F1 2017 car weight/engine power

All that has to do with the power train, gearbox, clutch, fuels and lubricants, etc. Generally the mechanical side of Formula One.
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eduonkhl
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Joined: 11 Mar 2016, 20:45

F1 2017 car weight/engine power

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F1 cars became heavier over the last years, espacially in the hybrid era. The rules say that the car must have a minimum weight of 722 kg and the engine must weight atleast 145 kg. But how comes that most cars weigh 728 kg and the mercedes even 733 kg including the drivers, lubricants eg.?

Also how much lighter could the cars and engines become if the rules wouldn't require a minimum weight and allow composite materials? Also why are the hybrids so heavy? I mean the engine is tiny with its 1.6l and only 6 cylinders. Compared to the cars from the 90s with a 3.5l V12 engine in the back only had 500 kg. I know that the batteries, mgu-k and mgu-h also add some weight but it can't be possibly more weight than double the engine size would be.

I have to admit I didn't like the new V6 turbo hybrids, not just because of the sound but also because of the car weight and poor engine power. However I think the 2017 cars are the most spectacular so far and the fastest ever built. So to my last question: How much power do you think these cars could produce with a fuel flow limit of 150 kg/h or even higher, would the rpm rise as most cars now have peak power at only like 12.000 rpm before dropping again and how big of an efficiency loss would that be with ultra lean mixtures having to be used in the race to allow full race distance and only QF allowing for max fuel rate?

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henry
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Joined: 23 Feb 2004, 20:49
Location: England

Re: F1 2017 car weight/engine power

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The latest version of the regs from March this year has :

4.1 Minimum weight :
The weight of the car, without fuel, must not be less than 728kg at all times during the Event.
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godlameroso
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Joined: 16 Jan 2010, 21:27
Location: Miami FL

Re: F1 2017 car weight/engine power

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henry wrote:
08 May 2017, 23:17
The latest version of the regs from March this year has :

4.1 Minimum weight :
The weight of the car, without fuel, must not be less than 728kg at all times during the Event.
With 100kg of fuel that's 828kg or ~162kg lighter than an LMP-1 car equally equipped.
Saishū kōnā

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Andres125sx
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Joined: 13 Aug 2013, 10:15
Location: Madrid, Spain

Re: F1 2017 car weight/engine power

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Today cars are the most powerful ever in race trim :wink:

Only 86 cars, in qualifying trim, were more powerful, but in race trim they were around 900bhp, while today many people is stating they´re close to 1000bhp

So I don´t think they need more power at all, what they need is the capability to push the whole race instead of being forced to save fuel, but that´s faster (a lighter car saving fuel to a heavier car wich can push the whole race) so we´ll have to live with it

J.A.W.
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Joined: 01 Sep 2014, 05:10
Location: Altair IV.

Re: F1 2017 car weight/engine power

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Bear in mind, that not only do to the current F1 mills have to be capable of prodigious power output on a meagre fuel ration..
..they must be robust enough to hack such high pressures for extended periods, & this per se - requires a - 'solid build'..
"Well, we knocked the bastard off!"

Ed Hilary on being 1st to top Mt Everest,
(& 1st to do a surface traverse across Antarctica,
in good Kiwi style - riding a Massey Ferguson farm
tractor - with a few extemporised mod's to hack the task).

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