Standard Engines In Formula 1?

[dominique355]

According to news from Formula 1, Ecclestone and Mosley are proposing a standard engine after 2010. This inorder to save cost.

It seems to me, Mosley and Ecclestone have gone completely mad.

- standard electronics (ECU)

- standard aerodynamics

- standard engines

what's next? Standard Chassis, standard driver, one single race track with 20 races?

I wonder what you Formula 1 fans think about this.

[Who, me ?]

Source please ?

F1 is actually a fantastic lab used to develop and optimize "normal" cars. Many improvements on our cars have been made thanks to F1. I believe that a "standard" engine in a F1 will not stay standard a long time, and will benefit to the car industry. Certainly there will be ways to keep race entertaining, or better, to make it entertaining...We now get bored with the current configuration. Race can be won or lost during pit stops, or because a steward has a bad day........

[steveromagnino]

Source please ?

F1 is actually a fantastic lab used to develop and optimize "normal" cars. Many improvements on our cars have been made thanks to F1. I believe that a "standard" engine in a F1 will not stay standard a long time, and will benefit to the car industry. Certainly there will be ways to keep race entertaining, or better, to make it entertaining...We now get bored with the current configuration. Race can be won or lost during pit stops, or because a steward has a bad day........

are you sure you aren't talking about rally?

[kartman]

Only a matter of time already out there in most top class formula series A1Gp/GP2/INDYCAR its been gradually creaping towards the top for years, and i think the current ongoing world financial mess will only hasten its introduction that is if there are any teams left to take it up. Once shareholders see a large percentage of their dwindling profits going into a bottomless pit i think some manufacturers will use the crisis as a face saving way of pulling out.

I think Williams could struggle to make the grid next year theyv'e made large losses for the past two years and their major sponsor RBS aren't too clever at the moment. Torro Rosso, Red Bull are not going to sponsor it from 2010. Force India is VJ Malay going to keep putting money in to it in the current financial situation? so if these three go plus two or three manufactures go F1 will be very sick OR dead as we know it. Even Ferrari who keep it all together( would a lot of race fans bother going if they weren't racing) must be reviewing it as their No1 market is going tit's up and i suspect they get more interest in IMSA racing where F430's beat 997's than F1.

[Lickey]

Here is a BBC page about the topic, and some links on the right hand side,

Pit stops and crazy rules are ruining F1, why not choose a tyre, fuel for the race distance and go for it, same as the Moto GP boys?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport...one/7660016.stm

[TBWG]

Here is a BBC page about the topic, and some links on the right hand side,

Pit stops and crazy rules are ruining F1, why not choose a tyre, fuel for the race distance and go for it, same as the Moto GP boys?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport...one/7660016.stm

Hi

Well before the British GP in 1982 all cars ran full distance on same tyres & fuel, it was on the introduction of Mr Ecclestones Brabham BT50 that broke the mould which led to the situation today.

I don't see the big manufacturers liking the idea of a standard engine although they will be able to badge it themselves, on the other hand only being allowed 2 engines per year! would certainly cut costs dramatically. In the current financial crisis this may prove so convincing that it might just happen.

TBWG

Edited October 9, 2008 by TBWG

[kartman]

Here is a BBC page about the topic, and some links on the right hand side,

Pit stops and crazy rules are ruining F1, why not choose a tyre, fuel for the race distance and go for it, same as the Moto GP boys?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport...one/7660016.stm

I think if Moto GP went the same distance as F1 they would be pitting for tyres and fuel also.

[dominique355]

If "Standard Engines" means that all teams will use exactly the same engine (just like they all use exactly the same tires and the same ECU), what is the interest of the big car manufacturers to enter Formula 1? Why would Mercedes-Benz (McLaren), BMW (BMW-Sauber), Toyota, Honda, Renault put money into Formula 1?

There was a time when there was an almost monopoly of engines in Formula 1. Remember the famous Cosworth DFW? Most teams used this engine and it was relatively cheap. BUT it was not mandatory to use it. Ferrari had its own engine and we also saw engines from Porsche, Renault, even Yamaha, Dan Gurney, Alfa Romeo ... and the engineers were free to come up with a better idea to build not only a better engine, but to build a better car. That was the time when we had so many teams that pre-qualifying was necessary. That means (in my view) that more freedom makes more competition makes less cost, makes races more interesting.

