F1 doesn't genuinely care about being road relevant. They haven't for many years (if ever).
If they did care, they would have allowed active aero, less restrictive powertrain constraints, and many other innovations.
They care more about preserving the "image" of F1. And because of that, ICE will not be going away for a very, very, long time.
Iirc Formula E has some kind of contract that guarantees it to be the only FIA sanctioned completely electric racing series until 2035, so some kind of ICE has to be retained in F1 until that point at least.
Edit: the agreement even goes till 2039
Iirc Formula E has some kind of contract that guarantees it to be the only FIA sanctioned completely electric racing series until 2035, so some kind of ICE has to be retained in F1 until that point at least.
And Lewis Hamilton signed with Mercedes for 2025. There are always options that allow earlier changes.
F1 doesn’t genuinely care about being road relevant. They haven’t for many years (if ever).
Car makers do, though. They were the ones who pushed for hybrid tech in the hypercar class of sportscar racing.
Do they really though? I know they say they do, but I don't think the mean it.
At the end of the day, manufacturers participate in F1 because of marketing. Not because of the opportunity to develop technology. Since F1 is a marketing exercise for them, they care more about the image their teams portray. Just like how F1 wants cars to project a particular image.
They want their brand associated with people seeing the car and saying "wow, now that's a racecar." ICE in F1 won't be going away until the general public divorces ICE from the image of high performance racecars. It has nothing to do with speed or technology development.
It's harder to market overpriced electric and hybrid cars with a race series that acts as if E10 fuel was a massive innovation.
Do they really though? I know they say they do, but I don’t think the mean it.
(Additional reply) According to an interview with an DTM representative, car makers contacted them to pave a path for electrified cars (DTM is currently GT3-based).
Let's face it this is the real answer. Just think how many people just want to bring back the v10 era.
They care more about preserving the “image” of F1. And because of that, ICE will not be going away for a very, very, long time.
That's why I didn't propose the ICE to go away, just frozen. I understand it needs to be there for the image, oil money, length of the race, etc.
Let teams compete on the tech that actually matters to the motoring world.
A battery tech arms race would be so great. Have three or more battery tech poviders compete and teams are free to pick.
I believe that a better experiment for F1 is efuel. I don't see the point turning F1 into another Formula E. Also, as long as we build EV batteries we won't achieve net zero. We WON'T. You could argue efuel won't work (which isn't a scientific argument unless it goes against a physical principle, which doesn't today), but EV is not the silver bullet
I don’t see the point turning F1 into another Formula E.
that's not the proposal. FE is a spec series, this would be F1 actually turning their engineering race onto the electric drivetrain, and keeping the ICE engine for endurance and drama.
Also, as long as we build EV batteries we won’t achieve net zero. We WON’T.
you can't just assert that without something to back it up.
Wouldn't freezing ICE specs turn the series into a spec series, which kinda defeats half the point of the competition?
It when electric systems are open
That makes sense. No idea why I genuinely missed that...
Derp.
We all have our moments. 💖
As much as I think that's an awesome idea, the end result will just be formulaE.
As much as I think that’s an awesome idea, the end result will just be formulaE.
By that flawed logic, all ICE race series are also 100% the same.
It wouldn't though, it would be faster and more efficient than formula e because teams would be competing over the electrical energy usage
It wouldn’t though, it would be faster and more efficient than formula e because teams would be competing over the electrical energy usage
I think people who downvoted you don't realize that in FE energy use is artificially restricted to a degree that hat little to do with actual battery capacity and the FIA decide from race to race what usage they want to allow.
Why would they do that when Redbull has the best engine right now?
same reason the regulations change with any team on top.
*Honda
Potato tomato
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