The FIA has now formally ratified the decisions taken at the Formula One Commission prior to the European GP. That means a V6 turbo formula will come into force in 2014.
Although the FIA has given no details, the V6 rev limit is expected to be 15,000rpm.
A short statement tonight said: “Following a fax vote by its members, the World Motor Sport Council has ratified the engine regulations recently drawn up in consultation with the main stakeholders in Formula One. The new power plant will be a V6 1.6 turbo unit with energy recovery systems. This new formula will come into effect as from the start of the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship season.”
On Sunday this blog asked Stefano Domenicali for his thoughts on the change.
“It was important to see there was an agreement within the constructors and the teams with regard to this new specification of engine,” he said. “I think it’s a step forward in order to make sure we deliver something that has to respect first of all that F1 is the pinnacle of motor sport.
“We need to take care about the comments of the promoters, and the comments of all the stakeholders of F1. I think that this is the first step to make sure that these things will happen very, very soon.”
Adam Cooper F1 
Adam, How much horsepower are they targeting for these units? Are they risking slowing the cars too much and being slower than Indycars, who will use a 2.2L turbo V6 starting in 2012?
As long as they don’t homologate manufacturers engines and allow development then these would potentially have astronomic amounts of power. In reality, the FIA will probably for homologation of the IC units in 2015 or 2016 only allowing development of the “clean” components of the power train. I can’t wait until the world realizes there is no such thing as clean energy.
Road relevance my foot!. Has anyone ever driven an 1.6l V6 turbocharged?
Is my next courtesy car going to be a 1.6l V6turbocharged?
I rest my case
“I can’t wait until the world realizes there is no such thing as clean energy.”
Amen to that.
I don’t see any reason that turbo V6’s shouldn’t be a part of F1. I want to see various engine configurations for the top of the line racing series on the planet. It doesn’t have to be green, it just has to be mean.
El Chiva,
Well, how many 2.4 liter V8s are available as well ?
Personally, I wish they had 3.5 liter V12’s and V10’s . Loved that era.
ElChiva.
It says road relevant technologies not road relevant engines. Plenty of small capacity turbo engines in the marketplace.
If you can increase power/efficiency per litre of fuel used that is road relevant. If you can increase efficiency or reliability of turbo units, thats road relevant. If you can develop efficient gearboxes and kers systems for V configuration engines thats road relevant for higher end vehicles (which is why Ferrari wanted V config).
The 2 fastest ways to make technology leaps and innovations are War and Competiton
1.4 turbo’s were muted for 2013 in an attempt to get Audi to enter F1 – it declined. Word is they will produce roughly the same power as they do at the moment – so 760bhp or so. Will it only be accessible at high revs though making the cars slower overall? Quite exciting until you think that BMW 1,5 turbos were producing 1,300 bhp in qualifying trim two decades ago.
I read an article in English Motor Sport Magazine, a few months ago with an AUDI engineer. He stated that AUDI were involved in drawing up the rules for the new F1 in 2013 /2014. Could not believe that !
A firm who is not involved in F1 being asked to be involved in the technical rules. Totally crazy. AUDI say thay have no interest in F1. If you get chance, try to read the issue. Very good. The engineer also made comment about engine noise and how we don’t need it. Thank heavens AUDI aren’t in F1, in my opinion.