Volkswagen Eyes Formula One
VW could build F1 engines for 2013
Not a VW F1 car
But VW, as its Porsche takeover proves, doesn't do things by halves. It wants to build race engines for more than just F1 teams, but only if the FIA's plans for a 'world' engine - where a common engine could be applicable to multiple categories - come to fruition.
VW's motorsport representative - Ex-F1 hand Hans Joachim Stuck - revealed VW's F1 ambitions to German magazine Sport Bild.
"We are waiting for the FIA's decision in respect of the use of a world engine for Formula 1," Stuck told Auto Bild. "If there is [a world engine], we will discuss whether to build it for Formula 1."
If VW goes into F1 it will most likely be in 2013 with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine combined with a re-born KERS system - that's when the current 2.4-litre naturally aspirated V8s are expected to die.
No other F1 engine manufacturers have expressed an interest in the FIA's 'world engine' idea.
I like the idea of a "World engine" but maybe F1 should stay special and used bespoke motors.
4-pot engines in F1. Are they kidding?
Walking across a field near Silverstone with my brother to the entrance, I hear an engine noise in the far distance.
Free practice is on and Jean Alesi has just nailed the Ferrari V12 out of Copse.
Not heard a sound like it since
But it should also have some relavance to the real world of motoring. The high revving engines of f1 have indeed inspired some epic road car engines,but seeing as the world needs to introduce greener smaller cars shirley turbo engines are the way to go.
Anyone who remembers the 1980's can remember the effect f1 had on road cars back then,every manufacturer jumped on the turbo bandwagon & road cars benifitted as a result.
My only wish would be for the powers that be to reintroduce a mandatory h pattern gearbox so we can move away from all of these flappy paddle efforts that take away a very important dimension to performance car driving!
Oh yeah & anyone else who remembers bmw's 4 pot turbo would hardly ever complain about the noise !
Racing should be for fun with fast and loud cars not ecomentalist hybrid cars trying to do do 150mpg.
It makes that much of a difference to you?
I couldn't really give a stuff if they race 3 cylinder hybrids as long as the cars are fast and the racing is good.
I'm nostalgic for the old V12 and V10 days but I'm also nostalgic for simpler cars, manual gearboxes and minimal aerodynamics. Times move on.
Racing should be for fun with fast and loud cars not ecomentalist hybrid cars trying to do do 150mpg.
A "world" engine shared with all sorts of formulas would be a bad idea. However 4 pot turbos are perfectly acceptable with the correct regulations around them (e.g. 1500cc piston engine. That's it for the engine regulations.)
As a consequence, my parents had to drag me away from my scalextric (no PS3 then!).
Is this really progress? At the rate the engines are being downsized the cars 5 years from now will have lawnmower engines that run on water.
Come on if the fastest way to get round a circuit is to run a 2000bhp W16 engine I want to see it. That is what F1 is all about, it is supposed to be the height of performance and engineering. The FIA are shying away from Bugatti Veryon type engineering and leaning towards running the next Toyota Prius round the track.
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