2026 Formula 1 rules: more fuel to avoid engine war?
09/11/2024 03:32 AM
The situation is tight. The 2026 regulations are clearly revealing what was predictable: to convince Audi to enter F1 and Honda to return to the sport, concessions were made on power units that now risk being costly. The FIA team, led by Nikolas Tombazis, has tried to work miracles to avoid the possibility of seeing "Frankenstein cars," as provocatively described by Red Bull's team principal, Christian Horner.
Andrea Stella of McLaren, after the publication of the draft chassis and aerodynamics regulations, added that there is a fear of F1 cars becoming "…too slow in corners and too fast on straights." – the former Ferrari track engineer pointed out.
The idea of matching the power of the internal combustion engine with electric power is creating more problems than development opportunities since fuel flow limitations were introduced in the rules to prevent the combustion engine from being used as a generator for electric energy if the battery runs out prematurely.
The cars will be lighter (about 30 kg), shorter (20 cm less in wheelbase), narrower (10 cm), with the goal of reducing downforce by 30% (with a partially flat floor and a less extreme diffuser) and aiming for a 55% reduction in aerodynamic drag, partly through the adoption of X-Mode.
Despite all the complexities (the progressive reduction of electric energy flow as speed increases), it's becoming more evident that on tracks selective for consumption, there's a risk of seeing cars only utilizing the 550 horsepower of the turbo V6, while being out of electricity, having to compete against cars capable of using 1,000 horsepower.
Nikolas Tombazis, FIA head of single-seaters, admitted during the Canadian GP press conference that "…if changes are necessary, I am confident the manufacturers will help work on the power units and will be cooperative.” – he explained.
The engine rules were finalized in 2022, and revisiting the power units to find a performance balance that the cars cannot currently guarantee is essential. The only way out is to increase the amount of e-fuel to reduce dependence on the battery, which will have triple the energy capacity compared to today (350 kW instead of 120 kW).
To change the 2026 power unit rules, unanimous agreement among manufacturers (Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault, Honda, Audi, and Red Bull Powertrains) will be required.
Toto Wolff wants to immediately assert Mercedes’ role. The team was against delaying the chassis rules to October to give the FIA time to address and resolve the emerging issues.
“From a power unit standpoint, we've been at it for a couple of years. Some teams feel behind, and others think they’ve done a good job with the OEMs. I believe chassis modifications can be explored, but on the engine side, the process is already too advanced.”
Christian Horner, CEO of RBPT, seems more open to possible changes: “There are always those who don't want to change," explained Christian, "but it's not too late. The decision rests with the FIA, which has all the data and simulations. We should trust the International Federation and FOM to make the right choices."
Currently, the regulations allow 100 kg/h of fuel for the internal combustion engine, plus 120 kW of electric energy when the MGU-K can deliver it. In 2026, the total energy available must not exceed 3,000 Mj/h. With these limits, it's becoming clear that on at least three world championship tracks, there could be serious electric recharge issues.
Engineering stuff. To make the concept simpler, we can say that the 2026 engines are currently being tested with a maximum rev of 11,000 rpm, compared to today's 12,500 rpm for gear shifts. With an additional 5/8 kg of available fuel, the difficulty could be resolved, but the power units will need to be recalibrated to operate at higher revs than originally designed. We’re talking about very low revs compared to the naturally aspirated engine era (20,000 rpm!), considering the limits that road engines can now reach.
It's easy to foresee that a compromise could be reached by revisiting the 2026 power units rather than completely revolutionizing the concept of the next-generation cars, perhaps allowing some aerodynamic concessions to make things easier for the regulators, who seem to have found themselves in a cul-de-sac.
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