2014 Formula 1 Revolution

The 2014 Formula 1 season will see a drastic change in rules and regulations governing the sport. So, lets take a look at how these changes are going to affect the bigger picture.

First of all, the V8 Engines will be replaced by V6 Turbo engines. Now, many analysts and F1 experts have been critical of this change as they feel that the V6 Engines won’t produce as much power and noise as the current V8′s. So, are these claims true?

The reality is that the V6 Turbos will produce the same amount of noise as the current V8′s. The difference is basically in the amount of torque that V6 turbos will generate. The V6 turbo unit will be producing more torque than the current V8′s, which means that the cars will be suffering from oversteer through the exits of corners and thus drivers will havr to cope with cars which have a sliding rear end.

As the cars will have a twitchy rear end, the Pirelli tyres are likely to feel more lateral force and it will be interesting to see whether Pirelli renew their contract with the Formula 1 management for the 2014 season.

The teams will also have to manage fuel consumption as the car in 2014 will carry only 100 kilos of fuel rather than current 150 kilos. So, the teams and engine manufacturers will have to bring 30% increase in fuel consumption. The Engine manufacturers are allowed to develop their engines until 1st March 2014 after which the development process for engines will be sealed. So, whichever manufacturer manages to have maximum power and fuel efficiency will have an upper edge for quite a while before the rules change again.

Another big area of development is the Energy Recovery systems (ERS). Instead of a single KERS, the 2014 units will feature two ERS systems. Apart from harvesting energy from the brakes, the ERS systems will harvest energy from electric machines connected to the turbo and a heat converter, all of which will boost the output to 161hp for 33 seconds per lap. So, with the the new ERS system, teams will be able to store 10 times more energy than the current KERS units.

All in all, development of these ERS systems is likely going to maintain current F1 standards and all those people who have been worrying about the reduction in power will also be satisfied .

Another important change is the power unit as a whole. At present, if the drivers have engine failures or any other failure, the teams replace only the part which has failed. But with introduction of V6 Turbo units in 2014, if any car has a failure of ERS, turbo, an exhaust, battery or control electronics failure, the entire power unit will have to be replaced. And, according to the rules, teams are only allowed to use 5 power units per driver in a season. So, what it basically means is that the drivers and the teams will have to make their engines last for 4000 km instead of the current 2000 kms. And, if the driver uses a sixth power unit in a season, he will have to incur a ten place grid penalty just as it is with using a ninth engine under the current regulations.

Here’s what Andy Cowell, managing director of Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines, had to say:

The engines are going to be loud, but I think sweet sounding,” he said on Friday. “The frequency will be higher and, with the turbocharger running at 125,000 rpm, they will be loud. When you are stood next to it on the dyno, it is not quiet and you need ear defenders.

“There will be a new quality to the racing too. It will edge towards a thinking drivers’ formula to get the most from the car and the available fuel energy.

“The engines will also deliver much more torque – especially on the exit of the corners. Cars with more power than grip coming out of the corners – that is something that we all enjoy.

“They will also put F1 back at the cutting edge of new technology – which is what the fans want.

Impact on 2013 Formula 1 Season:

With Mercedes revealing many details on as to how 2014 engines are going to be, the teams are likely to scrap the development on their 2013 cars as soon as possible and focus on their 2014 project. So, what we are likely going to see this year is that the team who manages to take a lead in the first few races is going to have an upper hand and is going to be very difficult to defeat.

Also, the change in regulations gives a chance to teams further down the grid like Mercedes, Sauber, Williams, Force India, etc to scrap their 2013 development way before the other top teams and can concentrate on their 2014 project to have an upper hand when the 2014 season starts.

If you rewind back in time, this was the strategy used by Red-Bull and Brawn Gp (Formerly known as Honda Racing) to have an upper hand when the rules for the 2009 season changed.