Today there are so many rules, even this tiniest details are ruled and controlled by Max (i.e the FIA), and his reason given for doing so is either safety or cutting cost. OK, the cars and races got safer, granted. But the cars got so expensive, precisely because of these rules (not despite them). It is so much more difficult and costly to find an edge if there are so many thousands of rules to comply with. I am convinced that the excessive number of rules are directly responsible to the cost explosion.

My idea for a new Formula 1: Get rid of all these rules. Make things simple such as:

- Give all the cars an equivalent amount of energy (e.g. 95 liter of gasoline = 85 liters of diesel = ??? m3 Hydrogen ...)

- set some safety rules for the cars and the tracks

and that's it.

If the teams want to use a 16 cylinder engine or a 4 cylinder diesel or a gas turbine, or an electric engine ... fine!

If the team want to use 22 inch rims with bigger brake discs, fine!

If the teams build a car with 3 or 5 or 6 wheels, fine!

Make different cars, different concepts compete and let the best idea win. That is true competition.

But that would also mean that FIA and Max would loose a lot of power, and that's where the problem is, don't you think?

[bravingbangkok]

hhahahahah the only reason they are doing this is because they can see the future, the future is bring the future is Hamilton/Mclaren.

Therefore they are trying to do everything they can to stop Hamilton running away with the show just liek schuey did, this ultimately will result in lower TV ratings and thus a furute loss of profits for already billion pound Bernie...................greedy little wanke_r !

[bravingbangkok]

If "Standard Engines" means that all teams will use exactly the same engine (just like they all use exactly the same tires and the same ECU), what is the interest of the big car manufacturers to enter Formula 1? Why would Mercedes-Benz (McLaren), BMW (BMW-Sauber), Toyota, Honda, Renault put money into Formula 1?

There was a time when there was an almost monopoly of engines in Formula 1. Remember the famous Cosworth DFW? Most teams used this engine and it was relatively cheap. BUT it was not mandatory to use it. Ferrari had its own engine and we also saw engines from Porsche, Renault, even Yamaha, Dan Gurney, Alfa Romeo ... and the engineers were free to come up with a better idea to build not only a better engine, but to build a better car. That was the time when we had so many teams that pre-qualifying was necessary. That means (in my view) that more freedom makes more competition makes less cost, makes races more interesting.

Today there are so many rules, even this tiniest details are ruled and controlled by Max (i.e the FIA), and his reason given for doing so is either safety or cutting cost. OK, the cars and races got safer, granted. But the cars got so expensive, precisely because of these rules (not despite them). It is so much more difficult and costly to find an edge if there are so many thousands of rules to comply with. I am convinced that the excessive number of rules are directly responsible to the cost explosion.

My idea for a new Formula 1: Get rid of all these rules. Make things simple such as:

- Give all the cars an equivalent amount of energy (e.g. 95 liter of gasoline = 85 liters of diesel = ??? m3 Hydrogen ...)

- set some safety rules for the cars and the tracks

and that's it.

If the teams want to use a 16 cylinder engine or a 4 cylinder diesel or a gas turbine, or an electric engine ... fine!

If the team want to use 22 inch rims with bigger brake discs, fine!

If the teams build a car with 3 or 5 or 6 wheels, fine!

Make different cars, different concepts compete and let the best idea win. That is true competition.

But that would also mean that FIA and Max would loose a lot of power, and that's where the problem is, don't you think?

All that you have stated above is exactly why this will never happen ! These manufacturers have spent far too much money to have this happen. The engines are staying and thats final !

[Mosha]

Not being a Ferrari fan, but for once I am on their side. Ferrari are threatening to pull out if the FIA goes ahead. I can see the break away formula being talked about again. If Ecclestone wants everyone driving the same standard of equipment, why doesn't he buy the A1 franchise? The FIA have really screwed up F1 over the past few years. They should stick to the safety aspect and let the teams sort out the rest.

[Lickey]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport...one/7718682.stm

Perhaps not a standard engine, but cost cutting, yes!