After much grumbling from the engine manufacturers and F1 teams, the new “environmentally friendly” F1 engines will not be seen until 2014. Quite frankly, for F1 to talk about being environmentally friendly is a total farce. The amount of carbons or CO2 or whatever released by 24 cars over an entire weekend would come nowhere near that thrown into the atmosphere by Bangkok busses in a morning.
Race organizers were also not in favor of the new engine, which was initially to be a 1.6 liter four cylinder. Their worry was that the same noise, and attraction, would not be present in the smaller engined cars.
F1 engine
The decision to switch from four cylinder 1.6 liter engines to be mandatory in 2013 to V6s of the same size a year later was made by F1 bosses last week and following a fax vote the switch was ratified by the World Motor Sport Council. “The new power plant will be a V6 1.6 turbo unit with energy recovery systems,” read the World Motor Sport Council statement. “This new formula will come into effect as from the start of the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship season.”
Bernie Ecclestone (the power behind F1) was against the switch to the new engines from the current 2.4 liter normally aspirated V8s, as he said there would be a lot less noise and as a result be less exciting to watch.
In a move to quell Ecclestone’s and the race organizers’ fears that such a measure will see a drop in attendance figures, the maximum rev limit of the engines will be increased to 15,000 from 12,000. Amazing!
Once again, the FIA shows its ineptitude. The current engine formula has produced engines that will last several races before being refreshed. The power is adequate. The noise is fine. Why can’t they just leave things alone?
