2006 produced plenty of 'crossovers' between
MotoGP and
F1, but the end-of-season Toyota Motorsports Festival at the Fuji Speedway Circuit saw an interesting flat-out duel between Norick Abe and
Ralf Schumacher...
While an F1 car, with its fearsome cornering speeds and tiny braking distances, would be untouchable over a full race lap, the much lighter MotoGP machines are a close match in terms of acceleration and often reach higher top speeds because the drag from the car's downforce-producing wings restricts ultimate speed.
In terms of machine specification, multiple grand prix winner Schumacher was driving his TF106, which weighs 600kg and produces approximately 740hp from its 2.4litre V8 engine. Former 500cc GP winner Abe, who raced in the World Superbike championship in 2006 but will return to being a Yamaha test rider next season, was steering an ex-
Valentino Rossi YZR-M1 featuring a 990cc inline four-cylinder engine that delivers approximately 240hp for a weight of just 148kg.
Therefore, in terms of power-to-weight ratio, the F1 car had approximately 1.23 horsepower per kg available while Abe's M1 enjoyed 1.62 hp/kg.
With that in mind, and with the Fuji clash taking place over a 600 metre straight-line sprint, the winner was hard to predict - but 'power is nothing without control' and wet weather at Fuji meant that the F1 car, with its larger tyres and two powered wheels, was expected to get at least an early advantage.
Both machines feature advanced traction control electronics, but Schumacher made a near perfect getaway while Abe's rear wheel stepped slightly sideways in the desperate search for grip.
"The start was crucial and Norick's MotoGP bike had a slight slide, while Ralf was able to make a good start," a Toyota spokesperson told
Crash.net, "afterwards both drivers' acceleration was well matched and it was a fierce fight on the wet track."
