Question: When did weaving on the formation lap start?

[alangbaker]

Someone asked this question... ...and I thought it would be too hard to find the answer.

But I've done some googling and I can't find anything.

So:

When did weaving to "warm tires" (or whatever it's supposed to do) first happen?

[Teuobk]

Not sure about when it started, but old F1 footage shows it clearly being done in 1981, so it's at least that old. Apparently, it's something of a myth that weaving at low speeds warms the tires up appreciably, but maybe it's good for knocking gravel and such off of them?

[Thomas Wirtz]

It starts on the false grid as shown in this you tube video. lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMuXJSmVu58

[mmi16]

I suspect it was shortly after the change from treaded tires that were measured on the Rockwell scale of hardness to slick when engineers found out that slicks operated best in a temperature range that required heat being worked into the tire.

[Robert J. Alder]

I've always believed weaving wasn't that effective. Better to quickly accelerate and then brake quickly and hard. That also warms the brakes for sure, probably more important that weaving. And probably safer than weaving.

[kea]

We were doing that in the 1970's, exactly when I don't remember, but by the time slicks were allowed in SCCA/CASC racing. I remember some racing organizations trying to ban it (regional stuff), so we just accelerated and braked hard, which probably screwed up the formation worse.

[DaveW]

I've always believed weaving wasn't that effective. Better to quickly accelerate and then brake quickly and hard. That also warms the brakes for sure, probably more important that weaving. And probably safer than weaving.

We were doing that in the 1970's, exactly when I don't remember, but by the time slicks were allowed in SCCA/CASC racing. I remember some racing organizations trying to ban it (regional stuff), so we just accelerated and braked hard, which probably screwed up the formation worse.

I never had much luck warming the tires by braking hard. Weaving seems to work pretty well for me, along with getting rid of the crud the tires pick up on cool-off laps, etc. I do warm the brake pads a bit, but not too violently, since braking hard during a pace lap can cause accidents.

[Farrout48]

What about dragging the brakes with the left foot while keeping speed up with the right?

[DaveW]

What about dragging the brakes with the left foot while keeping speed up with the right?

That's basically what I do to warm the brakes.

[alangbaker]

I never had much luck warming the tires by braking hard. Weaving seems to work pretty well for me, along with getting rid of the crud the tires pick up on cool-off laps, etc. I do warm the brake pads a bit, but not too violently, since braking hard during a pace lap can cause accidents.

What about dragging the brakes with the left foot while keeping speed up with the right?

That's basically what I do to warm the brakes.

Same here. I'm basically dragging on the brake pedal for most of the lap while weaving back and forth for good measure.

I definitely make sure to drag the brakes when it's wet. The last thing I want in turn one after the green flag is to have to feel for where the brake bite is.

[alangbaker]

On rec.autos.sport.f1, there's a guy who found video of the 1977 German Grand Prix, and there were a few cars weaving...

...but the formation lap was finished with the cars actually going through the last part of the track at a pretty good pace, so I guess that would have warmed the tires and brakes alright.

[EACIII]

I have been know to mess up qualifing now and then and have to start at the back (don't ask about Sat at the Glen this past weekend). What I have notices is the cars at the front of the field are weaving a lot, those at the back not much. Take that for what it tells you.

Ed

[tppj]

We were doing that in FV during the mid-70's. Not sure if it helped. A difference from then to now is that we stayed in our 2 by 2 formation throughout the pace lap (as we called it). It was important to keep your head in the game so you didn't clobber your neighbor!

[FVRacer21]

Check out the pace lap at Lime Rock:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0cGNZ9ObDI

ChrisZ