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Ecclestone worried 2013 engines could mute F1's appeal

ESPNF1 Staff
January 5, 2011

Bernie Ecclestone is worried F1 could lose its appeal with the loss of V8 engines

Bernie Ecclestone has become the latest high-profile figure to express concerns about the sound Formula One engines will make once a new 1.6 litre, four-cylinder engine formula is introduced in 2013.

The FIA is pushing ahead with plans for more frugal, smaller capacity, turbocharged engines that will see the current V8s scrapped. Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said recently that for "the top class of racing", 1.6 litre, four-cylinder power plants "sounds a bit pathetic". Triple world champion Niki Lauda agreed: "I am worried about the sound, which in formula one has been so unique ... Hopefully there will be more than a faint hum."

Ecclestone has admitted that he too is worried about the new exhaust note.

"I don't care whether it's 1.6 or 1.8 litre engines - I'm worried about the sound," he is quoted by motorline.cc. "If we lose the sound of Formula One, we will be losing a great deal."

But FIA president Jean Todt believes there is no cause for concern and insists that it is vital that F1 pushes ahead with the new engines.

"I can guarantee that the formula one cars for the 2013 season will be very exciting and produce a great sound. The development of the industry in the past years has been bringing safety and environmental awareness to the foreground, and the car manufacturers have made great progress in both areas.

"With the new rules, the FIA wants to send a strong message about Formula One. It is the pinnacle of motor sport and the smaller engine is very important for the manufacturers."

 

I don't think small engines are very important to Ferrari and they're the only manufacturer that really puts any F1 tech into their street cars.

I'm not worried about the sound, but I think they should open up the regulations to allow different sized engines (I4 turbo, V6 turbo, plus NA V8, V10 and V12) Let the teams decide what they want to do. Obviously the smaller engines will make more sense for the smaller teams from a cost standpoint but the bigger teams may want to use the bigger engines to appeal to their fans.

Cutting back on some of these regulations would be a surefire way to make the racing more exciting again.

 

I agree with him. Plus it will diminish the marketing value of the sport to the OEMs. Unless Ferrari are planning to launch 4 cylinder cars!

I've always liked the notion that F1 R&D ended up in the BMW M and Lexus LFA V10s, and in the Ferrari V8s and V12s. While I'm sure there will still be learnings applicable to production engines, it will not be at the same level.

 

I don't feel the smaller engine is that "important" to the manufacturers either. I don't see many of the majors producing 4 cyl. engines in any of their flagship road cars in the near future (Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes are still producing new V8's and V12's).

If F1 is to be the pinnacle of motorsport and wants to lead the way to being more "green", why not show that they can make a more efficient V8? Bring back the turbos I say!

Or, perhaps have teams allocate more funds to develop better "hybrid" systems, like KERS.