At the end of the 2020 Formula One World Championship season the current power-units, which were introduced in 2014, could be replaced.
Formula One ditched the aspirated V8 engines in favour of V6 Turbo-Hybrid power-units.
Those power-unit regulations were drawn up by committee, with Renault, Mercedes and Ferrari all having an input.
The problem was the complex designs became very expensive to manufacture.
The loss of the screaming aspirated engine also had an impact on the Formula One promoters and so, this opportunity for new regulations give the sports governing body the FIA and new Formula One owners Liberty Media a chance to re-write the rule book.
Their aim is to stick with the V6 Turbo-Hybrid principal, but make the power-units more sustainable and cost affective.
They believe this will be achieved by ‘Prescriptive internal design parameters’, ‘standard energy store and control electronics’, ‘single turbo with dimensional constraints and weight limits’ and to remove the MGU-H which currently recovers heat energy from the turbo.
To improve the entertainment aspect of Formula One, they want 3000rpm higher engine running speed range to improve the sound and to make the MGU-K more powerful ‘with focus on manual driver deployment in race together with option to save up energy over several laps to give a driver controlled tactical element to racing’.
This would create a push-to-pass button, much like when KERS was first introduced into Formula One.
‘The 2021 power unit is an example of the future way the FIA as regulators, F1 as commercial right holders, the teams and the manufacturers as stakeholders will work together for the common good of the sport. F1 managing director Ross Brawn told Sky Sports.
He continued: ‘The new F1 has the target to be the world’s leading global sports competition married to state of the art technology. To excite, engage, and awe fans of all ages but to do so in a sustainable manner. We believe that the future power unit will achieve this.’
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff was not quite as positive as his former colleague.
He said: ‘Certain things are right, but it’s not quite there. It is a vision and not yet a regulation. And it’s only their [FIA and FOM] vision and not the manufacturer’s.
Wolff added: ‘I just want to make it clear that there are different opinions. It was a presentation by the F1 management, not the manufacturer. We will now wait and see what will be put on the table next week and start a dialogue from there.’
Formula One future set to be discussed
