They also work against power and acceleration in street cars, given the same engine, (ie is250 AWD vs. RWD). The AWD to me felt heavy and slower then the RWD. The RWD felt more nimble.

 

F1 cars use fat slicks. They wouldn't benefit from AWD because the slightly greater traction through a turn doesn't justify the huge addition in weight. It's just another intricate component that could give trouble as well.

AWD is great in general, year-round driving. I would love to have it in the winter and in rain. But cars you dream about rarely have it, save the Porsche turbo. It's not conducive to all-out performance, just better handling at the limit. It's a question of what you want.

 

Of course a street car, all things equal, will be a little slower ( in acceleration ) on dry pavement with AWD than with either FWD or RWD, just like a track car. But put even a tiny bit of moisture on the road with RWD, a lot of power, and wide, low-profile high-performance tires and watch what happens.....( the results are often not healthy ). All other things equal, the AWD car, under those conditions, will blow it away, particularly with all-season tires.