With NASCAR’s Brad Keselowski advocating for a hybrid solution to that series as we mentioned here, he likened the concept to the current Formula 1 hybrid power unit regulations. Those regulations are in the throws of being rewritten for 2021 and according to Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff, the teams are close to agreeing with the FIA and owners on the new format.
“We have given up on some of the standpoints,” he said. “We have accepted to lose the MGU-H.
“We think that the technology is a step backwards, but in terms of achieving a compromise for the benefit of the spectacle, the ‘H’ going, the revs going up, the fuel limitations going, I think we will have a louder engine, we will not be limited by fuel.
“It’s not the most sustainable message we’re sending out, but we can understand from a spectacle standpoint it is something you need to consider and accept. On most of the topics we have found an agreement.
“There’s a discussion on dyno limitations, we don’t want to continue to outgrow each other with more infrastructure.
“On the engine regulations we’re pretty close on being able to tick the box.”
The sticking point is that the teams are still set to continue developing the current hybrid power units that include the MGU-H and Wolff would like to see an engine freeze in order to stop double spending on the current power unit as well as the future power unit.
“The only major thing which we need to solve is that we are still spending a lot on engine development,” said Wolff.
“What we need to avoid is double spending over the next years, continuing to develop the current engine, and then also doing the new one.”
This isn’t a new concept as the last engine format, the V8, was frozen ahead of the current hybrid power unit.
When Ideology Meets Racing
Much like Brad Keselowski’s thoughts on road relevance, inevitability of road cars moving to electric power units and the reduction of fuel consumption, Wolff says that Mercedes were unyielding on the concept of unlimited fuel flow. Currently the fuel flow is restricted and this, coupled with the hybrid technology makes the current F1 engine one of the most efficient on the planet. That’s a dream to some and a nightmare to others—it depends on why you watch racing and what appeals to you. Wolff said:
“I had a bit of a moment in the Strategy Group [meeting], one where I need to speak to my anger management psychologist, when we talked about getting rid of fuel flow limitations, all fuel flow allowances, and just open it up,” he said.
“We cannot close our eyes to what’s happening in the world. Hybrid energy recovery systems have been on road cars, and they need to happen in F1 in my opinion.
“But equally we have to understand what the fan is interested in.
“It needs the technology message, but it needs to be at the level where we recognise that spectacle is important, and shocking your senses with an engine sound is maybe something that we can improve.”
Some commented on the recent NASCAR hybrid story we posted and asked a simple question…why? Why does racing need to be road relevant and in the case of Wolff’s comment, they are on road cars but why does he feel they have to be in F1?
The speculative assumption is that if this debate made him angry to the point of needing to channel his anger management, then one might assume that the Mercedes board will not pay for the concept of simply going racing unless there is a direct-to-road R&D component they can justify the marketing and development costs. I’m just speculating of course.
Toto’s comment about the messaging behind the move to hybrid is an interesting one as this was the narrative since 2014 as to why fans didn’t get on board with the hybrid power unit—we just didn’t explain it to them well enough.
Much like all ideologies and initiatives, there are differing sides and F1 has gone all-in assuming that everyone shares Toto’s view of “what’s happening in the world”. There are those who strongly agree with Toto and those who strongly disagree.
FIA president Jean Todt admitted recently that F1 had gone too far in moving toward a hybrid power unit concept and it had seriously impacted F1’s fans and not in a good way (I’m paraphrasing here). If that’s the case, then those who strongly agree with Toto either aren’t watching F1 or if they are, they weren’t avid enough to sustain the trajectory of the sport toward an even more advanced hybrid power unit in 2021 or even an all-electric solution.
Rather, the voices of dissent were global, avid and very vocal about their displeasure with the direction F1 is heading. Some businesses are willing to forgo profitability in order to make a statement or stake a position. That’s their choice, of course, but F1 seems to be one business that has felt the impact of staking a position and seem to be tacking in the hot wind of fan disapproval and are trying to find common ground to appease the dissenters while appealing to the hybrid and EVO endorsers.
It will be interesting to see if “sound” is enough to appease the disgruntled masses (and it isn’t lost on me that he chose to use the word “Sound” instead of “Noise” which the teams and series started using back in 2014 much to my protestation). I suspect it may not be if the fuel flow is still restricted meaning the cars cannot push flat out in what is supposed to be the world’s most advanced sprint race. We’ll have to wait and see.
