The FIA unveils the 2021 F1 engines

Automobile sports, like the automotive industry, are going through a significant period of change, and each discipline must remain attractive to the various stakeholders. F1 is no exception to the rule as Formula E is attracting more and more manufacturers, and the WEC must reinvent itself after the exodus of Volkswagen Group brands.

In order to provide a long-term vision and guide engine manufacturers’ investments towards F1, the FIA has unveiled its plans for the next generation of engines, starting from the 2021 season, as explained by Ross Brawn, the sporting director of Liberty Media: « We have paid attention to what fans think about the current power units and what they would like to see in the near future in order to develop regulations with simpler, cheaper, and louder engines. This should allow new manufacturers to enter Formula 1 as engine suppliers while achieving a homogeneous level of competitiveness. »

The watchword is therefore evolution rather than revolution. Thus, the general architecture of the engine as such will remain stable with a 1.6l hybrid V6 engine, but several changes will be made. The first is that the maximum RPM will be increased by 3000 rotations per minute so that they are noisier, a general demand from the generation of fans nurtured by the deafening sounds of V12s, V10s, and other V8s.

One of the main weaknesses of current engines, namely the MGU-H, which recovers energy released by the heat of the turbos, will be removed. This aligns with the sport’s intention to remain a large-scale laboratory for manufacturers. However, this technology is never used in production vehicles and therefore does not interest the manufacturers.

Conversely, the MGU-K, powered by kinetic energy released during braking and used on hybrid vehicles worldwide, will be reinforced and more powerful. It is also planned that drivers will now be able to store energy from this component over several laps to unleash an additional burst of power at a chosen moment. Without a doubt, the pit wall will provide significant assistance in this strategic choice.

To limit development costs, it is planned to standardize energy storage and the associated electronics. Similarly, it is planned that the exterior design will be very similar among the different selected solutions, making it much easier for a team to switch from one engine manufacturer to another, with less impact on the engine/chassis/transmission combination.

But until the introduction of the new engines, there are still three full seasons to compete. That’s why the FIA has also announced that discussions will continue between current engine manufacturers and potential interested parties, and that the final definition of these new engines will only be established at the end of next season so that developments can continue on the current generation.

This is therefore a first step taken for the future of the discipline. But one of the major inseparable angles of the technical regulations is the financial equation for the teams. These negotiations will soon begin since the current Concorde Agreements also come to an end at the end of the 2020 season.

With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr