Monday, August 25, 2014

Greening the Race Track.



Australia shakes the grandstand as changes are made in the set of rules in Formula One - possibly the biggest change undergone in racing history! Many traditional fans may initially have felt dismayed at the uncertainty of what these changes mean for their teams, their drivers and most of all, the magnificent roar of engines. However, once looked into more closely nobody can deny the great deal of good this all entails. See for yourself, list provided by The Guardian:

Engine The biggest difference of all, with a 1.6-litre V6 turbo replacing the old 2.4-litre V8 as F1 turns green. It is the first time we have seen turbos since 1988. The new engine will produce 600bhp, while the old version was capable of 750bhp, but extra power will come from the new ERS system.

Energy recovery system (ERS) This replaces Kers and produces more power, an extra 160bhp against 80bhp, and it can be used for just over 30 seconds per lap. It works by generating power using waste heat from the turbocharger, while generating energy under braking.

Fuel This is one for the strategists, with fuel limited to about two-thirds of what it was before. Each car is allowed a maximum of 100kg (about 135 litres) per race. Before, there was no limit, but most cars carried around 160kg. The new limit means the driver must work closely with his engineer.

Weight The minimum weight has been raised from 642kg to 691kg. This is because of the increased weight of the new power unit. It has placed extra pressure on the drivers to be as light as possible before a race.

Rear wing The lower beam wing has been outlawed and the main plane is shallower. The DRS slot is bigger than in 2013.

Front wing This is narrower, reduced from 1800mm to 1650mm. The maximum nose height has also been dropped from 550mm to 185mm

Penalty points A driver will be banned for one race if he collects 12 penalty points on his superlicence during a 12-month period. For smaller infringements, stewards can also impose a five-second penalty.

Central exhausts One central exhaust pipe, turned upwards to stop the flow being used to produce downforce via the diffuser, replaces last season's double tailpipes.

Gears Gearboxes will have eight forward gears instead of seven, which each team must nominate before the start of the season.

Testing In-season testing makes a comeback. Four two-day tests will be held in the course of the year, with the first one coming after the Bahrain Grand Prix next month.

Although not all changes are directly correlated to going fully green, it is wonderful to know that awareness is being raised on track and brought to the attention of the people in the stands. 

No comments:

Post a Comment