Say goodbye to 19,000 rpm V8's

[Andy B]

It seems the 2.4ltr V8 is on its way out and the 1.6ltr 4 cylinder turbo is back.
The report on the BBC states that the teams have agreed to the change from 2013 including a 10,000 rpm limit. Is this the way to save money or is it just to attract new manufacturers?
I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9255871.stm

[PG_Gabriel]

hmmm.... Im looking forward to Indy's simalar engine, but personaly i think F1 should be all about big engines with big power! why not just throw turbos onto the current v8's? I think they should stop with the massive coast saving stuff, sure cut it a little, but its still the worlds premire racing leauge

[lkjohnson1950]

This isn't about power or speed, it's about "relevence". F1 wants to be a part of the auto industry's search for efficiency. Like NASCAR superspeedway engines, they will have restrictors. only instead of on the air inlet, they will be on the fuel flow. They will also feature KERS of some sort. It will be a contest to see who can make the most power under very limited conditions. I suspect they will start with less power than they have now, though anything is possible. Too bad because an unrestricted turbo could produce 12-1500 horsepower, which would be really interesting.

Lonny

[PG_Gabriel]

yeah, there should be another series like can-am, or somthing like the x1 in gran turismo. a series that has one goal, to go as fast as possible

[John S]

If the smaller engines means the cars become more responsive and the individual drivers input is more pronounced then I give it a cautious welcome. Perhaps limiting the power output may unwittingly help with this, less downforce will be needed to keep the cars on the track through the twisty bits. You never know proper overtaking might be back in fashion.

The last turbo era came through some engine builders being allowed to take a different view which then became the norm when they outclassed the normaly aspirated units. I myself would prefer engine builders to decide for themselves what is the best solution for winning an F1 race. However we have had fairly tight regs for some years on engines, therefore a completely new class of engine is an all to easy option, for the regulators, on the grounds that it will prevent a increasingly bitter and an undoubtably expensive arms race over differing power units. Still it would be a lot of fun having more than one type of engine out on track and seeing which is best suited where.

   

[Jericoke]

It's certainly tough to say good bye to the big engines... in many ways their roar is the defining characteristic of F1.

But, F1 is supposed to be about the most technologically advanced racing in the world... and anyone can make a massive V8 go fast.  Where's the innovation, the challenge?  So I do like that F1 is trying to be the leader in auto tech.  As silly as it sounds, I look forward to driving a family car with trickle down F1 tech!

[Scott]

1.4l Turbo?  I already have one - where's the innovation in that?  It pulls my 7 passenger mini-van up Swiss Alps with nary a glitch, but it's made by VW, and I doubt they copied much from F1 - more likely F1 will be copying from them.  Sorry, but the scream of featherweight V8's, V10's and V12's revving at 20k are cutting edge.  10k rpm 1.4l Turbo's are going to be like powering a shuttle to the moon with fireworks instead of rockets.

[Dare]

I have mixed feeling on this one.I'd like to see closer racing
with more overtaking like everyone else but if it's going to
sound like Scotty speeding to the nearest McDonald's drive-thru
I'm not so sure.

[John S]

Just a thought, if F1 is going to a 1.6 litre format what the hell are the GP2 and lower formula going to have  - Lawnmower engines? 

[Scott]

I have mixed feeling on this one.I'd like to see closer racing
with more overtaking like everyone else but if it's going to
sound like Scotty speeding to the nearest McDonald's drive-thru
I'm not so sure.

[cosworth151]

It's a very, VERY VERY bad idea! The last I heard, all of the engine manufacturers were against throwing truckloads of money at teeny, tiny turbos. Bernie's against it, so, hopefully, it will die a well deserved death.

F1 is supposed to be the top, the best. Bolting a turbo on a USAC midget racer engine is neither. (Sorry, I forgot. USAC midgets have 166 cid, 20 more than the current F1 V8's) Limiting revs to 19,000 was bad. Limiting them to 10,000 is insane!

F1 has never had massive engines. The 4 popper in my old Pinto mini stock (my current avatar) was the same displacement as the current F1 V8's.

It's bad enough that the 100th Anniversary Indy 500 will be the last. In 2012, it will be replaced with the Indy Minivan Endurance Run.  I hope they don't ruin F1, too.

Oh well, I guess I could stick a turbo on my Yugo and rename my race team Ecurie Appalachia F1.

[Dare]

I have mixed feeling on this one.I'd like to see closer racing
with more overtaking like everyone else but if it's going to
sound like Scotty speeding to the nearest McDonald's drive-thru
I'm not so sure.

[Scott]

[lkjohnson1950]

Since the Indy engines are less restrictive, we could see the IRL having more horsepower than F1. That hasn't happened for some time. According to Robin Miller, the goal at Indy is to change it so the drivers can't flat foot around all day. that would almost certainly mean the new engines will have more power than the current Hondas. And according to a veteran engine builder who has heard Offys, Fords, and V8 turbos; V6 turbos will sound just fine. The old Renault V6 turbos had quite a nice basso voce. At least you won't wonder if it's running like with the gas turbines!

Lonny

[cosworth151]

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it will still be a pig. The turbo Offys sounded like crap. The CART turbo Cosworths weren't much better. One of the big reasons that I, and many others, went with IRL at the time of the split was that it was turbo-free!

They'll still just be tarted-up minivan motors.