F1 Engine Power Secrets (2000)

Post by zwadia » Sat, Feb 12, 2011, 5:42 AM UTC

eftpotrm wrote: post #10

F1 anorak - that article is years out of date. You can tell that anyway from the tech but when it starts talking about the new ruling for 2001.... Much of the core technology isn't that different, significantly because they first restricted and then effectively froze development a few years ago, but the engines aren't 3l V10s any more but 2.4l V8s. In the time of the 3l V10s, from memory they peaked at over 900bhp. F…

Post by spitfire » Sat, Feb 12, 2011, 9:20 AM UTC

ovi256 wrote: post #6

simonsarris wrote: post #2

> Turbochargers have come and gone and there hasn't been a switch to two-stroke or rotary, scotch yoke engines This is tangential to the article but these things are not in F1 because they are bad but because several of the configurations are too good. Most of the above are banned. Today only 4-Stroke engines with reciprocating pistons are permitted in F1. See page 12: http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/C5F0793…

Yeah, but FIA also has a mandate to keep the race safe. So it tries to restrict maximum speed and power, without killing the sport. For example, air inlets have a maximum area limit. This clearly restricts air intake. F1 is not the only sport with such restriction. The Tour de France has imposed minimum bike weights and the actual 2 wheel upright bike configuration, which is far from optimal. All other cycling compet…

Post by eftpotrm » Sat, Feb 12, 2011, 9:56 AM UTC

trafficlight wrote: post #31

klinquist wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed. At the French Grand Prix (Magny-Cours) in 2002... I was 10th row off of the front straight. I was trying to shove napkins in my ears. Any F1 fans should download the UK Top Gear season 15 episode 5 and watch the last 15 minutes - a short tribute to Ayrton Senna. It's tremendous.

Series 10 episode 8 is also a good one. Richard Hammond gets to drive a Renault R25, circa 2005. He had a hell of a time even getting the thing onto the track. The pit crew actually had to tow the car back to the garage to warm it back up; the tolerances on those motors are so tight that, when cold, they are effectively seized.

Post by eftpotrm » Sat, Feb 12, 2011, 11:18 AM UTC

zandor wrote: post #22

CWuestefeld wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The real shock though is the noise; I've been to one F1 race, sitting at turn 1 in Shanghai. There was a TV helicopter maybe 50 meters over our heads -- and its noise was completely drowned out by the cars' engines.

I'm sure this Shell and Ferrari commercial doesn't even come close to the real life experience. Still, what a soundtrack it is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6gcwIt5nSM

Post by siika2000 » Sat, Feb 12, 2011, 2:43 PM UTC

bigiain wrote: post #29

eftpotrm wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From a pure engineering perspective I absolutely agree. I'm too young to remember the P34 or BT46 in person but the shock of seeing different approaches is definitely sadly missed. In sporting terms though, I (sadly) think they've gone down the right general path. Partly for containing safety as there's no denying that some of the developments have been less than ideally safe to put it delicately - the idea of the co…

Agreed. While I feel curious about what sort of spectacle we'd be seeing if they were still allowed to run 1.5l turbo motors with active suspension and ground effects all at the same time, I understand the need to both keep costs within reasonable bounds, and to keep drivers alive...