F1 Engines: Powerhouses of Formula 1 Racing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the sunset of the 2.4-litre V8 engine era in 2013, in 2014 the world of Formula One and its fans

woke up to the roar, or I would say ‘hiss," of the tech-driven hybrid V6 turbo engines, the switch in the

engines was taken as pronounced by the then F1 boss Bernie Eccelstone that the world was moving.

towards more eco-friendly ways of mobility, and the global warming torchbearers were pointing their

fingers and were shouting aloud that the glamourous world of Formula One is least bothered about any

issues as such, where in the sport, taking a millisecond out of every lap mattered more than saving that

last drop of unleaded fuel that goes into the fire-breathing V8 engines.

So, coming to the V6, these engines were anything but loaded, but boy oh boy, they were laden with tech. Churning out over 340 kph from that puny motor is a feat in itself, so how did they achieve those numbers? Designing the tiny V6 was hard because its architecture is very different from the incumbent V8s. If the engineers can't prevent the turbo from producing a knock within the combustion chamber, the engine will blow up, which is something they can't afford as only five are permitted per driver per year.

The KERS system was thrown out of the window, and in come two modern generator units, namely MGU-K, which recovers energy from braking, and MGU-H, an electric motor that recovers energy from the exhaust, yes, you read that right, the exhaust!

 

How it works is that under acceleration, the internal combustion engine will be sucking the

reserve of fuel, the turbo charger at this time will be rotating at 100,000 RPM in tandem with the MGU-H.

The motor will recover energy from the heat and energy lost in the exhaust and give it to the other MGU-K.

motor, which in turn is connected to the crankshaft of the ICE, will act as a motor and deliver added

power to pull harder. Fan of those back straight overtakes under the DRS zones? Now you know the

Mathematics as to what is working overtime to pull off that overtake! And the MGU-K is also intelligent.

enough to save fuel under certain circumstances, should the electronics be mapped. The engineers you see in

The garages and pit wall work tirelessly to monitor this balance between energy harvesting and energy

deployment and fuel burn. This is much more complex than it looks, but one thing these cars are still

good at is going ‘flat out," though overtaking has reduced a lot from the V8 era.

 

The biggest beneficiary of this hybrid era has been Mercedes, with the most poles, wins, and

fastest laps, and since 2014, the shining F1 constructors title has graced the Mercedes Petronas F1 team.

headquarters in Brackley, UK.

F1 engine: high-performance power unit for Formula 1 racing
**V6 turbocharged**: Key design feature of F1 engines
Hybrid technology: integration of combustion engine and energy recovery system (ERS)
lightweight and compact design for optimal performance
Impressive horsepower exceeding 1,000
capable of reaching extremely high rotational speeds
Strict FIA regulations ensure fair competition and safety.

Resource

Some reputable sources for Formula 1 information include:

• Formula 1 official website: www.formula1.com
• FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) official website: www.fia.com
• Motorsport.com: www.motorsport.com
• Autosport: www.autosport.com
• ESPN F1: www.espn.com/f1

By visiting these websites and using their search function or navigating through their motorsport sections, you should be able to find detailed information.