Sooner or later the pinnacle of motorsport will be confronted by the electric era.
To those with even an inkling of interest in cars, Formula 1 is universally considered to be the pinnacle of motorsport. The teams in the paddock consist of some of the most desirable car brands on earth. The drivers on the grid are supposedly the most talented on earth. The tracks hosting races are the most demanding on earth. And the locations visited are the most exotic on earth. It’s the ultimate motorsport template.
This credo extends to the expertise. F1 is at the frontier of automotive innovation. With cutting edge research and development, aerodynamicists and design engineers spearhead the creative process in pursuit of performance, to produce the fastest car possible in accordance with regulations outlined by the governing FIA. The resultant advanced technologies trickle down onto mainstream road cars. Some examples include electronic systems, crash zone structures and aerodynamics.
With vast funds pumped into research, design and development, F1 is a proving ground for testing pioneering new technology to extreme limits. This is evidentially the case with powertrain technology. The current iteration of power units amalgams a 1.6 litre V6 Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), with a Hybrid Energy Recovery System (ERS). In total, that combination makes for a 1000bhp output. Since the introduction of these turbo-hybrid power units in 2014, purists in particular have condemned them with contempt.
Though dissenting voices have come to accept the turbo-hybrid engines, undertones of resistance still persist below the surface. The most understandable issue was the noise, which compared and contrasted to the 2.4 litre V8 units that went before, and the turbo-hybrid units just didn’t emit the same screaming shrill. That absence did initially underwhelm spectators somewhat, like the soul of F1 had been removed. But there is an upside. Fans attending races don’t have to put up with bleeding eardrums anymore, you no longer have to wear ear defender’s trackside. But this bug bear with the noise aspect is rather trivial really.
"Not enough has been said about the considerable advantages of the current turbo-hybrid engines, the pros by far outweigh the cons"
The bruhaha attributed negativity to the turbo-hybrid powertrains as opposed to the rather positive aspects they extol. Not enough has been said about the considerable advantages of the current turbo-hybrid engines, the pros by far outweigh the cons. The V6 turbo-hybrid engine has 20% more power and produces 26% less CO2 emissions than the naturally aspirated V8 engine. Thermal efficiency is the metric that measures engine performance. This process describes the percentage of energy from combustion that propels a car. The naturally aspirated V8 engines peaked in 2013 at 29% thermal efficiency. But the turbo-hybrid V6 engines introduced in 2014 shot up to 40%. And with the rapid development curve in F1, that number now registers at more than 50% thermal efficiency, making the turbo-hybrid powertrains the most efficient engines on earth.
It means F1 constitutes a strong advocate of turbo-hybrid engine technology. In particular, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains have masterminded it. This aspect has been a pivotal factor behind the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team winning an unprecedented seven consecutive Drivers’ and Constructors’ world championships. The outfit has thus far completely and utterly dominated the turbo-hybrid era. These incredible achievements have been accomplished by making many small gains from the ICE process. It resulted in significant power and efficiency improvements.
So, it’s not entirely unsurprising then that Mercedes had reservations about the development freeze to turbo-hybrid engines that’s set to be introduced from the start of 2022. It’s likely to inhibit Mercedes’ armoury. The decision taken by the F1 Commission reduces costs as it preludes the introduction of a new engine design from the start of 2025. And the new engine regulations will mark a milestone moment for F1 as they have to take into account numerous considerations.
Much of the conservative commentariat champ at the bit, pining after past engine configurations that are just simply no longer compatible with contemporary F1. The new engine design will continue to be a turbo-hybrid variant, but the FIA has compiled a checklist of determinants. To me, the most influential factors that stand head and shoulders above the rest on that list are environmental sustainability, and automotive and social relevance. With governments legislating to phase out production of ICE cars broadly by 2030, and hybrid cars broadly by 2035, the eventual prohibition poses existential questions to F1.
"It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that F1 is headed through a series of one-way doors to inevitable and eventual electrification"
Chiefly, how could F1 claim to be the pinnacle of motorsport by racing outdated and redundant ICE technology that no one will be able to purchase in the long term? It would come across as self-indulgent, not to mention out of touch. It would be promoting an unattainable fantasy. That doesn’t come across to me as a sustainable commercial proposition that engages with fans. Of course, there’s the potential of synthetic and hydrogen fuels. But as alternatives to petrol, how realistic are they really for F1? Time will tell. From my perspective, right now, it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that F1 is headed through a series of one-way doors to inevitable and eventual electrification.
With such changes in the car industry, my sense is that there’s going to be a tipping point when there will be no other choice for F1 but electrification. And it will likely be a point of no return. The truth is that F1 will likely have to adapt and accept electrification as the only way for the sport to survive. To me, the rational cut-off date seems like 2030 or 2035, coinciding with the prohibition of ICE or hybrid cars. But like it or not in F1, the electric era is the elephant in the room that’s only going to get bigger as time goes on.
Whilst the most should be made of the turbo-hybrid era, the prospect of electric F1 presents an opportunity. It gives F1 the chance to totally reinvent the pinnacle of motorsport. A fresh start, a blank canvas to completely recreate the ultimate racing formula that irons out the crinkles. F1 would do well to seize that moment and get ahead of the curve. Because how F1 deals with this transition will define it for decades to come.
Photo: Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains
Commenti