Scotracer
June 8th, 2008, 03:16 AM
Formula 1 has for the past 50 years been the epitome of speed, glamour and excitement in the world of sport. It has held its head high as the technical masterpiece that it was. Through F1 alone we have seen a number of life-saving devises being developed; from ABS to traction control to seatbelts. Along with this you had ever advancing mechanical machines capable of ever-increasing speed and cornering capabilities. It was awe-inspiring, the rate of development.
Well, it used to be that way. F1 in recent years has turned into an overly political mess run by bureaucrats who should have retired decades ago, that are bringing my beloved sport into disrepute. Max Mosley, a self-involved, aged dinosaur with his own agenda overpowering this once noble sport, I am beginning to see the end of what I have watched with shiny eyes for almost 15 years.
Over the decades since its formation, F1 has evolved from frightening 10litre+ aircraft engined monsters to small, nimble oversized go-karts and, with the onset of aerodynamic understanding into what can only be described as very low flying aircraft. But one thing has remained constant through this process -- freedom to develop and grow within the regulations stipulated. Well, it saddens me to say but it looks like these days are numbered. With ever-increasing costs and an over-bearing, unjust environmental mindset it looks like F1 will be neutered and never be allowed to spread its seed again. In the last 10 years, the cars engines have been regulated from 1.5litre Turbo-charged missiles (in qualifying trim producing more than 1400BHP), to 3.5litre, smooth V8s and V12s to screaming 3.0l V10s once again approaching the 1000BHP barrier to finally what we have today, the 2.4l V8 strangled in its prime. This is demonstrated by this quote from Pat Symonds, Technical Director for Renault:
...we’ve got to integrate a modern engine, a cheap engine – because at the moment, unfortunately, we’ve frozen a very very expensive engine, an engine that’s capable of doing much more than it does at the moment.
That quote almost brings me to tears. What has my sport become that a top works team has to lay off its engine development workforce because the Bureaucrats feel that engine development is too costly? That's not Formula 1. The engines are strangled, strangled by archaic rules that are not in any way justified. These engines currently produce around 800BHP at their rev limit (rev limit in F1?!?!) of 19,000rpm. These engines were frozen in 2006 and will be for a further 5 years. It's pathetic. It makes me sick. I don't mind what the engine regulations are, as long as the designers are free to evolve the engines over time, making leaps and bounds over just a year previous.
And what does the future hold? In 2009, we have dramatically different technical regulations (ones which have STILL not been made accessible to those in the engineering profession -- myself included) which include a drastic drop in aerodynamic downforce (50% cut on todays levels) as well as more homologated parts (for the first time aero will be homologated in some form). On the bright side, slick tyres will be returning after their ban in 1998 (which was designed to increase overtaking but as ever by the FIA, it was a short-sighted move and it actually made the cars more nervous and made overtaking even more difficult). This should be some consolation for the reduction in aerodynamic grip and keep lap times on a similar level. Along with these changes, KERS (Kinematic Energy Recovery Systems) will be allowed to be used for the first time. This basically means F1 cars will be Hybrid. It is purely a political stunt and will not improve the racing in any form. The money wasted on this already old technology could have been put into something more cutting edge or useful for the sport.
For 2013 we have proposed changes to the powertrain once again. From the current 2.4l V8s we will likely change to 1.3l 4-cyl turbos with much more advanced KERS/HERS. I really do fear for this future as the trade mark this sport has held for the past 15 years has been it's distinctive sound. Gone will be the high-pitched, ear-piercing scream that the current cars, to be replaced by what I can only guess will sound like your average youth get together on a Friday night down the local Mall. Fast and the Furious meets F1. It's disgusting. If this all comes into play, with even more homologation and cuts, I will be done with the sport. It wont be F1. I barely is at this minute.
So, on the eve of the Canadian Grand Prix (which will most-likely be canceled because the damn Canadians can't even lay some tarmac properly) I will say this: F1, may you rest in peace - we barely knew thee.
Here lies F1 (1950-2006)
Well, it used to be that way. F1 in recent years has turned into an overly political mess run by bureaucrats who should have retired decades ago, that are bringing my beloved sport into disrepute. Max Mosley, a self-involved, aged dinosaur with his own agenda overpowering this once noble sport, I am beginning to see the end of what I have watched with shiny eyes for almost 15 years.
Over the decades since its formation, F1 has evolved from frightening 10litre+ aircraft engined monsters to small, nimble oversized go-karts and, with the onset of aerodynamic understanding into what can only be described as very low flying aircraft. But one thing has remained constant through this process -- freedom to develop and grow within the regulations stipulated. Well, it saddens me to say but it looks like these days are numbered. With ever-increasing costs and an over-bearing, unjust environmental mindset it looks like F1 will be neutered and never be allowed to spread its seed again. In the last 10 years, the cars engines have been regulated from 1.5litre Turbo-charged missiles (in qualifying trim producing more than 1400BHP), to 3.5litre, smooth V8s and V12s to screaming 3.0l V10s once again approaching the 1000BHP barrier to finally what we have today, the 2.4l V8 strangled in its prime. This is demonstrated by this quote from Pat Symonds, Technical Director for Renault:
...we’ve got to integrate a modern engine, a cheap engine – because at the moment, unfortunately, we’ve frozen a very very expensive engine, an engine that’s capable of doing much more than it does at the moment.
That quote almost brings me to tears. What has my sport become that a top works team has to lay off its engine development workforce because the Bureaucrats feel that engine development is too costly? That's not Formula 1. The engines are strangled, strangled by archaic rules that are not in any way justified. These engines currently produce around 800BHP at their rev limit (rev limit in F1?!?!) of 19,000rpm. These engines were frozen in 2006 and will be for a further 5 years. It's pathetic. It makes me sick. I don't mind what the engine regulations are, as long as the designers are free to evolve the engines over time, making leaps and bounds over just a year previous.
And what does the future hold? In 2009, we have dramatically different technical regulations (ones which have STILL not been made accessible to those in the engineering profession -- myself included) which include a drastic drop in aerodynamic downforce (50% cut on todays levels) as well as more homologated parts (for the first time aero will be homologated in some form). On the bright side, slick tyres will be returning after their ban in 1998 (which was designed to increase overtaking but as ever by the FIA, it was a short-sighted move and it actually made the cars more nervous and made overtaking even more difficult). This should be some consolation for the reduction in aerodynamic grip and keep lap times on a similar level. Along with these changes, KERS (Kinematic Energy Recovery Systems) will be allowed to be used for the first time. This basically means F1 cars will be Hybrid. It is purely a political stunt and will not improve the racing in any form. The money wasted on this already old technology could have been put into something more cutting edge or useful for the sport.
For 2013 we have proposed changes to the powertrain once again. From the current 2.4l V8s we will likely change to 1.3l 4-cyl turbos with much more advanced KERS/HERS. I really do fear for this future as the trade mark this sport has held for the past 15 years has been it's distinctive sound. Gone will be the high-pitched, ear-piercing scream that the current cars, to be replaced by what I can only guess will sound like your average youth get together on a Friday night down the local Mall. Fast and the Furious meets F1. It's disgusting. If this all comes into play, with even more homologation and cuts, I will be done with the sport. It wont be F1. I barely is at this minute.
So, on the eve of the Canadian Grand Prix (which will most-likely be canceled because the damn Canadians can't even lay some tarmac properly) I will say this: F1, may you rest in peace - we barely knew thee.
Here lies F1 (1950-2006)