F1 teams are already preparing the
1.6- liter V6 turbos for 2014.
What will it mean for the fans?
The workload has never been greater for
Formula One’s 11 teams. Alongside the 24-hour shifts required to finish their
2013 cars, they’re preparing for the biggest shake-up in the technical
regulations this century.
The
workload has never been greater for Formula One’s 11 teams.
A new engine formula for 2014 will see the
current 2.4- liter naturally aspirated V8 replaced by a turbocharged 1.6- liter
V6 with a much greater dependency on energy recovery (ERS). Engine power will
remain roughly the same, but the power delivery and the packaging of the new
engine will be completely different.
‘We have a lot of different development
programs going on at the moment,’ says McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe.
‘Alongside the work on the current car, which we launched at the end of
January, we are running a parallel development program for the 2014 rules.
There’s a lot to look into: the energy recovery, packaging, new aerodynamic
rules - and other smaller changes. We’ll increase the amount of resource given
to 2014 as the year progresses.’
Three engine manufacturers Ferrari,
Mercedes and Renault already have V6 turbos running on their dynos, and two
more (Honda and Porsche) are believed to have R&D programs on the go. We
were given a sneak preview of Mercedes’ V6; here’s what we learnt.
Will the V6 sound good?
The engine will be a tad quieter than the
current V8 due to the turbo and the lower rev limit, but it will still produce
a deafening roar because all six cylinders will run into a single tailpipe.
‘People like loud cars,’ says new Mercedes
driver Lewis Hamilton. ‘It’s important that the cars retain their current
levels of noise.’ Having heard the engine running at Brixworth, we can confirm
that there’s nothing to worry about!
How will the new V6 compare with the
current V8?
Power output will be similar, at around 560kW,
but the V6 will have more torque thanks to the turbo (which will be limited to
125 000rpm). The new engine will be limited to 15 000rpm, compared with
18 000rpm for the V8, but fewer revs won’t mean less performance.
‘The 2014 cars will have more power than
grip at corner exit, so we should see lots of power over-steer,’ says Andy
Cowell, boss of Mercedes High Performance Powertrains. ‘The cars will be
spectacular to watch, and the rules are a good technological challenge. With
these new power units, F1 is putting the “motor” back into motorsport.’
The
new engine will be limited to 15 000rpm, compared with 18 000rpm for the V8,
but fewer revs won’t mean less performance.
Will the racing be better?
The combination of over-steer on corner
exit, 33 seconds of ERS deployment per lap and reduced fuel consumption should
keep F1 predictably unpredictable. The biggest threat to the on-track action is
if one manufacturer steals a march on its rivals early on, but even if that’s
the case there will be at least three teams using each engine.
The V6s have to be homologated on 1 March
2014, but the FIA has said it will allow those who aren’t quite on the money to
make small adjustments to catch up. When the V8s arrived in 2006, we had a
thrilling title fight between Alonso and Schumacher, and there’s no reason that
can’t happen again.
Will the V6 be greener than the current
V8?
Yes, although the governing body has
decided to delay the introduction of an ‘electric pit-lane’ until 2017. Fuel
efficiency will be the biggest environmental gain because the 2014 engines will
be limited to 100kg of fuel per hour - 30% less than in ’13. There will also be
a new and improved Energy Recovery System. The current KERS system gives the
drivers an 60kW boost for 6.7s per lap; in 2014 they will have an extra 120kW
for 33.3s per lap. There will also be a greater onus on reliability because
each driver will have just five power units per season - three less than the
current limit of eight.
The
current KERS system gives the drivers an 60kW boost for 6.7s per lap; in 2014
they will have an extra 120kW for 33.3s per lap.
Will the best drivers shine?
Think Alain Prost in the mid-’80s because
F1 will once again be geared towards the thinking driver. For example, those
who are less aggressive with the throttle will gain through fuel consumption
and tire wear, which could be critical if the predicted wheel-spin
materializes. There’s also the question of utilizing the increased power from
the ERS for 33 seconds per lap. It all points towards the most intelligent
drivers doing best.
The life cycle of the V8:
The current V8 was introduced in 2006, with
no limit to the amount of development that could be carried out by the
manufacturers. Huge gains were made, the likes of Mercedes bringing in ten
upgrades during the season. To reduce costs, from March 2007 engines had to be
homologated and a rev limit of 19 000rpm was imposed. That figure was reduced
to 18 000rpm in 2009, when the eight-engines-per-season rule was introduced.
Since then the V8s have had to live with KERS and DRS, as well as alterations
to the torque curves and engine maps. ‘It’s been an enjoyable period,’ says
Mercedes engine boss Andy Cowell. ‘If we’d been allowed to run unrestricted
between 2006 and 2013, we’d be near 25 000rpm by now.’
