Originally Posted by
KKBHH
A stiffer suspension is faster weight transfer, actually called load transfer since, like a go-kart, it's not very much due to body roll. And then faster load transfer is more traction on the turn-in. The problem is, how fast of a responding vehicle can the driver or rider handle ?
Also, faster load transfer works the tires harder and therefor the setup for a low-traction surface is a softer suspension.
Yes this is true, but not really the full story. A stiffer suspension will tend to increase dynamic tyre load variation when cornering, braking and accelerating, which in turn loses grip/traction (as tyre load vs grip is non-linear). It's complicated and optimum setup is pretty circuit dependent too. But the basic aim is to run as soft as you can get away with, rather than as stiff as you can, if that makes sense. This is coming from several decades experience of race engineering at the highest pro level (BTCC in the 90s and F1 from 2000-2010).