Does F1 Need A Second Turbo Era?
Seyth Miersma
M12/13
After stumbling upon this impressive image of BMW’s M12/13 Formula 1 turbocharged four-cylinder being dyno tested, I proceeded to spend a far too large chunk of my afternoon reading everything I had forgotten about F1’s turbo-era.
While those hot and dangerous days of 1000+ bhp cars are well past us now, I can’t help but wonder if the sport would gain another huge dose of excitement if the FIA would again introduce a turbo-fed formula. Could turbocharging, or running two concurrent engine formulas, bring an extra measure of excitement to motorsport’s grandest stage?
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Reilly Brennan
Answer: yes. Although I'd rather see some return to old-style brakes (steel) before turbos.
Tom Martin
Is lack of power a problem in F1? Or were turbos exciting because at that time they were hard to drive (lag and primitive aero) and early on (1978-1982) both Cosworth non-turbos and turbos (Renault, BMW, Ferrari) could legitimately compete but on very different terms through a race and the season?
Mena
Turbo's were banned because of their power producing potential. If they brought them back they would have to install intake restrictors to curb hp but, of course, that does nothing to restrict torque. I think it would be awesome but I would prefer no restrictors and have the teams still adhere to the 1000 hp "gentleman's agreement".
Seyth Miersma
I think that the development of the turbos, in conjunction with the continued use of the NA motors was the compelling part. I think that it would be interesting for F1 to develop a split formula of that kind again to really stretch the imaginations of the team engineers, designers, etc.
Seyth Miersma
News Writer
Winding Road // NextAutos
tbmshark
Perhaps the introduction of kinetic energy recovery systems in f1 next year will be somewhat analogous to the turbo era. It will allow for additional spurts of power, like turbos and different teams will develop the technology in different ways. Just as in the early eighties we saw NA V12s and V8s racing with turbo fours and sixes, we could see flywheel, electric, and compressed-air assisted V8s.
Dave B.
What I loved about the BMW turbo F1 engine was that it ran on a stock 3-series block. They built them up from used stock blocks.
Seyth Miersma
I had never heard that. Pretty amazing actually.
Seyth Miersma
News Writer
Winding Road // NextAutos
motoyen
There is a video floating around the web with BMW engineers talking about the their F1 engine development. They laughed that the engine was producing more power than the dyno could show and all from a 1.5L motor. Also to follow up on Dave B's comment, the engineers found that the best blocks to use were ones that had 60 000 miles on them. So they would literally scour junk yards looking for discarded cars to pull the engines from.
Steve
I've long advocated something along the following lines:
1. A fixed amount of fuel given to each team for each car for each race weekend (practices, qualis, and race).
2. Gasoline.
3. Maximum width and length.
4. Stringent safety requirements, similar to what they have today.
5. Open wheel.
No more, no less. Don't dictate engine formula, don't dictate brake or wheel size, or tyre manufacturer, etc. This would allow true innovation back into the sport, and a Torro Rosso could, with the right discovery/development, knock off a Ferrari or McLaren... It would also send speeds through the roof... Which I'm okay with, as long as the drivers are okay with it.
"There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.”
- Ernest Hemingway
Dave B.
Many of those 60,000-mile used 3-series blocks came from a BMW employee car buy-back program.
Reminds me of hot rodders scouring the junk yards for particular school bus engines with four-bolt mains, or Formula Ford engine builders who would bury used blocks for a year to season then, the dig 'em up, clean 'em, machine 'em, and build an engine.