F1 Set To Switch To ‘green’ Engines

F1 stakeholders are believed to have reached an agreement for Grand Prix cars to use a new type of ‘green’ engine from 2013.

The sport will switch from the current 2.4-litre V8s to 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo engines with energy recovery systems and fuel restrictions.

The move is an attempt to mirror the trend towards fuel-efficiency in road cars and to popularise it, increasing public demand for such engines.

The new rules could be confirmed by governing body the FIA on 10th December.

Mercedes and Ferrari had been reluctant to agree to the move as recently as a month ago, believing that it was an unnecessary expense at a time when F1 was trying to reduce costs.

But a spokesman for Ferrari stated that the rules had been agreed and he would be ‘surprised’ if it was not announced by the FIA World Council.

He admitted Ferrari had concerns about the move on cost grounds but added: ‘An agreement is there, and when there is an agreement you work accordingly.’

The aim is for the new rules to improve the efficiency of F1 engines by as much as 50%.

Care has been taken to ensure the performance of cars will not be affected and total power outputs will remain at current levels – approximately 750bhp.

By adopting the regulations, F1 hopes to widen its appeal to sponsors – commercial insiders say some companies are reluctant to get involved in F1 because of its image of being wasteful with resources.

The agreement to change the regulations from the 2.4-litre normally aspirated V8s used in F1 since 2006 comes after months of protracted negotiations and it had looked as if the switch might have to be delayed until at least 2014, or perhaps until as long as 2017.

It is understood that a series of checks and balances have been written into the regulations to keep costs down and to ensure it should be impossible for one manufacturer to steal a march on the others in terms of performance.

This will primarily be done through resource restriction – such as limiting the amount of people or time that can be devoted to a project.

It is believed that the regulations will go before the F1 Commission – a group of stakeholders that agrees all rule changes – on Thursday 9th December before being rubber-stamped by the World Council the following day.

The move is seen as a triumph for both F1 teams’ organisation FOTA and FIA president Jean Todt, both of whom have made increasing the future sustainability of F1 a key aim.