Formula 1 will enter a new era in a few weeks’ time, when the 2014 F1 machinery takes to the track for the first time in winter testing, with a number of major regulation changes coming into force.
These were officially confirmed in mid-December last year, when the final version of next year’s Technical Regulations was published. Following my article detailing the modifications to the Sporting Regulations, here is a look at the technical changes for this season.
This piece also includes some technical insight from Will Tyson, RichlandF1’s tech expert who knows his stuff. You can check out his blog here and be sure to follow him on Twitter here.
Power-units: It is bye, bye 2.4 litre V8s and hello 1.6 litre V6 Turbo power-units as the engine regulations change for the first time since 2006. They will be rev-limited to 15,000rpm and produce around 600bhp, with the new ERS system giving additional power. Three manufacturers will provide the grid with power-units: Renault, Mercedes and Ferrari.
Will Tyson: Power units will become the biggest performance players in F1, particularly in 2014 as the technology is so new. Engine manufacturers are officially off the leash to progress their power unit this season, so expect varying performance levels across the year, with reliability being the ultimate development focus.
Gearbox: 2014 gearboxes will have eight forward ratios, instead of the previous seven, and each team must nominate them ahead of the season. This will be a big challenge for teams, as they have to find a balance between high-downforce circuits like Monaco and high-speed, skinny-winged tracks like Monza or Spa. Each team will be allowed one opportunity to change the ratios per season.
ERS: KERS will be replaced by ERS in 2014, together making the new power-units. The unit will not only create power using kinetic energy under braking (MGU-K), but it will also power batteries using waste heat from the engines turbocharger (MGU-H). This will give drivers an additional 160bhp boost for up to 33 seconds per lap, in comparison to the 80bhp, six second boost of the previous KERS system.
WT: The ERS is a highly complex system. I expect that its potential will not be fully realised until some way through the year, if not next year. There is a lot more energy being recovered compared to the outgoing KERS: 400kJ previously is now 2MJ just from the MGU-K, plus an unlimited supply from the MGU-H, to create 4MJ of battery energy. There are endless combinations of power vs. time (i.e. 160bhp for 33.3 seconds, or 80bhp for 66.6 seconds) and it’s up to the engineers to find the best solution for each circuit.
Braking: Due to the new ERS system, teams will be able to use electronic braking devices to modulate the braking force provided by the driver, as the increased power output of ERS will make regulating the brake bias harder than it was before.
Exhaust: In recent years, teams have tried to optimise the use of exhaust gases for aerodynamic effect due to the two tailpipes that were used on either side of the car. However, 2014 will see one single exhaust tailpipe used, with no bodywork around it. It will exit beneath the rear wing, at the centre of the car, meaning the rear of the sidepods will be narrower.
WT: The exhaust blown diffuser era is now officially over as the FIA crack down on this phenomenon. Although there is still a bit of freedom regarding the vertical position of the exhaust, the rules are written in such a manner that blowing the gases onto any aerodynamic device is pretty much out of the question. It’s back to basics.
Fuel: Each driver will be limited to 100kg of fuel per race to promote fuel efficiency. Previously fuel was unlimited and 160kg was typically used during a race.
WT: 60kg less fuel at the start of the race will make a huge difference as this should make the cars faster and kinder on the tyres during the opening phase of the race. The FIA have also put a restriction on the fuel-flow rate to just 100kg per hour. This has raised questions as to whether we will just be seeing a lot fuel management rather than a race, although the teams and drivers seem quite relaxed about this. Time will tell.
Minimum Weight: To compensate for the increased weight of the new V6 Turbo power-units, the minimum weight limit will be raised from 642kg to 690kg, with a further raise being expected in 2015.
Nose height: One major visual change to the cars in 2014 will be the nose height. To prevent accidents like Mark Webber’s 2010 European Grand Prix crash, the nose height has been lowered from 550mm to 185mm above the reference plane. The first portion of the nose must have a minimum cross sectional area far less than the upper portion, which could create some odd looking F1 machinery. The chassis height has been lowered from 625mm to 525mm.
WT: The FIA always have good intentions when the write the rules, but they always fail to recognise that top engineers will exploit these rules to the limit. The teams will want to pack as much airflow beneath the chassis as possible to create more downforce from the floor. The rules are written in such a way that we will probably see a lot of wedged shaped noses with a “finger” protruding down to the 185mm height, maximising this effect.
Front wing: The front wing of the car will be narrowed slightly, by 150mm. The width of the wing will now be 1650mm instead of 1800mm, causing a slight reduction in downforce. The endplates may be more aggressively curved to allow air to pass around the front wheels.
Rear wing: Next season, the main rear wing flap will be narrower to reduce downforce. As the lower beam wing has been outlawed, teams will either opt for a vertical wing support or attach the endplates to the floor.
These have all been added alongside a number of major rule alterations to the Sporting Regulations, making it one of the biggest shake-ups in recent years for the sport.
The 2013-spec regulations have been in place since 2009, where the running order was mixed up dramatically, with Red Bull and Brawn GP – formerly Honda and now Mercedes – battling at the front and established teams like Ferrari and McLaren left struggling.
Thanks to Will Tyson for his technical insight into the new rule changes, it will certainly be a year of intrigue as the teams get used to the new cars. Reliability will play a major role in the season, but other than that, it is very hard to predict what will happen.
