Bring back F5000

[mat777]

People seem to have been saying for a while that there is a lack of a "cheap" (its all relative) but still top-level formula of single-seater competition.
Why does someone not bring back F5000? Take some previous or pre-previous year F1 chassis, and install the powertrain from a Nascar (900bhp 5.7 V8). Complete the job with some fatter tyres, and pit the results against the current F1 cars in a few races of the F1 calendar. Fulfill the season by holding more races purely for F5k cars.

It would be exciting to see a return to the days of the Yank-powered bruisers storming away down the straights while the lighter, better handling F1 cars swarm them in the corners.

What do we think? Good idea or a championship best left in the history books?

[mat777]

Well what does an F1 engine make these days? 800hp? A Nascar engine makes 900bhp on carbs, with a half-decent injection system it might make 1000. Like the original F5000 cars, they would have a useful bhp advantage but obviously would not be as quick through the corners due to the weight and its distribution

[mat777]

REALIST123 said:

Yes, as I said, all but the top line series. If the likes of F5000 were brought back they would hardly be that so would need to be silenced.

But if it was brought back to run alongside F1 on the same grid for half the races in the F1 calendar (following the ethos of the original F5k) then it wouldn't need restricting

[mat777]

hornet said:

What about BOSS GP, or EuroBOSS as was?

I thought BOSS was an amateur (ie gentleman racers) series for obselete but still fairly modern F1 cars? Not a professional top-flight series like GP2, F1 etc

[mat777]

REALIST123 said:

mat777 said:

REALIST123 said:

Yes, as I said, all but the top line series. If the likes of F5000 were brought back they would hardly be that so would need to be silenced.

But if it was brought back to run alongside F1 on the same grid for half the races in the F1 calendar (following the ethos of the original F5k) then it wouldn't need restricting

Isn't that GP2 supposedly.

Do they run in the same race?

[mat777]

REALIST123 said:

Only just realised what you are suggesting. What a stupid fking idea. On the same grid?! You cannot be serious.

Anyway, we've already got Caterham and Marussia for that.

It wasn't such a stupid idea when they ran in the same races in the 70s, with a similar sized grid

John_S4x4 said:

Are these NASCAR engines up to the job of being a stressed chassis member - bolted to the tub or would you need an engine cradle ?
I presume the bigger tyres would also make the ride height higher and so the underfloor aero would be useless unless you run the same ride height the body was designed for... but you would have to redesign the whole suspension system to take into account the extra weight of the engine and gearbox anyways.

Might as well start with a clean sheat and go to Gould etc for a single seater.

I'm not sure how the old F5k had the engines fitted. But they were racing against DFV stressed block cars so either they were stressed as well, or developed a sufficiently competitive cradle system. I doubt it would be beyond the wit of a decent engineer to come up with a similar solution if required. Don't forget we're taking at least a 200hp advantage to counter any extra weight

As for the tyres - I meant wider, not taller

[ChemicalChaos]

Well, as much as everyone poo-pooed the idea, it looks like someone was listening. F5000 might just be on the way back!

(Ok, they're bespoke cars with their own series, but still!)

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/shouty-v8s-and-re...

[ChemicalChaos]

Great new video of it in action here:

https://www.facebook.com/AtSpeedImages/videos/1065...