F1, 2011 - turbos, active aero

The World Motor Sport Council met in Paris on 27 June, 2007. The following decisions were taken:

FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

The WMSC received a report on the status of current discussions* on the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2011. Proposals include:

Engine efficiency
To limit engine power by imposing a maximum energy flow rate. However, there will be few restrictions on the engine cycle, which can include turbo-charging and energy recovery. It is believed that this will lead to a gain of at least 20% in thermal efficiency.

Drag
To allow moving aerodynamic devices, which will reduce drag by over 50% and allow a 40% reduction in the power required to maintain current speeds.

Energy recovery
Energy will be recovered during braking and returned to both front and rear axles when accelerating. The amount of energy returned on each straight will be limited in order to prevent top speeds exceeding the safety criteria for the circuits.

Fuel
The total amount of fuel energy to be consumed during a race will be regulated, encouraging further overall efficiency. The CO2 emitted will be further reduced by the introduction of gasoline which is partly derived from sustainable, non-food bio sources but complies fully with pump fuel legislation.

Overtaking
Formula One cars currently find it very difficult to overtake because of the influence of the car in front. New aerodynamic rules will halve the downforce, and de-sensitise the car to the influence of the wake of the car ahead. It is also proposed to eliminate automatically the downforce deficit of the following car.

Regulations
The best estimates of what these measures will mean in terms of regulations are currently as follows:
• 1.3-1.5 litre, 4-cylinder engine;
• no RPM or boost limit;
• energy flow rate to generate 300kW, including energy recovery from the exhaust;
• 200kW brake energy recovery, front and rear axle;
• 400-600kJ energy return per straight;
• pump-legal bio-fuel;
• FIA specified and supplied undertray and possibly other aerodynamic components;
• 50% 2007 downforce;
• adjustable, regulated wings and cooling;
• automatic downforce adjustment when following another car;
• lap times and top speeds maintained at 2009 levels;
• over 50% reduction in fuel consumed.

Costs
A number of measures to constrain costs are proposed, including:
• standardisation of components;
• homologation of components and assemblies;
• material restrictions;
• extended life of assemblies;
• restrictions on personnel and work at races;
• restrictions on the use of certain facilities (eg wind tunnels).
All these measures will be developed into detailed regulations in close collaboration with the teams and manufacturers.

http://www.fia.com/sport/Championships/F1/formula_one_2011.html

The reality is none of these things here will be implmented. Every few years a list like this gets produced almost as if it's just a PR gaining exercise. Yet rarely do any of the ideas ever come to fruition.

Moving aero just poses too many safety problems. They have wing which fail now and which are solid - making them movable will just increase the chance of catestrophic accidents (also, if you have a tiny nudge with another car - you wont know it's damaged until you reach high-speed in which case it'll cause a massive accident.

Fuel efficiency.. LOL. Just not going to happen. F1 cars are already quite efficient. So many factors come into play here (air heat, humidity etc) that regulating fuel use would only make the gap between the top teams (with lager research ability) and the lower teams greater. Pointless in the scheme of things.

Energy recovery - ditto. Too much chance of it screwing the smaller teams more and more. Too much chance of someone coming up with a small innovation which renders them unbeatable for a whole season. Totally the opposite of where the F1 business wants to move.

Nice ideas though (in theory)

RW

Energy recovery will happen. Its in use in new cars right now. F1 will totally adapt it.