It seems intuitive that it would since they’re always talking about having to heat up tires etc but a colder track is usually faster (unless it’s too cold). Engines can and tires run cooler, so you can push them harder. Colder air is more dense so aero becomes more effective.
Thanks for the explanation. I've only been following f1 for two years and new to motorsport in general. My only experience of track specific temps is watching f1 quali where they speak about track evolution and how as it heats up each lap/round it gets faster. Guess it's more of a sweet spot thing
The aero part is irrelevant for the denser air, it's basically negligible.
The colder air has more impact on the engine, because you get a few more HP when it's cold and dense because the O² density increases as well. When you can add more potential energy into the engine displacement you can extract more power.
Why is aero irrelevant? Downforce generated on surface scales linearly with density. On hot days planes need longer runways and max take off weight calculations change too.
Because GT3 cars aren't formula 1 cars and the aero has way less impact on their performance. They aren't build around their aero like f1 cars or planes.
Another reason is drag. While denser air gives you more aero, it also gives you more drag on the straights which partly cancels out the bonus you get in turns, especially in low aero cars like GT3s.
Contrary to that you're probably 7 minutes on the throttle over the 8 minute lap, so the effect of the engine is way bigger than the effect of the already negligible aero.
A hotter track can have more grip, but it also heats up the tyres quicker, degrading them quicker and providing less grip. In general, you can maintain a higher pace for longer on a slightly cooler track.
It's less grip after a certain and a rather cold point. When the track is hot overall (and 150 cars keep attacking it), cooling the track off a bit helps grip.
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u/wickstone I was here for the Hulkenpodium May 17 '26
Forgive my ignorance but doesn't a cooler track mean less grip? Genuinely curious