Liked the race on Sunday? I actually loved it. But then I went online, and spoke to other fans and they all said it was predictable and boring, and the race ended as predicted.
If you are an enormous F1 fan, you probably know all about the cars and their engines. If you're not, then here's some elaboration.
While there are 11 different teams in Formula 1, not all of them make their own engines. There are actually only four engine manufacturers. The teams that make their own engines are generally the Works teams, that is they represent a car company. So Mercedes, Renault, Ferrari, they are the works teams. McLaren used to be a Works team since they represented Mercedes Benz on the race track. But since the existence of the PETRONAS Mercedes-Benz AMG Team, McLaren no longer hold that status.
Apparently McLaren didn't enjoy being a mere user, and wanted to regain the status of a Works team. That is why we are lucky enough to see the return of Honda to Formula One in 2015, supplying McLarens with their engines. If they manage to remain the exclusive user of Honda engines, then they will get all the benefits of a works engine, of which there are many.
A works team can make an engine that suits their car and their drivers, whereas an engine customer can only tune the engine to make it match the car. Some teams even go the other way, trying to make their car match the engine. That can be expensive, and offers very limited freedom.
But one of the factors that makes each teams' car so different from others' is the engine. You see, each engine has its own characteristics. Some perform better on street circuits with lower speeds, while others excel on open tracks with high speed running. Some generate more power, some are more efficient, and they all have their benefits.
Cosworth is rumored to have the cheapest engine package, which lets the lower-budgeted teams to source all their engines at a considerably lower price than, say, Mercedes' engines. This does however mean lower power and less testing and reliability.
The Mercedes engine on the other hand is the undisputed power king. It makes a lot of power, and has a very "peaky" nature, delivering a large amount of power in a short power band. This makes Mercedes powered cars good at high speed running, and overtaking. However, it is also a well known fact that the Mercedes engines are also the thirstiest. This means that the teams have to carry more fuel to finish the race, since mid-race refueling is no longer allowed. The way the Formula 1 regulations work, the cars are weighed at the end of the race, and have to above a certain weight (670 kgs), or else they may get disqualified from that race. This means that at the start of every race, the Mercedes-powered cars are heavier, and hence slower than, say, a Renault-powered car.
The Renault is the opposite of the Mercedes in terms of character. It is relatively lower powered, but it is said to be more driveable. This means that the power is distributed in a linear fashion throughout all engine speeds, allowing the driver to make smoother exits from corners, and better modulate the exact power of the engine. This makes for a neater, and often quicker, lap time. Because of their more efficient nature, Renault cars also require less fuel through a race. This means they can make very quick starts, and can gain a lot of ground in the first few laps. Noticed how the lead Red Bull tends to pull away from which ever car is behind in the first few laps? Now you know why. Towards the end of the race, the thirstier cars would have burnt most of their excess fuel, and might even be at an advantage since they make more power, and are carrying similar weights. That's why most Mercedes and Ferrari overtakes happen in the second half of the race.
The Ferrari engine is sort of in-between the two. Though official power figures are never revealed, it is believed the Ferrari makes marginally less power than the Mercedes, but offers a smoother power delivery, much like a Renault. And predictably, they make better starts than Mercedes powered cars, but don't have the blinding pace of Renault cars in the initial laps. Neither do they have the tremendous straight line pace of the Mercedes powered cars, but it is an effective compromise.
But the most exciting factor is that these qualities are not constant. Since the 2.4l V8s were introduced, the engine characteristics were more or less constant. But next year, we see the return of forced induction (read Turbochargers) once more. The last time the F1 engines were turbocharged, they were putting out close to 1400hp. That was in the mental, suicidal '80s era. It is unlikely the 2014 engines will make more than 900hp. However, the complete change in the type of engine allows the manufacturers to change their engine's characteristics. It is perfectly possible that we will have a super efficient Mercedes, and a power-crazed, wastegate popping, whistling monster from Ferrari.
And the engine changes combined with totally new aerodynamic regulations and improved Energy Recovery Systems (ERS) should mean all current advantages and disadvantages may be removed. Every team starts once more from scratch, and Marussia may become World Champions next year, and Massa may well pilot the Caterham to a very close second. That should make for a change from the unending domination of a certain Energy Drinks brand.
