MotoGP bike beats Formula 1 car on ice
Red Bull staged an unusual race on a frozen lake in Wisconsin, USA, pitting a Formula 1 car against a MotoGP bike, a rally car, a racing pickup truck and a snowmobile. Dani Pedrosa won on a KTM RC16, leaving former Formula 1 driver Patrick Friesacher in second place. The race showed that on ice, the result depends not just on engine power, but above all on tyre grip, vehicle weight and driver skill.
Five racing machines in temperatures of -17 °C
The Ultimate Winter Race took place on a frozen lake in Eagle River, Wisconsin, where the air temperature fell to -17 °C.
Taking part, and dutifully sipping energy drinks, were Patrick Friesacher in Red Bull’s world championship-winning Formula 1 car, Dani Pedrosa on a KTM RC16 MotoGP bike, Scott Speed in a Subaru WRX rally car, Gunnar Sterne on a Ski-Doo snowmobile and Andrew Carlson in a Pro 4 racing pickup truck.
All the vehicles received tyres adapted for icy conditions, along with revised suspension and drivetrain settings.
To make the contest more evenly matched, the organisers used routes of different lengths. The snowmobile, for example, had to complete the longest lap, while the Formula 1 car and motorcycle could take shorter routes.
Pedrosa’s KTM gets more than 500 metal studs
The MotoGP bike required the most extensive modifications, as its tyres and suspension are normally designed for dry asphalt.
Pedrosa’s KTM RC16 was fitted with 207 metal studs in the front tyre and 300 in the rear. Engineers reduced the suspension travel, replaced the carbon brake discs with steel discs and adapted the engine management for cold weather.
The changes provided grip in conditions where conventional circuit racing tyres would have been virtually useless.
The Formula 1 car also received special studded tyres and a revised ride height. Friesacher said his biggest difficulties were understeer and a lack of traction when exiting corners.
Lightweight motorcycle beats more powerful rivals
The Formula 1 car showed very good pace in the heats, but in the final Pedrosa was able to exploit the KTM’s low weight and greater manoeuvrability on narrow sections of the course.
The Spaniard took the lead at the start and held it to the finish. Friesacher finished second.
Pedrosa said the start proved decisive. Building an early lead allowed him to ride more cautiously through the trickier corners.
The snowmobile was in its natural environment on the ice, but its longer route offset its technical advantage.
The result cannot, however, be taken as proof that a MotoGP bike is generally faster than a Formula 1 car on ice. The different course lengths, tyres and vehicle modifications made the race primarily a technical demonstration.
Grip proved more important than power
Formula 1 cars derive much of their cornering speed from aerodynamic downforce, but its effect is more limited at lower speeds and on slippery surfaces.
On ice, mechanical grip provided by the tyres’ metal studs becomes decisive. High power can even be a disadvantage if the wheels cannot transfer torque to the surface.
Racing on ice with studded tyres is nothing unusual in motorsport, but a contest between a MotoGP bike and a Formula 1 car remains a rare spectacle.
Red Bull’s experiment clearly showed how differently racing machines behave in conditions for which they were not originally designed.
