EU calls on F1 to switch to four-cylinders, bio-fuels and hybrids

[yooker]

The European Parliament has called for Formula One to adopt more environmentally-friendly engine alternatives, and the FIA seems to be all for it.

The CARS 21 report, passed with 607 EU legislators in favor, 76 against and 14 abstentions, praised the FIA's actions to make F1 greener, but called on the sanctioning body to do more. The report concluded by calling on the FIA to revise its formula to include "environmentally friendly technologies like bio-fuels, four-cylinder engines or hybrid". FIA president Max Mosley, who has been vocal in his desire to make F1 greener, subsequently issued a statement supporting the EU report.

Several racing series - including A1GP, ALMS, Champ Cars and IndyCars - are now running on bio-fuels, and Formula One has been toying with electric hybrid regenerative braking technologies. As we reported earlier, the moratorium on engine development in F1 was shortened from ten years to five, and the FIA is preparing to launch a new engine formula within the next couple of years. If regulatory bodies like the EU and the FIA get their way, F1 cars in a few years could be powered by four-cylinder electric-ethanol hybrids.

[Source: Autosport]

F1 is suppose to be the pinnacle of motorsports! Their technology is suppose to rival those of NASA. F1 cars do not need to be relevant to road cars, they are suppose to be the very limit of engineering on four wheels. This is complete nonsense and absolute insanity. This is total and utterly rubbish.



If this actually gets passed, expect Top Gear to review 4 cylinder supercars in the near future.

[epp_b]

While biofuel is actually pretty good as long as the engine is designed to use it instead of gasoline/petrol, the EU can still shove it. The only reason I'd want to see (m)ethanol in F1 would be one based on taking advantage of the high-octane level, not please some hippie wingnuts.

But four-cylinders and hybrids are a joke. Hybrids especially -- what would even be the point? They're going full-out practically the entire race, so the engine would just be on the whole time while the electric motor justs wastes space and adds weight.

Whoever is suggesting this is a very special sort of dumb ape.

[FATMOUSE]

FATMOUSE calls on EU to fuck off.

[Sir Stiggington]

This makes me furious. It is yet another example that shows these people (EU and FIA) have no f***ing clue what they're dealing with. Hybrid?! It wouldn't work, like epp_b said. They should remove limitations on the engines and such. Just leave the sport what it was supposed to be. I would love to see the teams walk out after they impose this.

[GraemeH]

I agree that F1 should be the pinnacle of technology, and I don't think the EU should consier it any of its business... And that the "environmental damage", to use a buzzphrase, caused by F1 doesn't even equal 1% of that caused by 1% of Ford Focus's on the roads, so it's all an irrelevant issue anyway.

However, internal combustion engine technology has been taken about as far as it can go pretty much. There are only relatively small gains to be made now in terms of power and efficiency. It would be cool to see teams with the motivation and ability of F1 teams start with a "fresh slate" by having to design completely new power systems from the ground up. Hybrid is a pointless stop-gap technology and bio-fuel changes nothing, but other avenues would create a whole new technology race that would be cool to see.

If there was a sub-class of F1 where combustion wasn't allowed, I'd follow it for the technology race, sure.

[fbc]

Oh FFS, it's a friggin' sport, surely we're still allowed a guilty pleasure or two - especially when the environmental impact is so utterly minuscule.

The EU can kiss my arse on this one.

[Devon]

So being 100% Carbon Neutral is not enough...

[MadCow809]

4 cyl sounds interesting. im sure they will go back to the turbo route.

those 4 cyl turbo'ed f1 engines back then can produce 1300bhp on max boost.

[Necx0]

EU can stay the fuck out of it.

[M3lover]

Bio fuel and power regenaration from the breaks wouldn't hurt performance significantly, so I wouldn't really mind about that, but 4 bangers and hybrid tehnology does not belong in a formula 1 racer.
The 4 cylinder engines could maybe work if they where allowed to use turbo's again like madcow said. That could even spin of some new improved turbo technology for the real world.

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally Posted by epp_b

While biofuel is actually pretty good as long as the engine is designed to use it instead of gasoline/petrol, the EU can still shove it. The only reason I'd want to see (m)ethanol in F1 would be one based on taking advantage of the high-octane level, not please some hippie wingnuts.

