Track Records
- This topic has 4 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 12 years ago by Keith Collantine.
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- 7th March 2012, 22:23 at 10:23 pm #131029Drew from AlabamaParticipant
Can someone please answer this for me? Most of the official F1 track records were set in the 2004-2006 era according to Formula1.com. Recently, Vettel and a slough of others have beat those times in qualifying or whatever. Why do they not get the recognition for the track record anymore? Maybe it’s just a case of not updating the information. Surely, that is an important piece of info to not be updating. Example: Kimi ran like a 1’13.5 at Monaco in qualifying in 2006, but the track record is held by Schumi at a 1’14.4
7th March 2012, 22:53 at 10:53 pm #195136Keith CollantineKeymasterIt’s a slightly fiddly question of terminology.
First of all, a “lap record” is the fastest lap set by a driver during a race.
The records that you’re looking at from the 2004-06 era are not being beaten in races, they’ve being beaten, as you say, in qualifying or other sessions, so you’re not comparing apples with apples there.
It’s not an uncommon area of confusion. In an attempt to clear it up, in the circuit information pages on this site I refer to both the lap record and the fastest lap set at the track during an F1 race weekend. Here’s the information for Monza, for example:
Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy – circuit information
As you can see for this track, both the fastest lap set during the race and in another session were set during 2004.
This also reflects the example you picked out for Monaco:
Monte-Carlo – circuit information
There are several of reasons why lap records generally aren’t falling at the moment: the cars have smaller engines, aerodynamics are more restricted and there’s no tyre war. Plus, the banning of in-race refuelling means race lap times tend to be slower. More on that here:
The end of the pursuit of speed
I hope my reply made that less and not more confusing!
7th March 2012, 22:54 at 10:54 pm #195137David-AParticipantBecause the track records only count fastest laps in a race.
EDIT: Beaten to it by 5 seconds!
8th March 2012, 13:14 at 1:14 pm #195138Drew from AlabamaParticipantThanks for that simple answer! I never thought it was taken from race only laps… I have raced dirt late models most of my life here in the states. Most of the track records I know of are usually set in qualifying. It’s the same with NASCAR, I think. BTW, Keith, this site is amazing and you are the master jedi of F1 journalist.
8th March 2012, 23:01 at 11:01 pm #195139Keith CollantineKeymaster@actshady That’s very kind, thanks!
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