Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

mark
Lv 7
mark asked in SportsMotor SportsFormula One · 1 decade ago

How are F1 manufacturers to improve 'miles per gallon' if they can't touch the engines?

The FIA (in their almighty wisdom) are about to freeze all F1 engine development, with Max saying that F1 engines are full developed as they can run at 19,000 rpm and are very reliable.

But doesn't saying that they can't develop the engine any further stop them from improving on the clear disadvantages current engines have.

The amount of power (and therefore fuel) wasted on lifting valves, exhaust gasses, excess heat, excess noise and getting usable power from only 1/4 of the engine each stroke - this is where a LOT of fuel could be saved - not the small percentage that Kinetic Energy could give.

Limit the amount of fuel that a team can use, and have completely unrestrictive power plants. That would bring some major green developments in the automotive traction department.

7 Answers

Relevance
  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    I agree with you that F1 teams should have some of the same fundamental limitations as the rest of us - after all, many F1 teams SAY they participate because of the way F1 improves the technology in their retail product. Those limitations include money (sadly for most of us!) and fuel (there's only so much petroleum on this planet).

    Despite Max's evident bias against any car that's not red, efforts to control cost are appropriate. But do it more directly and punish teams that cheat (ie if FIAT gives Ferrari a wind tunnel for $1 etc). I'd love to see us at a point where one team is running electric motors with a CVT gearbox where another is running a V-12 with regenerative systems and another is running a rotary powerplant. Heck - cover the bodywork in solar cells too. May the best system win!

  • rosbif
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    You are completely right, I agree with all the points you make...but you are missing the point of the engine development restrictions. They are about saving money, not saving the environment. F1 needs to cut costs to keep its current participants, let alone attract new ones.

    As to the anti-Max and anti-Bernie mafia, you can't remember what it was like when F1 was the personal dictatorship of Jean-Marie Balestre. THAT was an era where arbitrary decisions and a pro-Ferrari mafia ruled F1. Max and Bernie saved the sport from the infighting which scarred the sport in the 1980s.

    Max Mosley was a quite successful F2 driver in the late 1960s, racing for Frank Williams' team. He drove in the race in which Jim Clark died too. He was also a founder of the March team, and was even the chief engineer during the 1977 season. He was also the author of the original Concorde Agreement, which ended the FISA/FOCA war. Pretty experienced really.

    Bernie was a minor racing driver (he failed to qualify for his only GP...Monaco 1958) before moving into driver management - Jochen Rindt was one of his drivers. He then bought - and ran successfully - the Brabham team for 15 years before moving up to run F1. Quite a history in the sport too.

  • ?
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago

    The purpose of it is to save money. Who cares about excessive fuel use, this is formula one, the revenue generated by the high speed and entertainment more than justifies the wasted fuel and emissions.

  • 1 decade ago

    In just about all forms of autoracing being green really isn't a priority, I would imagine that most teams would rather put more R&D into making their engines more powerful/reliable. Not to offend anyone but why are many European's so concerned about enviromentalism in all aspects of life all of a sudden?

  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • 1 decade ago

    Max Mosely is the biggest idiot in sport. I dont recall him winning very many F1 titles or being the best engineer in the world. Bernies not much better either.

    Still as long as the rules are the same for all.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Max moseley,the head of the F.I.A.is out to ruin Ron Dennis of Mclaren and Lewis Hamilton,of the same team,and in doing so the idiot is destroying Formula One.It is high time he was shoved into the paddock and allowed to rot.Similarly,it is about time Bernie Ecclestone moved on.He seems,lately,to have lost the plot.Whatever happens,don't let a non-entity,(Moseley),continue doing what he is doing!

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    They can continue to make engines and gear changes more efficient and improve airflow under and over their cars.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.