Cosworth engine no advantage in 2010 – Head

[John S]

The Rev limit has been raised as an issue ahead of Cosworth return however in this piece Patrick tells it how it really is, after all Williams ran this Cosworth unit in their cars and have a current generation rev limited Toy to compare it with.

It is not true that small teams equipped with Cosworth engines next year will enjoy an unfair technical advantage.

That is the insistence of Williams' Patrick Head, amid a recent controversy between FOTA members and the FIA about Formula One's mandatory 18,000rpm rev limit.

The FIA is proposing that, with Cosworth returning to F1 in 2010 as a supplier of cut-price engines to independent teams, the British engine maker be allowed to run with unlimited revs.

Cosworth last raced in F1 with Williams in 2006, when its 2.4 litre V8 on occasion surpassed the 20,000rpm barrier.

But while a 2,000rpm bonus might seem like a huge advantage for new entrants US F1, Campos and Manor next year, Head insists other drawbacks of the Cosworth will more than offset the benefit. 
 
The Briton insists F1's Formula One Teams' Association should have ‘no fear’ of the four-year-old Cosworth, while FIA President Max Mosley worries that with a rev-limit, the engine will be sorely off the pace.

"The (2006) Cosworth engine uses clearly more fuel than the current engines," Head is quoted as saying by Auto Motor und Sport. "The cars will have to carry 15 kilograms more (fuel) for a race distance. That means half a second on the lap time and higher tyre wear.”

© CAPSIS International

[cosworth151]

Cosworth engines are always an advantage! 

[Jericoke]

Aren't all the other engines supposed to be a 4 year old spec too?

[cosworth151]

The rev limit was put in place in 2007 - just after Cosworth was squeezed out of F1. It was at first set at 19,000 revs, then lowered to 18.000.

[Jericoke]

The rev limit was put in place in 2007 - just after Cosworth was squeezed out of F1. It was at first set at 19,000 revs, then lowered to 18.000.

Right, but the rev limited engines were the 2006 engines, weren't they?

I remember Minardi running the rev-limited V10 while Williams had the new V8

[cosworth151]

That was only because Minardi couldn't afford to adapt its cars to the then-new 2.4 liter V-8 engines. The larger V-10's were rev limited as a handicap.

[Alianora La Canta]

Still, the point is that Cosworth could use a rev-limited 2006-spec engine with no extra R&D costs because it already has one.

This is two-tier through the back door.

[Jericoke]

Still, the point is that Cosworth could use a rev-limited 2006-spec engine with no extra R&D costs because it already has one.

This is two-tier through the back door.

I had the years off by one... Cosworth last ran in 2006... the STR used a revlimited 2005 V10, while Williams ran a V8.  At the end of 2006 engine development was frozen.  The current Renault, Toyota, Ferrari, Mercedes and BMW (and Honda) should be the same design as 2006, just rev limited.

Of course, we presume Cosworth dropped out because the engine wasn't up to snuff.  It would be unfair to stick teams with an inadequate engine.  STR didn't have any advantages running the V10.  I'm guessing that any advantages the new teams gain from running an unlimited Cosworth will be washed out by their inexperience.

If I'm wrong with that assumption, we'll see NASCAR style rule changes against Cosworth.