What do you think of the proposed V8 F1 formula?

I think it's stupid.
Plain and simple.

 

hope Ferrari knows how to build a V8

The V10 was a mongrel bred engine for one particular series and only appeared in trucks (and yes I include the vipers in that )

 

I wanna V-12!

 

Well, Bernie and the F1 teams have to do what they have to. I am not sure if this will actually pass. All teams, every single one of them have to agree. I am not sure Scuderia Ferrari and BMW Williams will let this go through.

V8 engines in F1, somehow I don't think that sounds right. And I am sure one of the ten teams will reject this crap. It only take one to put their foot down and say no.

 

Let's see now...........a Challenge Stradale produces 118bhp per liter of displacement from its normally aspirated V-8, more than any other normally aspirated V-8 from any other car company. It produces more bhp per liter than even the V-12 in the Enzo..............I think they'll do just fine!

 

I don't have a problem with them going to V-8s, just as long as they keep the power-to-weight ratio similar to what it is now. Knowing how quickly F1 moves ahead technology-wise, heck they'll be matching the current BHP figures in no time!

 

agreed Dan, it makes no difference what they do these guys will find a way to make the things get 1000hp, even if they reduce it to ONE cylinder and no forced induction was allowed you just know they would come with something ridiculous and powerful.

BTW I hope they don't run the Stradale engine

 

The FIA and Bernie, are eventually going to get bit in the ass by all this 'reorganization.' Bernie insists on making F1 into a grander spectacle, and the FIA continues to reassert its influence, by biting the hands that feed them; i.e., the major manufactures that support the series. If the annoy ferrari, MB, BMW, Ford, etc enough times with shotgun changes in engine formulae , specs and regs the people pumping 200million/annum into Bernie's TV conglomerate, are going to pull the plug. Glitz and glamour not withstanding. (You can see this already in the dropping LMP entries @ LeMans this year -- the FIA and ACO kept going back and forth about rules WRT the LMP classes, etc and a lot of groups resigned from entry in that class.)
If F1 is reduced into another spec series, what will be the catchet from which it'll derive its appeal? Why blow 200million on a spec racer F1 car, when you can run 'lower' international series, for less, and garner equal exposure and a consistent rule book?
What the FIA, et al should be looking at doing is droping the ridiculous entry bond for upstart teams, and to make appeals possible for new entrants to buy existing chassis' from the major teams; i.e., ferrari, williams, etc.
Rather than limiting the regs, and blunting the advancement of the sport, the gov. body should look into modes of creating avenues for the teams to generate (re)circulating revenue by sale of existing technology.
To revamp the regs and specs every season is, and will continue, to be more expensive -- what F1 (and every series need) is a consistent rulebook, a longer leash on development and a means for generating ind. revenue that is not dictated by the % the top boss (i.e., Bernie) decides to pay into the pot.

 

I agree 100%. F1 needs a consistent rule book. Bernie has his own agenda, and in all fairness I think each one of us would have our own agenda if we owned the rights to F1. I am not too sure what the future holds for F1, but I dont see a V8 anywhere in it! Atleast I hope I don't!

 

I am very much pro this engine size reduction ... 3 ltrs is way to big and out of step with the modern world. Enforcing it smaller will cause another step in advancement, etc.

I am though not a supportive of restricting or setting the number of cylinders ... that simply kills innovation. The v10 engine should never have been enforced, just the capacity.

BTW: All that are worried about the sound ... er, just watch a few tapes of only a few years ago and listen to the Cosworth engines, and then imagine them revving even harder ... they will sound real good don't you worry, infact I doubt whether you will tell the difference!

Remember guys a v10 engines crank is heavier than a v8, plus you have 2 more rods and pistons to accelerate and stop ... thus a v8 engine or the same cylinder size will do okay.

But again please FIA just set the engine size of 2.4 ltr's and let the teams use what ever they want ... 1, v2, 3, v4, 5, v5, v6, v7, v8, v9, v10, v11, v12, v16 ... who cares, each have their pluses and minuses.

Pete's opinion

 

I think 800bhp is about right. No need for this V8 nonsense.

