One of Portimao's most distinctive characteristics is the frequent elevation change, with the circuit rising and falling dramatically throughout the course of the lap like a rollercoaster. These gradient changes are far steeper than they appear on TV, but although they don't pose a technical challenge to the cars themselves, they have a much bigger impact for the drivers. Elevation change does not impact the performance of the car as much as you might expect. It does put a little more strain through the cars, but they are built to handle heavy kerb strikes and large forces anyway, so a bit of extra compression in the suspension is no bother for modern-day F1 machines. But different types...
Full Story »