Return of the Turbos?

[BullittStang]

Could we be seeing a return to the turbo era?

According to a report over at Pitpass, the FIA is considering a return to 1.5L Turbo engines when the new formula takes effect in 2013, albeit with half the fuel currently allowed but with any form of KERS allowed.

I think this is great news. I started following Formula 1 in 1987 at the peak of the trubos. Hopefully, the chassis rules will favor mechanical grip over aero grip and bring back some real racing.

Joe A.

[drledford93]

Could we be seeing a return to the turbo era?

According to a report over at Pitpass, the FIA is considering a return to 1.5L Turbo engines when the new formula takes effect in 2013, albeti with half the fuel currently allowed but with any form of KERS allowed.

I think this is great news. I started following Formula 1 in 1987 at the peak of the trubos. Hopefully, the chassis rules will favor mechanical grip over aero grip and bring back some real racing.

Joe A.

Amen, brother!

[Phil_Brown]

Anything on there about boost limits Joe?

Patrick Head was quoted in '86 saying Williams' FW11s got wheelspin in 2nd, 3rd... 4th, 5th and 6th gears!

More than one team at the time threw away driveshafts after one session because they had been wound around 360 degrees at one end by the sheer torque. Gearboxes were often scrap in the same way because the gears had been simply overloaded. Better that than to build a 'box which would stand up to the stresses but would weigh a ton!

They were cars for real men. Unless your name is Berndt Rosemeyer or Rudolph Caracciola and you've seen it all before on skinny 6 inch tyres with no seat belts or any wish to stay in the car if it crashed during a 4 hour race around the real Nurburgring. Its all relative isn't it?

Phil.

[Obi-Jiff]

Apparently the move will be an attempt to promote F1's green credentials, by using smaller-capacity engines, turbos to increase the output without burning more fuel, and energy-recovery to help it all along. Personally, I don't mind whether the engines are turbos or naturally-aspirated, but I think the lack of KERS this season is hurting the racing. The agreement to scrap it, when the majority of the development money had already been spent, was incredibly short-sighted, and some teams are probably regretting it - McLaren possibly most of all.

[daveyman]

As much as it sounds a nice idea, even if it happens it won't be the same. The cars are just too civilised nowadays, it's like in rallying. The current cars have turbos, 4 wheel drive etc but they aren't anything like as exciting as a group B car. It' s a simple fact that a turbo formula car would be a very sophisticated beast compared to the animals we know and love from the eighties.

[VMK]

1500cc Turbo+Free KERS = over 1000hp and lot of torgue on hi rpms + LOT OF TORGUE on low rpms
I dont believe this...

Br vellu

[Seiiki]

Sounds great but will the cars be able to run more efficiently with half the fuel? Last time they did that with 150 litres was 1988 when it was only running with 2.5 Bar and a pop-off valve. They could run but not really at full throttle every lap. KERS will definitely help with taking the space from the reduced fuel tank.

Now, if they can get the rear tyres back to 18 inches and the front too. Get the stupid front and rear wings back to where they should be. More emphasis on the mechanical grip and less on the aero. That would be optimal.

[Martocticvs]

It's a great idea, just so long as they kill or drastically reduce the size/effectiveness of the front wing, and cut the rear wing down to a single element (preferably without the pointlessly vast end plates). We might get some racing then.

[lumpulus]

Sounds great but will the cars be able to run more efficiently with half the fuel? Last time they did that with 150 litres was 1988 when it was only running with 2.5 Bar and a pop-off valve. They could run but not really at full throttle every lap. KERS will definitely help with taking the space from the reduced fuel tank.

That's why the Honda RA168E won McLaren the title in 88, because the fuel efficiency was so much better than the rest of the engines in the field.

[mp4f1]

It's a great idea, just so long as they kill or drastically reduce the size/effectiveness of the front wing, and cut the rear wing down to a single element (preferably without the pointlessly vast end plates). We might get some racing then.

.....Yes those ironing boards are a bit much!

The turbo aspect is exciting because we could see some real development in the cars, and go back to all the cars looking dramatically different, miss the days when a car showed up looking completely different from all the others..F1 needs a bit more engineering maddness, and that kind of rule change could be pretty exciting!

F1 should always be the cutting edge, and the pinnacle.