Engine Cheaters

[m3_lover]

How long do you think it will be before the team with the worst engine seeks a dispensation from the FIA (bowing before King Max and groveling like a smurf) for some performance enhancing modification? How long will it be before the teams accuse their rivals of making secret changes to their engines? Who will be the first team to be accused of cheating? All it will take is some team to "improve" a bit more than they "should" before the accusations fly.

And just how many teams will shut down their engine research depts? My bet is that they will continue to run unabated all working on "fuel economy" (a politically correct cover story if there ever was one), on management systems/emissions, on lubricants/metalurgy for "reliability" or they will even claim to be working on their 2011 engines.

And finally, how long will it be before the freeze is found to be unworkable just like the traction control prohibition? Just another bad idea foisted upon the teams by Mad Max the tyranical evil dictator.

[Mikey_s]

My crystal bal tells me;

How long do you think it will be before the team with the worst engine seeks a dispensation from the FIA (bowing before King Max and groveling like a smurf) for some performance enhancing modification?

Approx 30 minutes after the finish of the first race (although there was a slight suggestions that it could be just after first quali )

Who will be the first team to be accused of cheating?

Two possible answers; Ferrari (80% certainty), the winner of the first race (20% certainty); On the basis that the winner of the first race will prolly be Ferrari I think the outcome is clear

And just how many teams will shut down their engine research depts?

0 +/- 0, just as you say... they will undoubtedly be looking at skirting round the rule book

And finally, how long will it be before the freeze is found to be unworkable just like the traction control prohibition?

mid season... at the latest

My 2c!

[DaveKillens]

It's the nature of competitors to accuse anyone who appears to have an advantage. And how can this be verified? Engine designs are closely guarded secrets, only a very few within the FIA will learn about the secrets inside each engine. If someone suddenly found a 5% increase in performance on the track, eyebrows will be raised.......and questions will go unanswered...

[G-Rock]

Yes I agree Dave but the likelyhood of such an increase is very small. Performance gains come in small increments, especially if the gains would have to come from some secret program.
Last year I believe the gains were about 20-30 hp for most teams. It doesn't tranlate to much gain on the track though as it comes at the expense of a flat powerband, driveability, durability and fuel economy. Most teams would only use that extra power for a few laps anyway.
Now that the rpm limit is imposed, there shouldn't be any power gains possible. They could play with coatings to reduce friction maybe, and some camshaft designs for increased low end power for tracks like Monaco but i think the main focus will be on driveability and durability.

[DaveKillens]

In the pursuit of increasing reliability and increased efficiency from an engine, a program of evolution has to happen. For instance, if a crankshaft main journal diameter could be reduced by just 1 mm, it would result in a very small decrease in frictional losses. The initial design can be tweaked by such minor revisions to result in a powerplant refined on a constant basis.

[Venom]

Ferrari. Because they have the best engine.

[BreezyRacer]

I would say that the most important change that an engine freeze brings us is the possibility of more comparitive customer engines. Compare for instance the Red Bull Ferrari motor to the Ferrari team's Ferari motor. Last year there was a vast difference.

This year I would imagine customer engines will be much closer to the team's engines, and I consider that a good thing. Engines are just lumps after all.

I wouldn't even mind seeing F1 go with a spec motor one of these days. We're really at the point now that the difference between the best and worst is probabaly no more than a 3% difference, and less than that once you consider torque to horsepower, etc.

Just look at what Toro Rosso did with the V10 and a restrictor last year. Reliable inexpensive performance, and fast enough for everything but qualy, where other teams were able to increase rev ranges for that short period.

[nudge]

I would say that the most important change that an engine freeze brings us is the possibility of more comparitive customer engines. Compare for instance the Red Bull Ferrari motor to the Ferrari team's Ferari motor. Last year there was a vast difference.

I wouldn't even mind seeing F1 go with a spec motor one of these days. We're really at the point now that the difference between the best and worst is probabaly no more than a 3% difference, and less than that once you consider torque to horsepower, etc.

apart from the contradiction, a single spec engine series would kill off F1 for sure in my opinion. the road map for the future would seem to suggest that there is no chance whatsoever of that happening anyway.

And finally, how long will it be before the freeze is found to be unworkable just like the traction control prohibition?

TC was never uncontrolable, the FIA just went about it all wrong....untill now, where they can control it perfectly easily with the Spec ECU

[BreezyRacer]

apart from the contradiction, a single spec engine series would kill off F1 for sure in my opinion. the road map for the future would seem to suggest that there is no chance whatsoever of that happening anyway.

I was not advocating a spec engine, only saying it wouldn't bother me or probably most fans to see it happen. I believe that the manufacturers would decide to stay in the series for marketing purposes.

It might even bring more mfg sponsors into the fray. Remember why mfrs walk away .. it's because of the enormous expense and the long times it takes for any factory to rise to the top. With a spec engine F1 would look more appealing, for instance to Ford/Jaguar.

Again I'm not saying I advocate a spec engine but a spec engine might not be all bad. I guess F1 is starting to go in this direction with the opening up of customer chassis. With enough reason, in the future a team could could be formed by buying out lots of components and be on the track in a year. And who hasn't rebadged an enigne these days?