Hat Tip: Autosport
interesting times ahead. personally i dislike the whole road relevance thing, especially from merc who make cars that have thumping great big v8’s in them, yes they do have other engines, but if hybrid was such a big deal to them i thought that by now they would have done away with the huge donks and focussed on hybrids for there road cars. There is still obviously a market for great big thumping v8’s. I’d like to see fuel flow unlimited but introduce smaller tanks with refuelling, and while where at it open up the rev limitation. I don’t think… Read more »
Yeah, there is a part of me that thinks the fuel-flow rate will be an issue and while many believe that F1 should be moving toward hybrid and limited fuel, there are many who don’t. It’s a tough issue to reconcile but I think the challenge will be when improving sound isn’t enough for the majority of fans. I don’t know that the big portion of fans feel that F1 is or should be a vehicle for future mobility ideologies or road relevancy. On the other hand, there are fans who are convinced that it should mirror the trajectory of… Read more »
Negative Camber I’ve often wondered what F1’s endgame is? Surely it’s not hybrid because full electrification will be taking over soon. But Formula E already has a jump on that type of racing. Even hybrid road cars will stop being produced soon as batteries become cheaper, stronger and run longer. What will become of F1 in 20 to 30 years? Personally, I would like them to revert back to fossil fuel and V10s. Be the extreme form of motor racing. A way for us racing fans to escape from the mundane of what will soon be a much quieter world… Read more »
All Of This Has Happened Before And Will Happen Again – Take a look at this article – https://www.energy.gov/articles/history-electric-car. Electric cars were the rage at the turn of the 20th century, I remember Jay Leno has an early, like over 100 years old, electric vehicle in his ‘garage’.
subcritical71 I just had to look up Jay Leno’s century old electric car. Very interesting I have a feeling it’s different this time. Politics and capitalism always had a habit of crushing the electric dream everytime it appeared. Not this time though. As many are aware, most politicians are in the pockets of the capitalists and their lobbyists. Most have major stakes in the oil industry. However, the oil reserves they say are starting to dwindle. The same politicians, capitalists and lobbyists are now embracing a new source of power. White gold, they call it. As oil production slows down… Read more »
Unlimited fuel is the way to go. There is still an advantage to being more fuel efficient. The car will be lighter. So teams will still have an incentive to be efficient.
It sure seems to me that the biggest ‘problem’ everyone has (you included NC) is the ‘sound’ of the engines, period. I personally want to see F1 cars go around a circuit as fast as they possibly can (which they’re doing, setting record times), I really don’t care what their lump is. IMO, the old engines were annoying, precluded every other sound when they were passing by. Now you can hear the brakes, the tires grabbing, the turbo, the engine, all of it. They definitely don’t sound like ‘vacuum cleaners’. ‘Loud’ isn’t always best, I took my son to the… Read more »
Aaahhh. But they don’t go around as fast as they can except in quali. We have had so many races since the introduction of hi deg tyres where the drivers are just coasting cause they can’t push. We have also had races where the fuel flow limit has meant drivers can’t push either. As for me on the sound, I want F1 to sound Like no other racing series.
Agree with your first couple of sentences – but that has nothing to do with sound – that’s just what you ‘want’. Sound is energy escaping. Let’s get hypothetical for a moment. Imagine that the series was opened up (or one developed) that allowed for ANY engine/tranny/fuel combination including electric. How long before IC folks get tired of getting smoked by the electrics/hybrids? The day is coming and we’re in the beginning of it’s throes.
I have to laugh at the FIA and F1 preaching about sustainability while logging ridiculous numbers of air miles with the entirety of the travelling circus. Just as a “for instance”, why do they fly 10 teams from Monaco to Montreal, then back to France at the beginning of the so-called “European season”?
The amount of fuel consumed by a Boeing 777 from Paris to Montreal is about 48,000 kg (one way!). At 100 kg per race, the 20 F1 cars will consume 42,000 kg during the 21 F1 races.
It really isn’t about sustainability, is it?
Exactly.
It’s a problem isn’t it? Like Al Gore being castigated for flying in planes to deliver the message of global warming – how else was he supposed to do it? My understanding is that the Tour de France causes more emissions than an F1 race, shipping and all, so yeah, logistics and support are the bulk of the problem.
Part of the problem is this notion of F1 being the “pinnacle of Motorsport” because the pinnacle was reached, and now it’s all about limitation. The pinnacle was hitting 4g in the corners or braking. Human’s blackout when at 4-6g for more than a few seconds. So the fact is that automotive technology has already outstripped the pilot’s ability to endure increasing speed. So F1 really can’t evolve upwards anymore. It can’t really get faster. Lateral acceleration is maxed out and braking is maxed out. Really, besides green engine tech, the only other frontiers are miniaturization or automation. Seems to… Read more »
Exactly – extreme engineering challenges Hey! sort of like the ones we have now….