Are the v10 f1 cars of old quicker round a circuit than the new f1 cars of today?

Lets say catalunya, would the v10 f1 car be quicker?|||no every year an f1 car get quicker by 1/2 a second|||No. The old cars would be faster in straight line because they had more horsepower, but not in a whole track. Because current formula 1 cars are more aerodynamically efficient then the old cars and they are lighter.|||Depends on the race track. Catalunya is hard to compare because of the track changes during the V8 era. If we compare the technical Malaysia circuit, which has not changed we can get an idea. Obviously, track conditions vary year to year. I have not included the 2010 cars as the quali was wet this year. Here is a comparison with the fastest V10 F1 car ever, the Ferrari F2004.





2004: 1.33.074


2009 1.33.784





That's about 7 tenths of a second down on the V10s. That's not bad considering that the V10 had around 1000hp compared to the V8's 750(ish). Admittedly the V10 car had grooved tyres which really hurts lap times. But the 2009 cars have stronger regulations cutting aerodynamics, such as no 'winglets' and sculptured bodywork. The geniuses however manage to claw this back, and by now F1 cars are producing more downforce than they EVER have. That's what makes them so fast.





BUT, the V10s are NOT always faster. This year lap times have tumbled again. For example Vettel's pole lap at Australia was 2 tenths faster than Schumacher's 2004 record. The higher downforce, slick tyres and the smaller, lighter V8 engine makes the car handle better and gives a faster apex speed than the V10s. However, on the straights the V10s are quicker. At the high speed Monza you can expect them to be quicker by 3 seconds or more.|||No V10 cars back then are very heavy compared to today's standards of all aluminum engines, and the Computer management today are wayyy advanced.