a story where a Top Fuel dragster driver had his eyeballs pop out of his head, being strung along only by the optic nerve conduit, upon parachute deployment... don't know if that was an urban hickville myth but yikes!Yikes... I do know that most of the drag drivers can't see properly... the vibrations are huge, and they're locked into a seat. It's all they can do to keep it straight, and go towards the light...

The real trick to remember is that the vehicle is held on the track by 1 gravity or 1G, acclerate any faster and the wheels break free (of course special sticky tires change the equation a bit) so we're not looking at eye ripping forces here.

[ES_Revenge]

Drag race? Will they let the pit crew come out and give it a push for the first 3 metres?

Ever notice how slow an F1 actually launches from a dead stop?

You're joking right? Slow? Do you know how much the average F1 car weighs and how much horsepower it has? They are pretty darn quick, far better acceleration than other open wheel cars like IRL or CART cars.

But compared to a dragster, obviously, as everyone indicated it's not even a contest. Dragster would be there and back, if only the dragster could go anywhere after those few seconds because the engine is blown and it couldn't turn around anyway. In fact it couldn't even turn at all really, lol.

Which brings me to a much better comparison--the F1 car and the dragster on any real racetrack. You know the kind where you have to pass the start/finish to complete a lap? And just ONE lap. The F1 car won before it started just like the dragster one the 1/4 mile before it started. It would be a joke again--the dragster pulls a DNF before the race even starts--even if it could turn it could do so nowhere near as well as well as your stock base model Kia, nevermind an F1 car. And even if it could turn the engine's done after less than 10 seconds, LOL. And how would it even brake for corners, if it could drive on them? Uh that parachute only works like once there guys, LMAO.

In other words you are comparing two things that shoudn't be compared. It's like asking what is better for drying your hair a hairdryer or a flamethrower? LOL.

[stevethewheel]

You're joking right? Slow? Do you know how much the average F1 car weighs and how much horsepower it has? They are pretty darn quick, far better acceleration than other open wheel cars like IRL or CART cars.



No I am not joking. I mean slow in the relative sense. All those cars you mentioned are not at their best 'off the line', and neither is F1. Why do you think they have a "rolling" start to the race? Maybe for the same reason there aren't any corners at the dragstrip.

[mudmojo]

No I am not joking. I mean slow in the relative sense. All those cars you mentioned are not at their best 'off the line', and neither is F1. Why do you think they have a "rolling" start to the race? Maybe for the same reason there aren't any corners at the dragstrip.


F1 cars don't start off races from a "roll"... they do it from a "standing start". ;)

F1 cars are incredibly fast off the line for a car that resembles a, well... car. 400M (roughly 1/4 mile) comes up in 9 or maybe 8 seconds. Fast enough to school Vince Diesel and Paul Walker LOL.

[stevethewheel]

oh my bad. Forgot entirely that they stop after the fromation lap. :o

[Evil Techie]

Drag race? Will they let the pit crew come out and give it a push for the first 3 metres?

Ever notice how slow an F1 actually launches from a dead stop?

the "slow"ness is due to the perspective of the cameras
because the shots are always taken facing the F1s and opposite directions of the cars movements, u will think its a lot slower

if you are up front, ull see the accel is amazing

[EG8_Civic]

On a drag race? the dragster. Why? Its like putting fish in the water. That's what dragster's do, go straight, not corner. If you put it in a circuit race the F1 car will lap it in 2-3 laps. Each car has its forte in purpose. To be fair, how will each do in a donut race as in NASCAR? Or INDY 500. Now that would be interesting.

[corrupt123]

You could probably gear an F1 to put up a fight. And who said slow start? These things rev to 12000 rpm. They may 'look' like they're starting slow, but they're very limited on the TCS [traction control system] abilities. If the drivers press any harder on the gas, the car will float.

[toolin4]

You could probably gear an F1 to put up a fight. And who said slow start? These things rev to 12000 rpm. They may 'look' like they're starting slow, but they're very limited on the TCS [traction control system] abilities. If the drivers press any harder on the gas, the car will float.

You could put 2 engines in the F1, and it still woudnt be close.
Your trying to compare a 1000hp car with a 5000+hp, purpose build car.
Btw, did you know that a top fuel dragster sucks in more air at full throttle than a 747 does at takeoff?

[gilboman]

You could put 2 engines in the F1, and it still woudnt be close.
Your trying to compare a 1000hp car with a 5000+hp, purpose build car.
Btw, did you know that a top fuel dragster sucks in more air at full throttle than a 747 does at takeoff?

bah.that's it :| if they want to impress peple, have it burn more fuel than the spaceshuttle at liftoff :lol:

[Ride-On]

The average shift point in F1 is now in the ballpark of 17,000-19,000RPM... Man I love in race telemetry!

More air intake than a 747 at takeoff... yowzers... please step away from the engine.

Last year, BAR brought their F1 car to the speed tests at the Bonneville Salt Flats as a publicity stunt. They were going to strip it down aerodynamically and light 'er up "Let's see what this baby can do" so-to-speak. Mother Nature won -- high winds cancelled all runs when they were there.

You could probably gear an F1 to put up a fight. And who said slow start? These things rev to 12000 rpm. They may 'look' like they're starting slow, but they're very limited on the TCS [traction control system] abilities. If the drivers press any harder on the gas, the car will float.

[mudmojo]

Yeah it was cancelled but they reran it and the F1 Bar unofficially ran
413.205kph

http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/051108/23/etg4.html

[ichpen]

Dragster by far.

This is akin to asking whether an F1 car can compete with a minivan in terms of cargo space.

[Mir]

Dragster No Question asked.
I seen a F1 car on dragstrip; I even had a video of it. (Can't find it )
Lou Gigliotti brought is C5 on drags stip; He had a majour issue with the traction. He did it for a fun; cause he knew its not a drag car.
He was able to 11s. Those engines are Bad Mofo; do you all know how they stop the engine after they run a 1/4 of a mile?