F1technical.net

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/91107
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/91108

Another customer engine supplier, good. Not so sure about the front man.

Let's get this right from the get-go. The name is PURE - it is an acronym for Propulsion Universelle et Recuperation d'Energie.


Aside from the on-track competition, I'm wondering if PURE will be a competitor primarily for Cosworth's customers, or if they will offer a strong enough package to muscle in on the manufacturers' customers.


Has anyone seen any mention of who they'll be partnering with for the KERS element? Or will it be in-house too?
I don't speak French but that name sure looks like it embraces energy recovery too.

Firstly, PURE is a sh!t name, LITERALLY : the men who collected dogs mess for victorian tanneries were called "collectors of the pure" ... that doesn't sound like a good omen

On a more serious note : It is hard enough to build a competitive engine when you are a global car corporation that has been doing this for decades. I have serious doubts about whether a brand new start up could build anything competitive and I am sure that no team manager worth their salt would think it was worth the risk.

That is unless PURE is a cover brand for a much bigger manufacturer who wants to keep a low profile ... kinda like how the TAG engine of the 80s was really a commissioned Porsche.

I don't see this project becoming anything other than a gigantic waste of money, but stranger things have happened.

Mecachrome has been building engines for ever, and this quote:

"There is a large-scale sized team of people, but the main designer at the moment - the person driving it forwards - is Boudy. He is ex-Renault and Peugeot and designed all the four-cylinder turbo-charged engines for Renault."

You make it sound like they contracted some circus clown to make engines. The article makes it sound like they have found some people with good and varied experience.

It's also a smart time to come in, because you are starting on equal footing with established engine manufacturers. If you do well, since this is a GRE format, you can build for other series as well.

On closer investigation, it looks like Mecachrome has invested quite heavily.
They are manufacturing & building the engines, plus they've invested with D2T in creating TEOS Engineering to separate the design arm.

January 10, 2011: Creation of TEOS Powertrain Engineering


But Jean-Pierre Boudy??
So the guy was involved in Peugeot's F1 engines in the 90's.. and yes, Renault turbo engines in the 70's!
Surely the tech has changed a hell of a lot since then.
I'd have thought a bit of poaching from current engine manufacturers would be more beneficial.

There's not anything to indicate that Boudy hasn't kept up with the evolution of turbo engines in recent years.

Giblet wrote:Mecachrome has been building engines for ever, and this quote:

"There is a large-scale sized team of people, but the main designer at the moment - the person driving it forwards - is Boudy. He is ex-Renault and Peugeot and designed all the four-cylinder turbo-charged engines for Renault."

You make it sound like they contracted some circus clown to make engines. The article makes it sound like they have found some people with good and varied experience.

It's also a smart time to come in, because you are starting on equal footing with established engine manufacturers. If you do well, since this is a GRE format, you can build for other series as well.

Meccachrome didn't exactly do brilliantly on the last occasion that they were in F1 without manufacturer backing, and that was when they had inherited the previous season's championship winning engine design from Renault.

I never said that they had zero experience, but I have serious doubts about whether they can build anything that competes with the big boys. Even Cosworth, who have more heritage than Meccachrome will ever have, are having difficulty matching the other 3 engine manufacturers despite being allowed special exemptions from the V8 development freeze.

Once the reigns are off and the big 3 are developing their I4s, I cannot see how this consortium will be able to keep up. The only way that I can see PURE having a spot on the gird is if one of the big 3 pull out in protest over the new regs.

gridwalker wrote:Once the reigns are off and the big 3 are developing their I4s, I cannot see how this consortium will be able to keep up. The only way that I can see PURE having a spot on the gird is if one of the big 3 pull out in protest over the new regs.

Pretty much the only reason i can see them joining onto the grid.

To think all the names we have had in F1 that have produced an engine that wasnt half bad, but still wasnt compeditive, i think this is looking like its gonna be the same route.

Lets face it, Renault and Mercedes have already designed their base model for the I4s; and Ferrari, altho they havnt said anything but the current engine is fine and there are other solutions, im sure will be at the same stage. Even Cosworth has a design on the drawing board as well.

Im sure there will be other manufacturers come to the fore in months to come, but the current brood of engine manufacturers i feel will be the ones to carry thrugh to 2013 with the new Inline 4 Turbos with the next new manufacturer coming in in 2014 or 2015.

However, the wildcard of a new 13th team joining in 2013 is still out there as there is to be a new team to join the grid then, so that could be the curveball, a 13th team to take a PURE engine.

ESPImperium wrote:
Lets face it, Renault and Mercedes have already designed their base model for the I4s

Sure about that?

Why design one? Just get one from a WRC team.

Rob01 wrote:Why design one? Just get one from a WRC team.

Because WRC and F1 cars have different needs from their engines.

I was being sarcastic. My point was that F1 shouldn't be running a saloon series engine.

Rob01 wrote:I was being sarcastic. My point was that F1 shouldn't be running a saloon series engine.

Why not? If you can make a straight 4 twin turbo + KERS produce near enough 700 bhp it sounds ideal.

The launch of PURE is surely a good thing as F1 can always use competition on the engine sector. The worrying thing is the identity of their boss. Pollock IMO is one of the most useless men ever to walk the F1 paddock. His only ability is burning money to no purpose. I hope he is just talking head for better people who will keep in the background.

He is burning money for no purpose as we speak. FOTA is not going to agree to the new engine formula. The majors are not going to put up with a saloon engine. If for some reason it happens, Formula One should lose it's F1 designation.