By the way, my money is still on Infinity Red-Bull Racing Renault for next year. They have Adrian Newey. But more on that next time.
If you are an enormous F1 fan, you probably know all about the cars and their engines. If you're not, then here's some elaboration.
While there are 11 different teams in Formula 1, not all of them make their own engines. There are actually only four engine manufacturers. The teams that make their own engines are generally the Works teams, that is they represent a car company. So Mercedes, Renault, Ferrari, they are the works teams. McLaren used to be a Works team since they represented Mercedes Benz on the race track. But since the existence of the PETRONAS Mercedes-Benz AMG Team, McLaren no longer hold that status.
Apparently McLaren didn't enjoy being a mere user, and wanted to regain the status of a Works team. That is why we are lucky enough to see the return of Honda to Formula One in 2015, supplying McLarens with their engines. If they manage to remain the exclusive user of Honda engines, then they will get all the benefits of a works engine, of which there are many.
A works team can make an engine that suits their car and their drivers, whereas an engine customer can only tune the engine to make it match the car. Some teams even go the other way, trying to make their car match the engine. That can be expensive, and offers very limited freedom.
But one of the factors that makes each teams' car so different from others' is the engine. You see, each engine has its own characteristics. Some perform better on street circuits with lower speeds, while others excel on open tracks with high speed running. Some generate more power, some are more efficient, and they all have their benefits.
Cosworth is rumored to have the cheapest engine package, which lets the lower-budgeted teams to source all their engines at a considerably lower price than, say, Mercedes' engines. This does however mean lower power and less testing and reliability.
The Mercedes engine on the other hand is the undisputed power king. It makes a lot of power, and has a very "peaky" nature, delivering a large amount of power in a short power band. This makes Mercedes powered cars good at high speed running, and overtaking. However, it is also a well known fact that the Mercedes engines are also the thirstiest. This means that the teams have to carry more fuel to finish the race, since mid-race refueling is no longer allowed. The way the Formula 1 regulations work, the cars are weighed at the end of the race, and have to above a certain weight (670 kgs), or else they may get disqualified from that race. This means that at the start of every race, the Mercedes-powered cars are heavier, and hence slower than, say, a Renault-powered car.
The Renault is the opposite of the Mercedes in terms of character. It is relatively lower powered, but it is said to be more driveable. This means that the power is distributed in a linear fashion throughout all engine speeds, allowing the driver to make smoother exits from corners, and better modulate the exact power of the engine. This makes for a neater, and often quicker, lap time. Because of their more efficient nature, Renault cars also require less fuel through a race. This means they can make very quick starts, and can gain a lot of ground in the first few laps. Noticed how the lead Red Bull tends to pull away from which ever car is behind in the first few laps? Now you know why. Towards the end of the race, the thirstier cars would have burnt most of their excess fuel, and might even be at an advantage since they make more power, and are carrying similar weights. That's why most Mercedes and Ferrari overtakes happen in the second half of the race.
The Ferrari engine is sort of in-between the two. Though official power figures are never revealed, it is believed the Ferrari makes marginally less power than the Mercedes, but offers a smoother power delivery, much like a Renault. And predictably, they make better starts than Mercedes powered cars, but don't have the blinding pace of Renault cars in the initial laps. Neither do they have the tremendous straight line pace of the Mercedes powered cars, but it is an effective compromise.
But the most exciting factor is that these qualities are not constant. Since the 2.4l V8s were introduced, the engine characteristics were more or less constant. But next year, we see the return of forced induction (read Turbochargers) once more. The last time the F1 engines were turbocharged, they were putting out close to 1400hp. That was in the mental, suicidal '80s era. It is unlikely the 2014 engines will make more than 900hp. However, the complete change in the type of engine allows the manufacturers to change their engine's characteristics. It is perfectly possible that we will have a super efficient Mercedes, and a power-crazed, wastegate popping, whistling monster from Ferrari.
And the engine changes combined with totally new aerodynamic regulations and improved Energy Recovery Systems (ERS) should mean all current advantages and disadvantages may be removed. Every team starts once more from scratch, and Marussia may become World Champions next year, and Massa may well pilot the Caterham to a very close second. That should make for a change from the unending domination of a certain Energy Drinks brand.
By the way, my money is still on Infinity Red-Bull Racing Renault for next year. They have Adrian Newey. But more on that next time.
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