New regulations in F1 – boon or bane?

The pinnacle of motor racing is striving towards creating greener and cleaner technologies and this is vindicated by new engine regulations, the implementation of Kinetic Energy Recovery System [KERS] and so forth.  What’s more interesting is that the technologies are being mimicked in road cars to bring them on par with the F1 counterparts. Three cheers to racing!

The recent news revealing the engine changes that will be effective from 2013 intrigues me as to how big will be the impact of this on the thrills and spills of racing. When Formula one racing is about sheer power why downsize the engines? Well, I do go along with the fact that the outcome will be lesser emissions complemented by fuel saving solutions (the expected level of reduction in fuel consumption is about 35%). But Formula One is not about that!  

Personally, I think the FIA’s decision to bring about a drastic change from the current savage 2.4 litre V8 mill to a rather feeble 1.6 litre I-4 will affect the future prospects of racing. However, this should presumably be counteracted by the re-entry of forced induction in the form of turbochargers for that added excitement.  

Not to forget the KERS technology. A viable system that will be the backbone of the green and clean campaign. Will that become indispensible in F1 sooner or later? Will the cars’ dependency on the recovery systems to boost power be as significant as with the engines?

With such regulations framed, the challenges faced by the teams increase multifold. New engine regulations would encourage more manufacturers to enter the sport leading to technology advancements benefitting the road car sector. As most of us are aware, KERS has already found its place in many of the hybrid vehicles.

Despite all the ongoing debates and discussions, the question “New regulations in F1 – boon or bane?” cannot be completely answered until the start of 2013 season.