Lap times of 2 or 3 years ago should be perfectly safe.

 

I guess the point is that all the development work they've done over the years still works...it will be the same engine with less displacement.

 

Yep that is the point ... just lop 2 cylinders off.

But I still cannot understand why the FIA are enforcing the number of cylinders since Ferrari switched to a v10 ???

Pete

 

The proposal is idiotic at best. It goes against everything that Formula 1 racing tries to inspire. FIA can limite the displacement all they want, but they should leave the configuration of the engines to the teams. If one specific configuration is not ideal, believe me, the manufacture will drop it before Bernie E. and Max M. finishes their afternoon tea. The teams wants to win, and let's let them do what they do best, which is using whatever current day technology has to offer and then add that to new ideas and new innovation, that is what Formula 1 is all about. You want close racing or passing, there are plenty of other types of racing series that provides that. The teams/manufactures will gravitate toward whatever works the best, as in the case of the 3.0 liters coupled with today's technologies and rules (ie. most importantly the mid-race refueling etc.) which resulted in the birth of V-10 engines in the early 1990's. As dominanting as Ferrari V-10 is today, they paid their dues in the past. They suffered through their shares of engine failures and their difficulties as they were actually one of the very last manufacture to use the V-10 setup. In other words, FIA should do a little soul searching themselve and realize that F1 is not IRL, not CART, not NASCAR, not Formula Ford, Saab, Renault, Atlantic or Kart. Maybe only then will FIA finally figure out that too much rules and regualtions will only drive the major manufactures away, hence biting the hands that feeds FIA.

 

Anthony,

I agree, but you need to understand that the FIA already set the number of cylinders. The reason they all make v10's is not because it is the best engine anymore but because they HAVE to.

For some reason the FIA now thinks engineers should not be allowed to think laterally (sp?).

Everything you said is 100% right, there is not need to set anything but the CC size ... but now they do!

Pete

 

I do realize that. I thought that they were idiots then and I think they are still idiots now with this crap !!

I do believe that at the time, most of the major manufactures had gone the ways of V-10s already. Honda and Renault started it all with Honda going to V-12s for one or two seasons and then back to V-10s when they re-joined the game. And I think Ford was going to develop their own V-10 before Benneton decided to go with Renault in 95'. MB purchased Chevelot/Ilmor which was already a V-10 by the time they joined with McLaren started to take Formula 1 racing seriously in the mid-late 90's. Ferrari had been testing their V-10 by 95' and by 96', a V-10 engine was bolted on the rear of the cars and MS was winning races with it. In fact, I think the only team that got short changed was Toyota, I think they were going to go with a V-12 initially but were forced to use a V-10 instead. Anyway, like you had stated on the earlier post, the rule was rather redundant for them to "limite the configuration" as they did. And that proves our point again, the rule to limit configuration is a IDIOTIC rule at best

 

Anthony,

I have nothing to add you have said it all and are 100% right.

The move to the v10 engine was natural evolution and how it should be. It is unusual to see such lack of risk taking and I do wonder if Toyota had been able to go v12 whether we might have seen a few other teams change ... to something else.

I believe that the dimensions of the chassis are so defined now that there is little freedom. No wonder there is so much focus on aero improvements as that is the one thing they can play with ... to a minor degree.

Oh so frustrating! In the old days if the racing sucked the clever ideas kept you going ...

Pete

 

If the main reason is to slow the cars down, why not?

 

I like it. Would bring back the lost connection imagewise to the production cars (not technologywise of course). Ferrari uses V8 in its street cars, but no 10 cylinders.

As a matter of fact, very few production cars have 10 cylinders, so an 8 cylinder (or 12 for that matter) series would be much closer to home. Emotionally that is.

 

on the nosey. any change that could possibly sift down to street level is a good thing. f1 should be about technology. any rule making things harder is good. it forces change and development and we all win in the end. i remember the 60's they got it done then, just think how we can do today.

 

The IRL has not used production based blocks in the last few seasons since it was costing the teams more than leasing a true racing engine that would not puke its guts out on to the track al the longer WFO races