05/07/2023
NEWS STORY
Though fans of those glorious engines of years gone by, team bosses admit that even with the advances made with sustainable fuels there is no hope of a return to V10s or the like.
Stefano Domenicali's recent admission that F1 is looking to put the noise back into the sport with the 2026 engine regulations, had fans of a certain age going all dewy eyed at the memory of Ferraris V12s, Cosworth V8s and the banshee wail of the Matra.
However, the noise boost will no doubt be courtesy of a device incorporated into the design, a gimmick, as opposed to any possibility of a move away from the current configuration.
Last year, fans got to see Sebastian Vettel driving Nigel Mansell's iconic Williams FW14B at Silverstone, while the German will be in action in the ex-Ayrton Senna 1993 McLaren MP4/8 at the forthcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The McLaren and the Williams, which will also be at Goodwood, have both been adapted to run on sustainable fuel, however, despite the advances team bosses insist that there is no hope of a return to the sounds that first caused us to fall in love with the sport.
"As a fan, I would love nothing more to see a V10 or a V12 engine running on fully sustainable fuel," said Christian Horner, "you know, for the sound and the emotion and so on.
"But we have many manufacturers involved in Formula 1, where the electrification of their ranges is important. And so therefore, lithium-ion batteries have been introduced to Formula 1 cars. And I think that's something that with the cell technology, Formula 1 is now at the forefront of.
"I think with the progress that we're seeing with sustainable fuels, it does make the combustion engine look like it's got a new life and a new relevance," he admitted. "So, perhaps it's something that Formula 1 should also consider longer term, because you have to find that balance of entertainment and appeal.
"If Formula 1 was not appealing, there's no way that the manufacturers that have recently joined or returned to Formula 1, like Ford or Audi, there's no way they would have ever joined. They had an electric formula that they could have all competed in. And I think that Formula 1, these manufacturers want to be involved because of its appeal, because of its reach, because of the global audience that is continuing to grow in, particularly in new markets and key markets. So I think it's finding that balance between entertainment - and sport has to be entertaining - and technology and not one overriding the other."
"Formula 1 has been and is always the most important, let's say, testing bench for the car manufacturers to develop new technologies," added Alessandro Alunni Bravi. "And we cannot forget where is the direction now of the automotive sector, especially for engines, hybrid engines and electric- powered engine.
"So Formula 1 must be relevant, and must be part of this technology process and development. So we need of course to have the proper technology for the car manufacturers.
"It's important to keep the balance of Formula 1. So to respect what is our DNA, but Formula 1 cannot be out of the automotive world. If we are here and we have a sustainable model in the future, it will be of course, for our fans, but also because the car manufacturers decided to come back and to invest into the Formula 1, and we need to provide them to the with the proper tool to develop technology for the road cars."
"As much as we can be nostalgic about V10s, V12s, and I think most people which grew up in motorsport like them, but the world has moved on, and so has Formula 1," said Guenther Steiner, "and I think we need to stay current with technology.
"The technology now is electrification, but not solely, maybe we can keep the combustion engine alive with sustainable fuels, with zero emissions. I think, actually F1 is a big part of doing this for the future. Because what F1 is good at is in doing developments.
"Obviously, we have got good money available to do it and everybody pushes hard, because we push hard for being competitive in a race. We're not just doing it to do something. We need to be competitive. So, I think it's the best place still for a car manufacturer, to be in Formula 1, to push their technologies. And maybe the combustion engine, as was said here before, has a comeback, a little bit different and not as a V10 or a V12 as we maybe wish.
"But it's still staying around, you know. So I think it's a very good thing because it keeps us both interesting, but also develops a technology which is good for driving around cars worldwide."
"Personally, I would like to have back the V12 Matra sound from the '70s," admitted Franz Tost. "This was fantastic.
"But unfortunately this is not on the table, because the automotive industry is going in another direction. And they have to go into this other direction because they have to sell their cars. And Formula 1 is the peak of motor sports. And it's the mirror of the technology and therefore, the way in which we are going now with this power unit, with the energy recovery systems is correct for sustainability and for the acceptance of our sport."