But four-cylinders and hybrids are a joke. Hybrids especially -- what would even be the point? They're going full-out practically the entire race, so the engine would just be on the whole time while the electric motor justs wastes space and adds weight.

Whoever is suggesting this is a very special sort of dumb ape.

its a known fact that people who make these decisions and run the country/countries.... know absolutely fuck all about anything and yet try to worm their idiotic views and wants into absolutely everything. it only proves how much of a numpty they are. hybrids in F1 what are they thinking. theres a reason theres no Prius racing tournament..... because it'd be like a race between blue dulux and red dulux paint to see which dries first.


look at labour for instance.... not a brain among them.


4 cylinders do not have a place in F1...... they just dont. V6 is the absolute minimum in my book. plus in the grand scheme of things....... will making a racing series like formula one go super green have an impact on "climate change"? some how i suspect not.

[underscore]

I don't know what cars the European Parliament use, but if it is anything like Australia changing from large cars to something more reasonable would make a better role model
But thats just how hippies are, everyone else has to make a sacrifice...

[Karoug]

I don't care that EU hasn't kept a single promise it made to Sweden when we joined. But this is just taking it to far!

[InfernalVortex]

Ethanol and methanol are not the same thing (similar, but have some fundamental differences).

And this is just stupid. I'm about fed up with the ecoterrorists.

[vikiradTG2007]

Damn green pressure groups... F1 is really not about road-relevant technology. I mean... ever since the '70s-'80s, F1 cars have started to look more like fighter aircraft. Maybe the only relevant things that came from F1 to road cars are the mega-driver aids from the early '90s, like TC, active suspension and so on and so forth.
Formula 1 is not about "safe, economical and sensible driving", the way eco-hippies like to put it. It's about the thrill of 22 ear-drum-blowing race cars, driven by the 22 greatest drivers and lunatics in the world, thundering wheel-to-wheel down a track. And F1 has somehow been made carbon-neutral. What do they want it to be, carbon-negative? This just shows how clueless some people can be. Environmentally friendly my a**... if they want to pick on something that's less environmnnmenrmnrnemnnmntettalllllllllly aware than one of the greatest 4-wheel motorsports in the world, they should pick on airliners. All eco-mentalists care about now is banning motorsport and SUVs.

And if we get diesels or electrics in F1, God almighty protect us... everything in the experience at the race track will be GONE. GONE. In a flash. Nobody is thinking about us fans when thinking about this. We want to see more action, and they give us silly rule changes that PREVENT overtaking, and now they want to take away everything that remained great about F1: the on-scene experience.

I'll enjoy thinking about my trip to the Hungaroring, because, as things are going, I may never feel that sensation again.

[-Cpt. J.-]

I just wanna say that if you compare the performance, COs emissions, power and how economical an F1 engine is, it is at the top. There's no other engine that produces so much power from such a small displacement. And F1 engines are not thirsty if you count in what they can do. Yes, it is a V8, a 2.4L V8!!! That's a tiny engine FFS!

Oh, and Hybrids?? Hybrids are not sportscars. Give me a fucking break, the sound of an F1 engine will forever be a part of the sport. Take that away and it isn't the same. You know why this is happening? Because F1 cars have been forced to stop engine development. hat's why. The eco hippies want F1 cars to run on air after they are free to change their engines.

And Mosley should choose his side. Does he want a sport for the fans or the politicians?
They froze engine development to make F1 "safer" and "cheaper". Nevermind the costs, but Max dear, think about the dangers of driving with an engine that uses nuclear power. Because going nuclear is the only way IMO F1 can be made electric... or some shit like that.

Pointless, truly pointless.

[maateuszz89]

EU is just a bunch of socialists. Maybe F1 drivers should use bicycles, because they are environment friendly.

[vikiradTG2007]

I want out of the EU if they ruin F1 more than Mosley managed to.

[Peter3hg]

Now don't stab me but I quite like these plans. For me F1 has become very stagnant and largely boring. A massive change in direction like this would give the sport a much needed shake up and force the teams to really think outside of the box. It would be really interesting to see what the teams could do with this.
Having said that F1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of motorsport but it would really struggle to remain there if these changes were implemented.

[anti-net]

I normally like the EU but I'm find it hard to defend them these days with there annoying meddling. EU should just be about trade and work permits.

Anyway, crap idea - fuck off EU, get a real job.