Are F1 engines so relaible now they are spoiling things ?

[MGJohn]

The modern F1 engines are now so very reliable that has the same effect as being boring. F1 badly need a radical and complete change of engine formula which has been relatively static for far too long and the only changes made being to reduce costs for the teams with smaller financial resources.

Another turbocharged era with say a smaller capacity of around 1.25 litres would see anything up to 1000 bhp in race trim. After all, in qualifying trim as long ago as back in the 1980s, the 1.5 litre turbocharged engines were putting out up to 1400-1500 bhp!

Yes, engine formulae has been far too static for far too long and that has reached a near 100% reliability level which removed that element of uncertainty from the cars.

A driver no longer needs that skill to both preserve and at the same time get the best out of an engine. That's all done for him now by modern technology so that skill is not really required even if it is there.

Look at any inboard footage of cars from bygone times and see how much harder the driver had to work, even in the best cars.

With the way things are now in the commercial world, benefits with be far better for the car consumers when the lessons learned filter through to ordinary production cars.

Worth discussing? Please do ...

[Logie]

Thought they were changing in 2014 to 1.6 litre 6 cylinder turbo engines? Although i read someome that the teams want atleast a V6.

Agree that they are too reliable, technology and design making them so good and reliable and the FIA restricting performance, kind of defeating each other there

[Streps]

F1 lost something when it dropped the V10..for me anyway.

They say it's to make it "greener" but it's complete rubbish,

The global impact of a load of 747's is far more than the cars running.


It's turbo V6 i think.... Hope they do not regret it.

I want to see F1 cars wound up so high they pop.
Peak performance available with the technology

Not making them grenade themselves is the challenge.

[hairykrishna]

The problem is the push towards standardisation between teams I think. I'd love to see just a limit on capacity to free them up for some innovation. The issue is then cost for the smaller teams I suppose. If traction control etc stay banned then freeing up the electronics again would leave those rules impossible to police.

[MrKipling43]

I would rather see drivers win and lose on merit than mechanical failures.

Having said that, the levels of reliability in Formula ONE (One, as in top, as in best, as in fastest) suggest that the performance is not extreme enough.

Basically, I don't think you should be able to buy road cars with significantly more power than a Formula One*. At the moment, there are several with very similar power levels and, when the next generation of hypercars from the big boys arrives (Fezza and Porsche), there will be two more. Even the new Aventador is only a 'zorst and a remap away from F1 power.

I am aware of how irrational this is by the way, but since when did rationality matter on PH motorsport boards.

• I don't mean that cars should be on sale with more power than F1, just that F1 should always be ahead of the curve.

[MGJohn]

MrKipling43 said:

I would rather see drivers win and lose on merit than mechanical failures.

Is there not merit in getting the most from an unrestricted engine without destroying it? I think there is. A skill many drivers but not all had mastered in previous era. Not much skill in flooring it every time safe in the knowledge that the ECU will ensure it will not go Pop! Much the same with gearboxes, the electronically controlled hydraulics do all that work for the modern drivers.

The engine management controls in modern F1 cars ensures that longevity and the very generous engine allowance for each driver also helps over the whole season. Very little driver skill involvement there. The gizmos do that for the drivers.

I'd also like four wheel drive to be taken more seriously in F1 unlike as in the past. It has been very successful in other motor sport areas.

I am under the impression that the current rulings and constraints on engine and other F1 specs have evolved to provide initial costs cappings to allow a more equal access to those teams with lesser financial resources. That is a whole different kettel of ball games.