RE: Next-Gen F1 Cars Will Be Electric (In The Pits)
Monday 25th July 2011
Say goodbye to F1 cars screaming down the pitlane: F1 cars are to be powered solely by electricity in the pitlane from 2014 onwards, once the new turbocharged six-cylinder layouts come into force.
Next-Gen F1 Cars Will Be Electric (In The Pits)
All-electric pitlane running from 2014 onwards, says FIA
According to rule 5.19 of the revised technical regulations "The car must be run in electric mode (no ignition and no fuel supply to the engine) at all times when being driven in the pit lane."
In order to shove the F1 grid along on electric propulsion alone during visits to the garage, the cars' KERS systems will be uprated to 120KW. That's 160bhp and twice what the KERS systems currently provide - so will make up quite a significant proportion of the next-generation F1 car's power.
So is this the end of F1 as we know it? Or the beginning of the end? Perhaps it's the end of the beginning...
We suppose there's one positive way of looking at it: all we need is to invent an effective anti-gravity system and F1 could become like that classic 90s computer game Wipeout...
Discussion
What happens if you have a KERS failure and you haven't yet made your final pit stop, do you have to retire from the race?
When you think how many KERS failures we have seen this year, it could remove a number of people from the race who are still in cars that are running well on track just because they have introduced a rather pointless new rule.
When you think how many KERS failures we have seen this year, it could remove a number of people from the race who are still in cars that are running well on track just because they have introduced a rather pointless new rule.
vit4 said:
Welcome to the future
And it sucks!!I had hoped (rather optimistically) that the turbo engines would have also brought with them the 1980's style boost buttons to replace KERS. Even if this wasn't the case I had hoped we'd see the end of KERS but clearly not looking at this report
I stopped watching F1 when Max Mosely became a tribute to an infamous celebrity from the past with his fellow 'friends'...F1 isn't a sport its a mafia. All these rules and changes iron over that fact. Its innovating yes but truth is the electic rule will make cars heavier slowing them down providing more inertia to fight through the corners.
EcosseBMW said:
I stopped watching F1 when Max Mosely became a tribute to an infamous celebrity from the past with his fellow 'friends'...F1 isn't a sport its a mafia. All these rules and changes iron over that fact. Its innovating yes but truth is the electic rule will make cars heavier slowing them down providing more inertia to fight through the corners.
Meh. Heard much the same arguments when KERS was introduced. Can't we just have some racing please? Please? Isn't that meant to be the point of F1? I don't understand this constant messing with the regulations. I get the need for the safty rules to stop the drivers being killed. I get that it can't _all_ be just about speed, that ground effect was probably dangerous, that letting teams have unlimited power would probably be dangerous... I get that... but what actual RACING purpose does this serve? How is it going to make the racing better?
tux said:
NoGutsNoGlory said:
Does this mean the engine will be turned off ? How will they start it again :S
Built in starter motors are coming back. Today seems to be, post month old storys as breaking news on pistonhead day. all that's being done is to use the KERS motor to start the engine.
interestingly, if you follow this though, the KERS motor is on the front of the engine, so to drive the car on KERS only, it's still got to 'motor' the engine...
other issue is that if the engine actually stops turning, so does the hydraulics, which means the gearbox/throttle/clutch/etc. all stop working...
I wonder what the idea when the car is stationary during a pit stop will be? if the engine is not turning, then how does the car make it's get-away?
if it's purely on the KERS motor, then one would assume 1st is already engaged before the car stops, and the KERS motor has to then 'drag' the car+engine from rest to pit-lane speed, and even with 160Hp Kers, that's not going to be anything like as fast as currently....
this also raises the question of what to do if the cars KERS fails during a race?
PS. I am assuming one of the outcomes of this is no longer will there be a need for a hole in the back for the starter, thus another aero loophole is closed off....
The Danimal said:
This isn't new. I remember electric F1 cars in the 80's... they ran on a figure of eight track on my bedroom floor.
My 3 Year old was playing his set last night, funnily, he miss pronounces it 'Scary Electrics' and that about sums this story up, please don't kill F1 and Motorsport just yet!Scuffers said:
no they aren't...
all that's being done is to use the KERS motor to start the engine.
The regulations don't say that though. All it says is this:all that's being done is to use the KERS motor to start the engine.
5.18 Starting the engine :
It must be possible for the driver to start the engine at any time when seated normally at the
wheel and without any external assistance.
There's nothing specified about how they do this so they can use whatever method they choose.
Steve126 said:
What happens if you have a KERS failure and you haven't yet made your final pit stop, do you have to retire from the race?
When you think how many KERS failures we have seen this year, it could remove a number of people from the race who are still in cars that are running well on track just because they have introduced a rather pointless new rule.
I was just going to say this. Red Bull basically didn't have KERS for the first few races of this season. Does that mean they can't pit?When you think how many KERS failures we have seen this year, it could remove a number of people from the race who are still in cars that are running well on track just because they have introduced a rather pointless new rule.
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