The two 2014 car prediction images are stills from the following video by technical expert, Giorgio Piola, which was posted by AUTOSPORT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJwutdosNIE
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| © Octane Photographic |
These were officially confirmed in mid-December last year, when the final version of next year’s Technical Regulations was published. Following my article detailing the modifications to the Sporting Regulations, here is a look at the technical changes for this season.
This piece also includes some technical insight from Will Tyson, RichlandF1’s tech expert who knows his stuff. You can check out his blog here and be sure to follow him on Twitter here.
Power-units: It is bye, bye 2.4 litre V8s and hello 1.6 litre V6 Turbo power-units as the engine regulations change for the first time since 2006. They will be rev-limited to 15,000rpm and produce around 600bhp, with the new ERS system giving additional power. Three manufacturers will provide the grid with power-units: Renault, Mercedes and Ferrari.
 |
|
© Ferrari
|
Gearbox: 2014 gearboxes will have eight forward ratios, instead of the previous seven, and each team must nominate them ahead of the season. This will be a big challenge for teams, as they have to find a balance between high-downforce circuits like Monaco and high-speed, skinny-winged tracks like Monza or Spa. Each team will be allowed one opportunity to change the ratios per season.
ERS: KERS will be replaced by ERS in 2014, together making the new power-units. The unit will not only create power using kinetic energy under braking (MGU-K), but it will also power batteries using waste heat from the engines turbocharger (MGU-H). This will give drivers an additional 160bhp boost for up to 33 seconds per lap, in comparison to the 80bhp, six second boost of the previous KERS system.
WT: The ERS is a highly complex system. I expect that its potential will not be fully realised until some way through the year, if not next year. There is a lot more energy being recovered compared to the outgoing KERS: 400kJ previously is now 2MJ just from the MGU-K, plus an unlimited supply from the MGU-H, to create 4MJ of battery energy. There are endless combinations of power vs. time (i.e. 160bhp for 33.3 seconds, or 80bhp for 66.6 seconds) and it’s up to the engineers to find the best solution for each circuit.
Braking: Due to the new ERS system, teams will be able to use electronic braking devices to modulate the braking force provided by the driver, as the increased power output of ERS will make regulating the brake bias harder than it was before.
Exhaust: In recent years, teams have tried to optimise the use of exhaust gases for aerodynamic effect due to the two tailpipes that were used on either side of the car. However, 2014 will see one single exhaust tailpipe used, with no bodywork around it. It will exit beneath the rear wing, at the centre of the car, meaning the rear of the sidepods will be narrower.
 |
|
© Giorgio Piola
|
WT: The exhaust blown diffuser era is now officially over as the FIA crack down on this phenomenon. Although there is still a bit of freedom regarding the vertical position of the exhaust, the rules are written in such a manner that blowing the gases onto any aerodynamic device is pretty much out of the question. It’s back to basics.
Fuel: Each driver will be limited to 100kg of fuel per race to promote fuel efficiency. Previously fuel was unlimited and 160kg was typically used during a race.
WT: 60kg less fuel at the start of the race will make a huge difference as this should make the cars faster and kinder on the tyres during the opening phase of the race. The FIA have also put a restriction on the fuel-flow rate to just 100kg per hour. This has raised questions as to whether we will just be seeing a lot fuel management rather than a race, although the teams and drivers seem quite relaxed about this. Time will tell.
Minimum Weight: To compensate for the increased weight of the new V6 Turbo power-units, the minimum weight limit will be raised from 642kg to 690kg, with a further raise being expected in 2015.
Nose height: One major visual change to the cars in 2014 will be the nose height. To prevent accidents like Mark Webber’s 2010 European Grand Prix crash, the nose height has been lowered from 550mm to 185mm above the reference plane. The first portion of the nose must have a minimum cross sectional area far less than the upper portion, which could create some odd looking F1 machinery. The chassis height has been lowered from 625mm to 525mm.
 |
|
© Giorgio Piola
|
WT: The FIA always have good intentions when the write the rules, but they always fail to recognise that top engineers will exploit these rules to the limit. The teams will want to pack as much airflow beneath the chassis as possible to create more downforce from the floor. The rules are written in such a way that we will probably see a lot of wedged shaped noses with a “finger” protruding down to the 185mm height, maximising this effect.
Front wing: The front wing of the car will be narrowed slightly, by 150mm. The width of the wing will now be 1650mm instead of 1800mm, causing a slight reduction in downforce. The endplates may be more aggressively curved to allow air to pass around the front wheels.
Rear wing: Next season, the main rear wing flap will be narrower to reduce downforce. As the lower beam wing has been outlawed, teams will either opt for a vertical wing support or attach the endplates to the floor.
These have all been added alongside a number of major rule alterations to the Sporting Regulations, making it one of the biggest shake-ups in recent years for the sport.
The 2013-spec regulations have been in place since 2009, where the running order was mixed up dramatically, with Red Bull and Brawn GP – formerly Honda and now Mercedes – battling at the front and established teams like Ferrari and McLaren left struggling.
Thanks to Will Tyson for his technical insight into the new rule changes, it will certainly be a year of intrigue as the teams get used to the new cars. Reliability will play a major role in the season, but other than that, it is very hard to predict what will happen.
The two 2014 car prediction images are stills from the following video by technical expert, Giorgio Piola, which was posted by AUTOSPORT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJwutdosNIE
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