Originally Posted by
PeteHski
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).
I have no idea if this guy was actually a crew member, an engineer or even a fan of any motorsport .... but have no reason to doubt him. And if he really does have the experience he claims, I certainly wouldn't debate him ... on suspension set-up, at least.
Having hung around motorsports for a few years, and having listened and maybe learned ..... what he says makes sense ---- sure, the physics can be interpreted a bunch of ways, but what really works on different tracks is what matters.
But .... bicycles.
This is another thread where someone became an expert after reading an article on the internet--and read it almost all the way through---, and was kind enough to enlighten us with the latest "knowledge."