There are many changes for 2014, so Adrian Newey will have to really sharpen his pencil.
The 2014 season will see the introduction of a new engine formula, with the return of turbocharged engines for the first time since 1988. The new engines will be a 1.6 litre V6 format with an 8-speed semi automatic gearbox. The rules dictate the use of a ninety-degree engine bank, with fixed crankshaft axis and mounting points for the chassis, while the engines will be limited to 15,000 rpm. Individual engine units under the 2014 specifications must last for at least 4,000 km before being replaced, in comparison to the pre-2014 engines, which were required to last for just 2,000 km.
The Kinetic Energy Recovery System (known from 2009 to 2013 as KERS, and renamed from 2014 as ERS-K) will be incorporated into the design of the engine and its usage increased; its function as a supplementary power source will be taken by the introduction of the heat-based Energy Recovery System (ERS). The ERS unit captures waste heat as it is dispelled from the exhaust turbocharger, using an electrical device known as a Heat Motor Generator Unit. This waste heat is stored as an electrical charge until it is utilized by a complementary system called the Kinetic Motor Generator Unit. This device is connected directly to the drive train to deliver the additional power in the most direct and efficient way. In combination with the ERS-K it will give drivers an additional 161 bhp (120 kW) for thirty-three seconds per lap, compared to the KERS units used prior to 2014, which gave drivers 80 bhp (60 kW) for six seconds per lap.
Teams will be able to use electronic braking devices to manage the braking of the rear wheels as the increased power output of the ERS-K units will make regulating the brake bias much harder than previously.
Drivers will only be able to use five engines over the course of a season in 2014, down from eight in 2013. Drivers who use a sixth engine will start the race from pit lane, as opposed to the ten-place grid penalty handed down for going over the engine quota in previous season. In the event that individual elements of the engine unit – including the turbocharger, ERS unit or KERS battery – are replaced, drivers will incur a ten-place grid penalty.
The pit lane speed limit will be reduced from 100 km/h to 80 km/h.
There are other changes, but mainly relate to the bodywork and exhaust placement.
