F1 cars to use electric power only in pits in 2014

[Holm86]

Hybrid technology in road cars, and supercars. Petrol ain't gonna last forever, embrace the future!

F1 isn't road cars. It has no relevance to road cars.

When was the last time you saw a single seat 18000rpm petrol V8 car with a semi auto box, no launch control, no traction control, no ABS, no EBD on the roads?

Road cars and single seaters are linked only by the fact they both have 4 wheels and a driver. That's it.

I'm getting increasingly p'd off with this whole "F1 must be relevant to rado cars" rubbish. When F1 cars have 7 seats, a roof and child seats in the back then they'll be relevant to road cars...

+100!!

[horse]

You know I'm a big believer in F1 being technology leaders and I like the idea of the formula leading the way in hybrid performance engine technology. That technology will no doubt include some start / stop and so it will be interesting to see F1 deal with this down the pit lane. No doubt some fancy firing system, no need for silly starter motors.

This is totally off-topic but I agree with Tozza Mazza and Pup on this one, if motorsport doesn't adapt to using alternative power sources (and bio-fuel aint a great one as the aircraft industry will use all of that) then basically there will be F1 burning the last very expensive petrol and no other racing series will exist as their tanks will all be dry. My point is that technology has to come from somewhere.

BACKTOTHEOP!

[Tozza Mazza]

Why do F1 cars need to burn petrol for no reason at 100km/h for about 40 seconds a race when speed is limited? They don't.

F1 innovations have made it into road cars before, and have an oppurtunity to pioneer high performance hybrids, let them, it's the future of the road cars.

If F1 doesn't change to look greener, politicians will get involved, and NO ONE wants that!

[King Six]

what if a car has a KERS failure with these rules?

Imagine having to save KERS just to drive through the pit lane.

What will they do if the electral drive is damaged in some way, and a car has to retire becuase it can't drive through the pits on electrical power.

Kinda problematic.

Might as well they make the mechanics go to the pit entry and push the car to the garage, then push it back out at the pit exit. Strongest and fastest pit crew gets the advantage in total pitstop time. Kinda like a bob seld, to add some green energy and spice to the show at the same time.

What if, huh?

It'll be just like the good old days then, back when Engine/Internal Combustion technology was new and we had reliability problems and everything, you'll get retirements, simple as. We just had a race where all 24 cars crossed the line. It's fair to say ICE technology is perfected, it's time to move on now to Hybrid technology and push that to its limits.

You have a few seasons of near-perfect reliability across the grid and suddenly people get used to it and start moaning that the new rules will cause retirements/problems.

[strad]

Hybrid technology in road cars, and supercars. Petrol ain't gonna last forever, embrace the future!

F1 isn't road cars. It has no relevance to road cars.

When was the last time you saw a single seat 18000rpm petrol V8 car with a semi auto box, no launch control, no traction control, no ABS, no EBD on the roads?

Road cars and single seaters are linked only by the fact they both have 4 wheels and a driver. That's it.

I'm getting increasingly p'd off with this whole "F1 must be relevant to rado cars" rubbish. When F1 cars have 7 seats, a roof and child seats in the back then they'll be relevant to road cars...

Hooray for you...+100...Thumbs up and all that!!

[strad]

F1 innovations have made it into road cars before

and which would those be? could you list them please.

[Just_a_fan]

Why do F1 cars need to burn petrol for no reason at 100km/h for about 40 seconds a race when speed is limited? They don't.

Excuse me? There is no need for racing at all. Full stop. Motor racing has no real purpose - it started as a way for rich guys with time on their hands to show off to each other. There is no higher purpose other than glorified willy waving. Once you realise that, the rest just falls in to place.

To pretend that running the pitlane on electricity makes a difference is just naive. It's window dressing. That's it. Where does that electricity come from? The engine burning petrol, that's where. "Ah" you say, "but the electricity comes from braking and is thereofre recovered energy". Yes, but lots of ebergy is wasted in making, accelerating and turning the electrical systems (motor, batteries etc.) so there won't be a net gain in the system. It costs petrol to use KERS et al.

The embodied energy in making an F1 car, getting it to the circuit, running the thing at the circuit then taking it all home again far out weighs any benefit from silly window dressings like running up the pitlane on battery power.

F1 is a huge waste of resources. Hell, 100,000s of people are dying in Africa each year from bad water and no food and you're worrying about how F1 needs to look road-relevant.

Get some perspective!

[PlatinumZealot]

F1 innovations have made it into road cars before

and which would those be? could you list them please.

I know it wasn't directe at me.. but the newer BMW engines have F1 DNA. Not necessarily the superficial technologies, but the materials the production methods, the structures...All the M engines are even made in the same factory as the F1 engines. Some of the lightest engines in their class on the planet too...wonderful engines.

You know the e60 M5 engine? There is a racing team who used it as a stressed member to mount the transmission.. unprecedented in a production sedan engine!

[WhiteBlue]

F1 isn't road cars. It has no relevance to road cars.

F1 is paid for primarily by sponsorships from car manufacturers, oil companies, tire companies, etc. and without their presence the sport would have zero basis as the "pinnacle" of motor racing, which happens to be the only thing that attracts all the other sponsors.

F1 is a tool for the auto industry, has been since day one, and always will be so.

Another time I have to call your voice as the one of reason. Will this ever stop?

[WhiteBlue]

Electric in the pit lane makes a lot of sense. The engineers, reporters and officials will develop less hearing problems over time. It will be a nice publicity stunt for hybrid power.

Actually the 2014 power train spec looks pritty advanced to me. We will have full dual torque mode without the silly push to pass and the engines will make a massive leap in terms of efficiency and consumption.

Hat off to Jean Todt and his team for pulling this off. A step in the right direction and a massive shot in the arm for F1. Based on that power train spec F1 will attract more automotive players and more corporate international sponsors in the future. Good for our favourite sport, no doubt about it.

[strad]

Horse:

then basically there will be F1 burning the last very expensive petrol and no other racing series will exist as their tanks will all be dry

Now see...THAT would be F1. =D>