What is the difference between Formula 1 cars and ChampCars?

Question

Which is superior and why?

Answer 1

It's funny but, although I watch both Champ and F1, I had never really considered the differences between the cars so thought this was a really good question. I then did a lot of research (sorry about the housework I have not done!) and actually found what I thought was the best, simplest and most complete answer on Wikipedia! It makes sense and explains things very well! It also answers which is the fastest: the F1 cars when doing laps round the same circuit!


Comparison with Formula One car
For much of their history Champ Cars have been similar to Formula One cars, although there have traditionally been several key differences between the two.

Over the years, Champ Cars race schedule included high speed oval tracks. The increased stress and speed of these tracks mean that the cars tended to be heavier and have longer wheelbases than F1 cars (increasing stability but decreasing agility), which race exclusively on road and street courses. A Formula 1 Car also weighs approximately 15% less than a Champ Car.

In recent years it has been possible to compare the respective performance of the two series. Since 1978 Formula 1 has made an annual visit to the Circuit de Villeneuve in Montreal . Champ Car added this circuit to their tour in 2002. During the inaugural Champ Car visit in 2002 Cristiano Da Matta won the pole position in the Champ Car race with a lap time of 1:18.959. Several weeks before former Champ Car Champion Juan Pablo Montoya seized P1 in the Formula 1 race with a lap time of 1:12.836. The performance superiority of the Formula 1 machines were also demonstrated in 1989 when Champ Car began to race on a street circuit in Detroit that had served as the Grand Prix of the United States just one year prior. There was no six second discrepancy in lap times on this occasion but this was partly due to a tight second gear chicane that was removed from the circuit for the Champ Car series.

Since the late 1960s Champ Cars have used turbocharged engines. Turbos were banned in Formula One on safety grounds in 1989. For some periods of their history, notably in the early 1970s and late 1990s, turbocharging gave Champ Cars up to 300 horsepower (220 kW) more than F1 cars, in the 70s cars had in excess of 1000 hp. Recently in 1999/2000 the Champ Cars approached 1000 horsepower (750 kW) before regulations on turbo boost were tightened. The current generation of cars are now about equal in power to F1 cars at approximately 750 horsepower (since F1 imposed stricter engine specifications from 2006), with the turbo used mainly to improve the spectacle rather than lap-times with the so-called 'push-to-pass' system giving drivers an increased amount of power for a limited duration during the race. Another reason for retaining the turbocharger is with many city street races on the calendar, the muffling effect it has on the exhaust note helps keep the cars inside noise-limits.

Champ Cars use methanol for fuel rather than gasoline, and refuelling has always been permitted during the race. This is a legacy of a crash at the 1964 Indianapolis 500 in which a crash involving cars filled with more than 75 US gallons (285 L) of gasoline killed two drivers (Dave MacDonald and Eddie Sachs) in an immense fireball. Until 1994, when refuelling was re-introduced to F1, the prominent coupling for the refuelling hose was a notable difference between Champ Cars and Formula cars.

Champ Cars continue to have sculpted undersides to create ground effect. This innovation was originally created in Formula One by Lotus in 1978, and was immediately used on the Chaparral Champ Car in 1979. F1 banned ground effects for safety reasons in 1982.

While F1 use grooved tires to limit performance, Champ Cars remain using tread-less 'slick' racing tires. To make races more unpredictable, drivers are permitted to use one set of higher performance softer compound tires. Informally called 'alternates', these tires are made visible to the spectators by their red sidewalls.

Unlike in F1, Champ Car teams are not obliged to construct their own chassis, and in recent times have tended to buy chassis constructed by independent suppliers such as Lola, Swift, Reynard, March and Dan Gurney's Eagle. The most notable exception was Penske Racing, although they also bought other cars when their own chassis was uncompetitive.

The Formula 1 Car is simply a far more expensive and high technology racing machine than a Champ Car. This was even the case during the CART PPG halcyon era during the mid to late 1990s. At this time global engine manufacturers Toyota, Honda, Mercedes and Ford vied for dominance. Since Champ Car's restructuring, a desire to keep costs down and the existence of one engine manufacturer has helped to create a series with far more parity than its European-based cousin. What is ironic about the current Champ Car business model is that it mirrors the direction taken by the rival Indy Racing League during its formative years and that Toyota and Honda both defected to their Indianapolis-based rival.

Answer 2

F1 has no "boost pressure", plus the tires are thicker and will be grooved up to 2008 (when they return to slicks), the aerodynamics of the car are much more intricate and complicated, unlike ChampCars that simply use just the front and rear wings. In F1 they have to use a lot of gadgets because the shape of the front and rear wing are controlled, therefore the amount of downforce they give is limited. Also, in F1 teams use strictly-controlled fuel, very similar to the fuel used in normal cars. For example, the fuel in the Elf network is similar to the one used by the Renault F1 Team, Shell supplies Ferrari with similar fuel to that in their networks, and so on.
Plus the FIA only controls Formula 1.


In the end, I think it could be a close call on a showdown between the two cars, but, in spite of its lower horsepower, due to the restriction in engine size, I still think that on a real road course, a Formula 1 car would beat the ChampCar.

Answer 3

Not enough space to answer fully but put it this way - if you have the money, you can buy a ChampCar ready to roll. In F1, you have to design the chassis yourself, get an engine supplier to give you an engine (unless you are a manufacturer yourself) and - until the end of this year - get a tyre company to supply you.
As for superior, I think you'll find that a F! car would be faster around a road circuit but a ChampCar would be faster around an oval ( because they are geared for this and F1 cars don't race on ovals - Indy is only part oval for F1).

Answer 4

ChampCars run a few seconds a lap slower when the run on the same course as F1 in Montreal mainly due to their heavier weight (we'll see in a few weeks). In an oval race the ChampCars would likely be faster. ChampCars use turbochargers, but turbos were eliminated from F1 because the European constructors couldn't stomach losing to the superior Honda engines.

Answer 5

Formula 1 rules! Dont know the difference but they look faster and sooo much cooler flying around those curves on the track

Answer 6

Many differences tire size to start F1 cars must use the same size tires on all four wheels, the transmission is a hydrolic assist located on the steering wheel. the engines are variable in size meaning cylinder count it depends on available hp. there is no additional power boost packet on a F1

Answer 7

Formula 1 - I don't know what ChampCar is

Answer 8

Everything they said plus F1 has a bankroll like N.A.S.A.
F1 is much superior because of it's R&D $ and it's drivers.

Answer 9

champ cars and f1 cars are built on a different chassis and also champ cars have more horsepower, somewhere around 900 while f1 has about 700

Answer 10

horse power and fuel,formula 1 run faster